Free Speech

[Seshat]

But to be HEARD, you have to WRITE it correctly.
This is a technical issue, kids.

Ah. Completely understood, now.

And how interesting about Australian spelling!

The UK is our mother, and the USA our big brother. New Zealand is the twin sister. :P

Those, plus the Australian Aboriginals/Torres Strait Islanders, are the major influences on our dominant culture.

Whatever happened to MLA? I know Chicago is unquestionably the standard for Journalistic works, but I thought high schools/colleges used MLA or something similar for plan old term papers and such...?

I grew up in - and was educated in - Australia. At the time, the Macquarie hadn't been created, so we used the Oxford standards. I learned about the Chicago manual when I was hired to write for a US-based publisher. What's the MLA?

I set my spellchecker & grammar checker to US standards, but I'm sure the proofreader still had to 'correct' my UK-isms. Ah well. They're used to it - and UK publishers to the inverse.

[dalesys]

... New Zealand is the twin sister.

And the big squabble is over whose dolly is eviler. I nominate Blair of Eerie Cuties.

[Estil]

I wonder how many blank stares you'd receive if you flat out asked your students, "Am I a government body? Do I work for the government? Am I a government employee, either for the state government or the federal government? No? Then I can't legally infringe upon your first amendment rights. It doesn't work that way. Now, write your damn papers."

Some college students are idiots, and I fear for their children.

But suppose he's a professor of a state university, which IS owned by the government? Doesn't get quite so clear cut then, does it?

[PepperElf]

Then again, I can't help but think.... when a student whines "free speech" about getting bad grades for a shitty effort on a paper (especially if it has words like "u" in it)...

Another possible reply... "Yes, and I'm exercising MY freedom of speech in grading you."

I'm betting that might get a few or responses.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Alas, no. 42 was the answer to the question of life, the universe, and everything, but that wasn't what the actual question was.

^-.-^

The original question was presented in the following manner:

Fook composed himself. "O Deep Thought computer," he said, "the task we have designed you to perform is this. We want you to tell us...." he paused, "The Answer."

"The Answer?" said Deep Thought. "The Answer to what?"

"Life!" urged Fook.

"The Universe!" said Lunkwill.

"Everything!" they said in chorus.

[Geek King]

The original question was presented in the following manner:

Actually, 42 is what the First Deep Thought computer came up with as The Answer. The mice then had to figure out what The Question was, which is why they built the Second Deep Thought computer, which became known as Earth. Life, The Universe, and Everything were just the paramaters the mice fed the first computer.

[CheshireCat]

One of the things that teaching has taught me, is that students will rarely be happy with the grade they get...

I teach English as a foreign language in public schools, with quite strict guidelines about how we have to grade them, one of them being "if the mistake doesn't hinder comprehension, don't make them lose many marks". I make this very clear to my students, but every year I have complaints when their compositions don't get high marks because I can't understand what they are trying to say.

[EricKei]

What's the MLA?

Modern Language Association of America

The style is the one *generally* used in High schools (for most students) and for Humanities-type courses in colleges in the US; as stated above, Chicago is used for Journalism. I would guess that science-oriented courses have their own preferred stylebook.

Actually, 42 is what the First Deep Thought computer came up with as The Answer. The mice then had to figure out what The Question was, which is why they built the Second Deep Thought computer, which became known as Earth. Life, The Universe, and Everything were just the paramaters the mice fed the first computer.

Point to Gk ^_^ The Question I gave was the latter (the result of Deep Thought II/Earth's mission)

[Gizmo]

*puts on his resplendent glittering battle shorts* I do believe you're looking for "What do you get when you multiply six by nine?"

*steals EricKei's battle shorts*...

what? I've always wanted a pair! If you want to fight about it we should have a game of Brockian Ultra-Cricket.

[protege]

If you want to fight about it we should have a game of Brockian Ultra-Cricket.

...followed by a Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster, I assume?

Back on topic, it never ceases to amaze the hell out of me how some people will take the laws (or make up 'new' ones) and twist them to suit their own needs. You know--they'll bitch and moan about how their 'rights' are being infringed when tossed out of a bar for causing trouble, or how retailers aren't 'allowed' to raise prices

[Mr Hero]

I posted on this guy a while back, but I was at a bus stop and this guy kept asking me intrusive questions. I answered them as vaguely as possible. He caught on and called me on it. I told him flat out that I don't want him asking me these questions. He played the Free Speech card. I told him, "I suppose you do. But I also have the right to not answer the questions."

[EricKei]

*steals EricKei's battle shorts*...

Aaack! Hey! those things cost me thirty Ningis! Give 'em back! *has his flagship hurl a Ningi at Gizmo's nearest ship*

He played the Free Speech card. I told him, "I suppose you do. But I also have the right to not answer the questions."

Alternatively, just tell him that it works both ways...He can ask you whatever he likes (tho I'm not really sure that Free Speech really extends to private conversations per se), and you can answer in whatever way you like. You are also free to tell him that he's being an annoying, intrusive asshole, that he's making you uncomfortable, and that you would like him to please stop right now.

[PepperElf]

or to ignore him completely

[emt_cookies]

You see, several essay topics are banned in my class. There are reasons for this, such as these topics are so common that it's easy to cheat on accident (I do explain this to the students). More importantly, I've read enough papers about X, Y, or Z to last me a life time.

My favorite English teacher did that with common essay topics like abortion, gun control, homosexual marriage, etc. She did allow people to write on the topic if they could pitch it in a way that made it sound unique and interesting.

I loved the essay I ended up writing for her paper. It was over vaccinations and common misconceptions about them.

[MergedLoki]

Yep the country has free speech, and your class is a dictatorship. All tremble before the might and glory of the red correction pen of Miss Fatale