Hausgemachte Suppe von Filosofania

More Refuse in 102 HOC
I had collected sufficient anecdotal evidence that people approved of the new furniture configuration and that, as needed, they were making minor alterations as needed.

Thus I set my sights on the peripheral environment. I had been wanting to organize formally the organized chaos that was the random stacks of books on the shelves and the assorted posters on the common room walls. I was spurred to do this because the complaint that I had made about the common room's incoherent conditions on a postgraduate feedback form had been heard in fact by the administrators. When a staff member called me, I knew something could at length be done.

The problem with all the books on the shelves and the posters on the walls is that people have developed unspoken rules for why they are placed there; yet the consequences of their placement without regulation are obvious: while people can browse other people's refuse and find treasure in a pile of books that otherwise would be thrown out, this purpose is not explicitly stated: this tradition is passed on by word of mouth or by guesswork. In addition, since no other rules govern these piles, they grow to such heights that browsing the stacks become tedious: indeed, there comes a point at which a pile of loose books and articles grows to an unmanageable, unsearchable multitude. Looking at some of these items, dated from, even, a decade ago, their relevance has passed. They should no longer exist and should be thrown out. Unfortunately such a rule has not existed for their passing, yet.

This is where I, with the help of the research office, step in. I toured the premises with the administrator, pointing out this unbridled growth and concluding that the more these piles are able to grow unchecked, the less effective these piles become to users. She nodded and for the most part agreed with my assessment. She will follow up by asking the administration to perhaps develop rules for the timely disposal (and replenshiment) of the refuse literature. If possible, per my friend's suggestion, the next cycle of refuse books can be positioned upright for easier browsing by users.

While I was in a cleaning mood, I also asked the administrator to help me to clean up my office in 102 Hui Oi Chow. Like elsewhere in the building and on campus, this office serves an ancillary purpose in being a storage room for university, faculty, department and individual refuse. I pointed out to the administrator individuals' junk and university junk accumulating on shelves, by walls and in corners. The administrator promised to remove the excess equipment and furniture. I would do my part to clean up by asking people in the office to claim their excess belongings lest they be thrown out.