It's hot button time again.  Jennifer Doyle's query struck me only as
incomplete, but entirely appropriate for this list.  If she had identified
her university, a locale of interest to her, then some good suggestions
might have been posted in her areas of interest -- arts & politics, and
development.

To those who reacted otherwise, the worst that should be said about her
inquiry was that it was perhaps naive to expect help in narrowing her focus
to something specific - without knowing more than she wrote.  It's almost a
seasonal exercise in some historical museums (and no doubt others) for
parents to ask staff to help their youngsters write term papers.  I am aware
of instances when major benefactors, or political leaders, have "assigned"
such tasks to museum staffers.  And in a few cases, these "assignments" have
been for completed term papers for seniors in college.

Aaron Marcavitch is right:

> But, there is no need, and I have seen it on WAY too
> many other lists, to tell someone to go bugger off
> when they ask for a few ideas. Our ideas may be crap
> but at least it gets the juices flowing.

We regard it as a professional responsibility to help when we can.  I have
asked Jennifer for more specifics off-list.

Ross Weeks Jr.
Tazewell VA

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