The blog is unmoderated.
Deal with it.
You're not pleased with the content? Fix it, or go away.
Can you fix it by carping about it?
No, you can only exacerbate it.
You can contribute to fixing it by making "good" posts.
And, regardless of either of those, you can go away. Any time now.
The blog is unmoderated.
Ergo, people will post things you think "don't belong."
You cannot magically change it to a moderated site by complaining.
Does this sound like anything familiar to you, such as "The class requires you turn in homework, so either turn in your homework, or don't take the class. Complaining about the homework won't change it."
Snowflakes, all of you.
And you know what we say to snowflakes here?
Go f*** yourselves.
Make "better" posts, or shut up, but do choose between those two - and ONLY those two - options.
Way to call it like it is.
ReplyDelete*channeling inner snowflake*
ReplyDeleteIt's not faaaaaair!
I'm not as Snarky as Dr. Snarky or as acerbic as Marcia Brady or as "popular" as Wicked Walter!
I can't possibly be held to THEIR standard!
You're all just mean! You're out to get me! You HATE me!
I think you should remove their posting privileges so everything gets evened out and I can earn an A! Er, I mean, post something that doesn't make me look like a moron.
Your standards are just too high! How will I ever be a doctor ... er, popular poster if I'm compared to those sorts of people?
Not. Fair.
/end snowflake mode
Will this be on the test?
ReplyDeleteIt occurs to me that some of the suckiest posts and comments come from 'flakes, Patty/Rachel being the prime example. To me that's the only real pity of an open blog. I didn't mind College Boy or Arrogant Student, though -- they were open about who they were and had some interesting things to say, though they skedaddled when they figured out this wasn't really for them. It's the 'flakes who don't come out till they get trashed that bother me ("but, wail, I'm a stuuuuuudent! And you haaaaaate me/us").
ReplyDeleteOne little addendum, Marcia: Lots of grad students teach the same classes as actual proffies do, so they have every right to bitch too.
ReplyDeleteNot that you said they didn't, but I think sometimes the exclusivity of who is allowed to speak can be troubling and unwarranted, especially on sites like this one.
In the end, it's all about people being aware of the agenda of the site: To bitch about the morons who enter the classroom (and college in general). And, most especially, the psychic toll it takes trying to teach people not to be morons in the first place.
{And, yes, before I get bitched at for being anti-student, I do believe a large portion of my students were morons. And willfully so. One only needs to compare the behavior of the A student with the C student to see the difference is usually in behavior and not raw intelligence (if such a thing exists).}
Marcia, I view the flakey posts differently. They don't bother me because we set them straight in the comments. The comments often make the original post worth reading. Woe to the poor soul that attracts Dr. Snarky's ire.
ReplyDeleteTom, only professors can adequately judge the quality of students we teach. Nobody else is qualified to call them morons. "Moron" is unprofessional and it's likely they are all morons but this is a blog, not an accreditation report to the Department of Education. Things run a little loose here.
Ah yes, touche' on both parts. But who is this "Tom"?
ReplyDeleteWhoa, there were a couple of comments that disappeared while I was writing my comment. One was from Tom who said that TMPE shouldn't be a professor because he calls students morons.
ReplyDeleteAt least, I hope those comments were here. If I'm starting to imagine things now, Lord help me once the semester begins.
BB, I fully expected that sort of a commentary about me calling my students morons.
ReplyDeleteI never said such a thing in class, nor did I ever tell my students what I thought of them. As you said, that would be unprofessional. Last time I checked, this wasn't a professional blog, but the student-centered crowd ALWAYS blame the teacher when the student fails.
How is it OUR fault when a student skips 1/3 of the class meetings, refuses to read the required reading, and shows up late for every exam? To me, that behavior = moron. Definition 2 from Merriam-Webster: a moron is "a very stupid person."
(I am not qualified to test for definition 1, but I suspect I'd know if there was such a person in class, rather than the conventionally capable student who refuses to follow directives. And if there was such a person, well, then, wouldn't my assessment be accurate then?)
Hey TMPE, I'm with you all the way. You said what I meant.
ReplyDeleteOh, and thanks for the back-up, BB.
ReplyDeleteI am tempted to craft a post where we can list all the boneheaded things our students have done over the years that impacted their grades negatively just to let people know what NOT to do when they get into college (and what problems new instructors should be aware of beforehand).
But I'm too tired. *yawn* ;)
Meanie:
ReplyDeleteGood god, man, do you know how long that list would take to compile? I've only been teaching a year and I could write a Tolstory-length diatribe on the do's and don't's of being in college...
Marcia, I was a frequent contributor to RYS, but I have never posted anything to this blog, and I don't intend to. So if you have a problem with the sucky posts, take it up with everyone else. As far as my comments, you still have the option to scroll past them without reading them, if they piss you off so much. That option will always be available to you, so long as you have the ability to scroll vertically. All your bitching won't make a difference, but that magical vertical scroll might just. Don't knock it till you try it.
ReplyDeleteBeth, thank you for verifying my point.
ReplyDeleteThe list itself could rival many dissertations!
But, you know, according to the pro-student witch-hunters, it's still all YOUR fault cuz you're just a sucky teacher.
And mean.
And your obvious disgust for your students PROVOKES them to do bad work.
And ... (insert common snowflake defense mechanism to avoid personal responsibility here). ;)