What is an encyclopedia? I expect an encyclopedia to be a reference work where I can quickly find information on many subjects. The information may be more or less extensive and more or less accurate. How would I use an encyclopedia? I would expect to use it to look up information that I would use in my activities or for recreational purposes. The longer our mind is occupied with a given subject the less productive we become. We get bored. If we change to another activity for a while our minds productivity will gradually recover. The encyclopedia may tell how lady GodGifu rode naked through the streets of Coventry more than 1000 years ago, but there may only be records that such a person existed and the ride may only be legend. We would be interested in this legend only for recreational reasons. We have no need or use for the information. We may be interested in medical information because it may help us care for health. Is there danger that information in encyclopedia articles would be used by terrorists? We can have articles about explosives and tell how to make nitroglycerin or other explosives. Of course the articles would not tell where or how to buy the ingredients. How do people think? Often spoken words bring to mind a picture. Years ago I tried an experiment to find out how different people think. I would say is three words, "dog chase cat" and then ask the person to describe the dog. Describe the cat. What else do you see? A schoolgirl in England said that the dog was an English sheep dog standing on its hind feet with its front feet up against a tree. The cat was out of sight up the tree. Where the tree come from? It wasnt mentioned in those three words and wasnt necessary. Writing is tricky business. The impression in the mind of the reader may be quite different from what you intend to convey. Different readers may interpret what you write in different ways depending on their past experiences. A person may be able to visualize a distance stated in feet but not in meters. Readers may not know the meaning of many unfamiliar terms. After you write something put away for a while. When you come back to it later youll notice things that you overlooked before. Now that you are satisfied with it, set it aside and start over new from the beginning. When you get tired of working on it either trash it or send it. Do you agree with my ideas? Merritt L. Perkins