To get an idea of how subtle some of these elements are, you can make a small experiment with colleagues (or ever suffering students). Have a small group of people re-arrange the furniture in a conference room -- or just have them walk into a conference room where the furniture is in disarray and watch and listen very, very closely to what actually happens. It is surprising how little explicit, coherent speech/orders/planning occur. Mostly there will be pointing, funny facial expressions, grunts, nudges, glances to see where others are looking or moving or pushing, and the furniture somehow gets arranged.
This is *SO* true. You should see our GA Tech Squeakers lab. Definitly not arranged in the best of ways. We couldn't even decide how to re-arange it either. I guess thats what you get for leaving things up to a bunch of grad and undergrad students. :-)
Point very well taken.
-------------------- Jen a.k.a. Smilie :-P smilie@cc.gatech.edu