[quote Wishfulthinking1977]@TheDailyCarbunkle I have watched and read your posts and responses on many threads throughout this time and I personally think you are one of the most measured positive person I have seen! So for that I would like to thank you! I do have a question and I hope its not too outing?! But I feel that you make work in the same sort of field as my DB (who lives with us) scientific data analysis? Pretty much the same field as professor pantsdown without the financial rewards!! Only reason I ask is that he says exactly the same as you! It's a shame that the government allowed data to be interpreted in only one way rather than allowing the actual scientific way of looking at all scenarios xx[/quote]
Thanks @Wishfulthinking1977 - I'm glad you like my posts! I'm in a related field - it's a tough one to explain but I research what is needed to solve a problem, from the point of view of the people having that problem and suggest solutions. The solutions might have a tech element but for the most part it's about understanding the real-world issues that lead to a specific problem. One project I worked on looked at ways to prevent a specific serious financial problem affecting a large number of workers from happening again - one of the issues we found was the people whose job it was to prevent problem from happening didn't have enough relevant information - ie they couldn't do their job properly (sorry I know that's vague!).
Usually when we are first told about the problem, the belief is that the people involved are 'misbehaving' in some way, ie they should be doing something but they just aren't because they're not listening to the advice/information they're being given. Pretty much 100% if the time that's not the situation - yes, lazy or heedless people exist, but they are in a tiny minority and the vast majority of people are just getting on with things as best they can, usually without the resources or information they need. So I spend most of my time trying to explain to people that the reason they've not managed to solve the problem so far is because they assumed it was the fault of the people when in fact it was the fault of the system. The fixes are usually pretty simple - provide more/clearer information, give more resources, allow more time. The main thing is trying to get whoever we're working with out of the mindset of seeing others as something they have to control and teach them ways of working with others, providing them with real support.
The whole covid situation has been an absolute classic of the 'misbehaving' genre, designed to paint individuals who are doing their best to survive in punitive circumstances as 'covidiots.' There's no need for any of it, it's the most pointless and ineffective way of managing a situation and yet here we are, as bloody usual.