Speaking as a minor webmonkey, who hasn’t heard a great deal of this bandied about?

(3) When possible, refer all matters to committees, for “further study and considera­tion.” Attempt to make the committees as large as possible — never less than five.
(4) Bring up irrelevant issues as frequently as possible.
(5) Haggle over precise wordings of com­munications, minutes, resolutions.
(6) Refer back to matters decided upon at the last meeting and attempt to re-open the question of the advisability of that decision.
(7) Advocate “caution.” Be “reasonable” and urge your fellow-conferees to be “reason­able” and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on.
(8) Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the juris­diction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon.

What we’re looking at here is a passage from a 1944 sabotage manual. How many of us haven’t had the experience of having our brightest ideas referred to a committee? BoingBoing points us to an excellent excerpt regarding what it is to truly misdirect one’s opponent. The frightening thing, for me at least, is that these techniques crop up pretty much daily in my realm.

Link (warning! pdf!)

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