Process

Years ago, when I was a volunteer DJ at CKUL (now called CKXU FM), as part of our training we were warned about the pitfalls of process.

Process was defined to us as the announcement of actions or information that the listener cannot relate to; it creates very boring programming. An example of process is as follows:

"Hey this is MC Fro hanging out with you at the studio. I'm going to play you a couple songs, then I am going to read you a Public Service Announcement, then I will tell you the weather in about ten minutes, and if I have time, I think I might play a Station ID. Man, am I tired; I shouldn't have gotten so drunk last night."

This might sound preposterous, but this happens all the time on Campus and Community Radio. It usually results in your listening audience tuning to a different station. Process is generally created from those who fear of speaking in front of strangers.

Process, as I have defined it, runs rampant in blogs. And it is the number one reason why I will end up skipping a blog I might happen to discover whilst surfing the web. Even some of the most popular bloggers resort to process at times, but I am not one to cramp their style; they are popular for a reason, and I will let them continue to write the way they choose to do so.

Even I have been guilty of process. When I begin discussing changes to the site's template, I am resorting to process. I do, keep a conscious effort to keep process to a minimum in this site, though sometimes I feel compelled to write down my feelings about any subject that crosses my mind. And if the design of this site is what I feel like writing about, then I resort to using process.

But I am well aware that it happens. Like just now.