User talk:António M. Martins

Welcome!

Welcome to the Citizendium! We hope you will contribute boldly and well. Here are pointers for a quick start. You'll probably want to know how to get started as an author. Just look at CZ:Getting Started for other helpful "startup" links, and CZ:Home for the top menu of community pages. Be sure to stay abreast of events via the Citizendium-L (broadcast) mailing list (do join!) and the blog. Please also join the workgroup mailing list(s) that concern your particular interests. You can test out editing in the sandbox if you'd like. If you need help to get going, the forums is one option. That's also where we discuss policy and proposals. You can ask any constable for help, too. Me, for instance! Just put a note on their "talk" page. Again, welcome and have fun! Hayford Peirce 15:57, 24 February 2009 (UTC)

Smiling at an image you draw

For several years, I was on the staff of the Library of Congress, and, before that, when they still gave out stack passes, I had full access as a researcher. It was sometimes overwhelming to know that it was absolutely impossible to make a serious dent in the books to be read. In a few specialized sections, over years, I did make an attempt to read as many books as possible.

When I was on the staff, I had a 24-hour access badge, but that didn't open the book stacks. One night, I was in the back of one of the stacks, working on some computer networking equipment there, when the guards came around at closing time. Not noticing me, they turned off the lights and locked the door.

It is a very, very long and painful process to find one's way to the door of a huge stack, in total darkness. Especially annoying is that once I got to the door and started pounding on it to get attention, there wasn't enough light to read until someone got me out.

Welcome to CZ! Howard C. Berkowitz 17:11, 24 February 2009 (UTC)