[identity profile] atreic.livejournal.com 2007-04-03 10:33 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, yes, it's not that either is ideal, but the other situation is far worse
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[identity profile] ewx.livejournal.com 2007-04-03 10:56 am (UTC)(link)
I'm not convinced. The lengthy description of the obvious causes you to waste a load of time for no benefit. The concise description of the obscure will also take some time to figure out, but at least it was time well spent!

[identity profile] keirf.livejournal.com 2007-04-03 10:57 am (UTC)(link)
Unless you can't figure it out. In which case you will have spent a lot of time trying to understand something but will come away with nothing.
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[identity profile] ewx.livejournal.com 2007-04-03 10:59 am (UTC)(link)
There is that. In practice what I do at that point is go off and look at the web for other explanations of the same thing. If even that doesn't help then you were likely doomed before you started...

[identity profile] arnhem.livejournal.com 2007-04-03 12:46 pm (UTC)(link)
More than that; the effort required to work through the concise description will do a far better job of lodging the understanding in your mind, than skimming lightly over the paragraphs muttering "yes, yes, yes" to yourself.

A colleague has observed that, from a perspective of 25 years on, it's the really craply lectured stuff that he can now remember well; the brilliant crystal-clear lectures have descended into a kind of "oh I remember understanding that" kind of state. I think I've found the same (to a lesser degree).

What isn't nice is inadequate and concise descriptions, or ones where the author is trying to conceal their dodginesss of grip by blurring what they say.
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[identity profile] ewx.livejournal.com 2007-04-03 01:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Curiously in the same article I've now run into an incomprehensible bit. I think I'm going to have to find another article on the subject entirely...