I feel the need to provide some content(s) today, but I don't have a lot to say. They're tearing down the Maas building this week and I've been taking some pictures, which I plan to post, but it'll be a little later. Instead I present you with these two interesting articles that are utterly unrelated.
First is this article from Anna Quindlen about standardized testing in colleges. It's very tongue in cheek, but she makes a good point about how ridiculous the standardized testing craze could be. When she gets into the idea of people in all walks of life being tested to standards set by the government... it sounds EXACTLY LIKE THE MILITARY. In every way. It's not about doing the job best, it's about doing the job to the standards set by the people who's only job is to set standards, not to do the original job in the first place. Hmm.
Second is this article from Ars Technica about how people don't understand each other very well on the internet. Actually the study the article references says people don't understand written text very well generally, but this here thing you're reading is the internet, and the study was published on the internet, and the article is on the internet... you get the picture. Without the visual and vocal cues you get from a person, it can be hard to tell when that person is being sincere, sarcastic, bombastic, or what. I MEAN, YOU CAN SHOUT IN ALL CAPS ALL THE TIME, FOR EXAMPLE, AND WHAT'S THAT PROVE? THAT YOU'RE SHOUTING? OR JUST THAT YOU'RE A JERK? It's tough to say. I know certainly on bulletin boards I've found that I don't do an especially good job of making clear when I'm being sarcastic and when I'm not. That's how flame wars start. Anyway. Interesting article.
1 comment:
I saw that Ars article and thought that the Street might enjoy it. Though it was also interesting that the whole ordeal was carried out on the intarweb.
And I missed the NPR program on Tuesday night. You catch it?
And congrats on the additional acceptance letters. UVA though man, that's nice.
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