Common misconceptions

[Imperial Dave]

its gotten so bad sometimes but when the CEO hosts a call, our group often play buzz word bingo 

[DougM]

its gotten so bad sometimes but when the CEO hosts a call, our group often play buzz word bingo 

Doesn't everyone? Personally, I'm just a grumpy old curmudgeon who thinks a lot of the MBA rigmarole is about trying to systematise basic common sense, and things like Project Management,  that is essentially a really simple task of getting the right people in the right place at the right time with the right tools, are trying to turn themselves into professions with exclusionary cant (P3M3 anyone?) Don't get me started on HR 'professionals'.

Bah humbug I say. And here endeth the rant.

[Erpingham]

Going forward, do we need to do a deep dive to get upstream of why we keep going off-beam ? 

I've been thinking of another on-topic misconception which affects our period - bloodless condottiere battles.  This has a good pedigree - its all Machiavelli's fault.  Despite being debunked in the 70s if not earlier it still makes the occassional appearance in popular works or journalism and still merits a disclaimer (like Viking horned helmets) in others.  A related topic would be "mercenaries are always untrustworthy", which I remember making it into at least one set of medieval rules' morale tests.  This one fails on logic, not just actual history.  Why would you pay out good money for an army that was unreliable (except desperation?).  Again, Machiavelli may have had a hand in this, with his anti-mercenary stance and belief in honest citizen soldiers, like the Romans.

[Nick Harbud]

....which leads to a further misconception that all wargames armies are the triumph of hope over experience.

 

[Mark G]

Speak for your own dice there, I think

[Imperial Dave]

....which leads to a further misconception that all wargames armies are the culmination of despair and incompetence.

 

better......

[DougM]

....which leads to a further misconception that all wargames armies are the culmination of despair and incompetence.

 

better......

External manifestation of internal despair?

[LawrenceG]

The origin of misconceptions:

Duncan head on a forum somewhere: "I don't know, X is possible"

Someone else on another forum "Duncan Head says it's X"

Someone else on another forum "X is a well known fact".

[Jim Webster]

The origin of misconceptions:

Duncan head on a forum somewhere: "I don't know, X is possible"

Someone else on another forum "Duncan Head says it's X"

Someone else on another forum "X is a well known fact".

There was a issue in the days before army lists really took off when somebody would produce an article in slingshot. For the next few months the changes to what people considered as reasonable were accepted until in four months a refutation of the article appeared 

[Imperial Dave]

happens to me in this house all the time. I murmur some agreement with the CinC about a home improvement and apparently it becomes gospel that I said i would do it and by a certain time and why havent I done it yet....

[Erpingham]

The origin of misconceptions:

Duncan head on a forum somewhere: "I don't know, X is possible"

Someone else on another forum "Duncan Head says it's X"

Someone else on another forum "X is a well known fact".

Don't know about Duncan but quite a few ancient wargamer misconceptions relate to the information poor environment that WRG set out to tackle.  WRG (especially things produced by Phil barker) became "canonical" (as someone suggested earlier).  Things became fixed and, because sources weren't always clear, it wasn't always easy to pick out where things had derived from.  It's why the wargames information bubble needs to interact with the wider information world.  And, joking aside, I think Duncan is an excellent example of how we should do it, prowling around among the new volumes and the journals, absorbing ideas and bringing them back to share for those who don't have the access or time or inclination to do it themselves.

[Imperial Dave]

hear hear...

[DougM]

happens to me in this house all the time. I murmur some agreement with the CinC about a home improvement and apparently it becomes gospel that I said i would do it and by a certain time and why havent I done it yet....

Mumbling 'yes dear' while focused on a particular obtuse piece of painting is hugely risky, and can lead to all sorts of unexpected DIY.

[Imperial Dave]

happens to me in this house all the time. I murmur some agreement with the CinC about a home improvement and apparently it becomes gospel that I said i would do it and by a certain time and why havent I done it yet....

Mumbling 'yes dear' while focused on a particular obtuse piece of painting is hugely risky, and can lead to all sorts of unexpected DIY.

whilst sticking your tongue out, squinting and contorting your arms to achieve the masterpiece. The unexpected DIY is a direct consequence of such concentration

[Mick Hession]

Schoolboy error. Demonstrate your complete ineptitude at DIY at an early stage and you won't be asked again. Also works with ironing 

Cheers
Mick