Re: The vent thread

[Kristeas Sunbinder]

To put it bluntly, perhaps I've seen a bit too many examples of the "genius to the point it becomes a brain defect". Literally, those people seemed mentally incapable of cooperating with other people or grasp what it is to be a teacher.

Aspergers Syndrome?
I've been told Silicon Valley is filled with that.

[Jeanpierre]

I don't think it's Aspergers... But I'm no expert on the subject. I think they just alienate within the confines of their own mind. It's a mixture of intentional isolation and an inability to cope with other people.

[Kristeas Sunbinder]

I don't think it's Aspergers... But I'm no expert on the subject. I think they just alienate within the confines of their own mind. It's a mixture of intentional isolation and an inability to cope with other people.

Well, to be fair, other people suck.

[Jeanpierre]

[Amaryl]

no its more the fact, that they don't comprehend how you don't understand something so "easy" and if you can't understand that difference, there's no way you'll be able to explain it to a 5 year old.

i

[Lyv]

Morning. I awake to a text message of my friend saying she's saved my favourite spot for me in the library. I hadn't been planning on going to the library today, instead hoping to curl up with some tea and a book in bed for the rest of the day.

But of course, when a friend calls, I change my mind and rush out of bed.

Until upon arriving in the library, my friend is nowhere to be seen. I check my phone. She sent the message yesterday.

YESTERDAY

Morning. I awake to the call of a friend asking me where the heck I am, because I was picking her up to go to the library. I tell her I can't come right away because I OVERSLEPTSHITSHITSHIT and have a very important appointment I'm going to be late for. I rush out of bed to pick up my bike from the cycle repair shop across the street.

I get there at 10:35. My appointment is at 11:00.

I find out the cycle repair shop holds their break from 10:30 till 11:00.

Giving up any and all hope I'll ever make it in time, I drink black tea with the men of the cycle repair shop. They work there through a special program. They talk about how politics is rubbish (ye gotta do what ye say an' say what ye do 'aight) and the psychosis's they've had.

Two cups later I finally get my bike back. I all but sprint to the city, running up several flights of stairs, arriving in front of the door out of breath and still without breakfast, finally looking up. To discover: a post-it stuck to the door.

It says: "Mr [..] is ill today."

FINALLY, IN THE LIBRARY

At last I meet up with my friends, they console me for my bad morning, and remind me that I still have to make our annual page. Since none of us has photoshop (= poor students) I use a browser editor. Because it is so sucky, it takes me two hours to make something decent. Then I try to save it. My shockwave player instantly crashes. Everything is gone.

1.5 HOURS LATER

I have finally sort of recovered the work I did earlier. I try to save it. My shockwave player crashes. Everything is gone.

Except for my murderous thoughts, that is.

AT HOME AT LAST, PLAYING WOW

My only char that finds some RP ends up shackled in a basement.


THE CONLUSION
Karma better have something fabulous for me in store to even shit out.

[Jeanpierre]

no its more the fact, that they don't comprehend how you don't understand something so "easy" and if you can't understand that difference, there's no way you'll be able to explain it to a 5 year old.

i

Something like that.

But it goes beyond that. Some stories that made me rage (not all happened to me, but I witnessed nearly all of these):
- A professor had us take 2 preliminary exams to help us prepare for the real deal. After the exam, he would call us to his office one by one to discuss the results and consult with us on how to proceed. So far, so good. He commended my results, and elaborated on how I had a large chance of passing. Then he continued about how it would be beyond me to achieve a greater mark than average, but that would still be quite an achievement for me. Finally he asked who my friends in class were. Then he compared my scores with theirs and made some recommendations on which friends I should abandon for they would only prove a negative influence.
- A professor once sent back a student with a failed score, before even questioning him. He had seen the student drink Red Bull and would, under no circumstances, tolerate a student to pass his exams under influence of such stimulants.
- A professor in chemistry was celebrated by the department of science for achieving a nice award. One of the professors in elementary physics noted, disdainfully, such celebration was a waste of time because "it was just chemistry".
- A professor entered the class room and explained to the class the state of the course material. There were 2 books. One by his hand, but it was old and outdated. One by a student of a few years back. It was up to us to correct the mistakes of both, based on the courses, and come up with a solution. The year after, he asked the students in class who would be willing to write new course material for him. He openly declared favor for girls, as they tended to be more tidy. Then he promised to increase her grade by two points (on a scale of 20) as reward.
- A professor failed, systematically, to explain his subject from beginning to end. He tried to start his class by giving an overview of that course, but couldn't stop going into insignificant details. He ended up going back and forth in his story, trying to fill in where he left gaps. Realizing his failure he simply opted for us to study a chapter by the next course. Instead of teaching, he would just answer questions we had from reading the book. He was a professor in that course for over a decade.
- I once had to correct several proofs, definitions and exercises one of our professors tried to explain in class. He had flunked me for his course the year before, for no reason that is clear to me. I was giving half his course myself the next year, without preparing for it, being more correct than him.
- On a project with another researcher, we had to cooperate on a theory regarding similarities in design patterns and an attempt to define a structured language that would permit design pattern based code generation to work out a program's design. In theory, the aim was to describe the design in an abstract language and have the structure of that designed generated. The more we worked together, the less we agreed. In the end it became clear he wanted me to work out examples and leave the theory part to him, whereas the theory would have been my specialty. I decided to follow his judgement and do as he asked, but he was ticked off by then. In a mail, he elaborated how he didn't appreciate me and didn't see a future for me in the project... predicting the tragic end it would give to my entire year and the misery it would put me in next year when I would be forced to make up for it. He began to sabotage the project, by systematically cancelling the appointments and delaying them, until he finally left for a week, unannounced, right before the deadline. The project had to be presented, without a single by the tutor... well without guidance from the tutor in general. He showed up in time to partake in the jury. After the project, I collected all my data on our communication and meeting reports, went to the head of the department and presented my case. I still had 6 months of research ahead of me for another project. I had to threaten I would cease that research right there and then, without publication, and take measures unless the matter of this treatment was resolved... before they confessed "they had a problem with that guy".
- A professor in physics had a computer science PhD student in his team, who was trying to bridge the man's elementary physics research to computer information theory. The PhD student made a tremendous effort to deepen his knowledge in the elementary physics research, recieving very little respect for it. On a bright day, the professor struggled to log in on his computer. He called the PhD student to resolve this matter. Him struggling to log in was a threat to his research which needed immediate resolution. The student turned off caps log. He logged in and noted "ahh.. so there is still some use to your previous education." It would have been funny... except he was serious.
- I met my professor in the hall, preparing for the exam. It was my second try on the exam. The first time I scored 16/20 on the written part, corrected by his assistant. I scored a 4/20 on his part, despite being able to answer his questions (at least, in my opinion). He asked me what I was doing there. I explained I was there for the exam. He questioned the point of it, and asked my grades on the first try. I explained my total was 10/20. He raised his eyebrows and remarked "you really had that many points on the written part? We'll see about that.. Come on in." I scored 9.5/20 that time (implying he gave 3/30) I had enough marks to pass the year anyhow.
- A professor once burned his PhD student for daring to take a hotel with internet connection, on one of the trips related to the research. He had actually asked the student which hotel he had taken, then googled it to check the availability of an internet/wifi service. The professor elaborated how he had kicked his girlfriend out of the house for doing the same thing. To have internet would lead to checking your mail and using social media to communicate with friends and family. Such waste of time couldn't be permitted.

[Chase - Esou]

@ Lyv

Maybe it's not any comfort at all, but I smiled when I read about your day, just coming home from work myself.

Also

Spoiler:

[corleth]

unsure whether you're pure awesome for having a 'favourite spot' in the library that your friends text you about, or just nerdy.

i'm leaning towards the former.

[Jeanpierre]

On a brighter note, regarding the student/professor topic... There's also amusing stories:

One of my fellow students had Chinese roots in his blood and he could speak it fluently. He arrived on an exam, not having studied it sufficiently and fearing he would fail it. Trying to bluff his way through, he tried to pretend he was a foreign exchange student, mumbling everything in Chinese and broken English. The professor asked if he would be able to answer fluently if he were given the chance to speak only in Chinese. The student nodded yes. The professor then explained his wife was Chinese and he wasn't a stranger to the dialect the student was using. They continued the exam in Chinese. He failed the exam.

[Lyv]

@Corleth
well, ain't that a relief :p

PS. Your avatar reminds me of Monty Python. Sans explosion.

[Morinth]

Wake up... gaze blearily around the room... Cat jumps on lap, d'aww... Go to pat said cat. Turns out he didn't actually land on my lap, it was a dead bird he gave me.

[Kristeas Sunbinder]

Wake up... gaze blearily around the room... Cat jumps on lap, d'aww... Go to pat said cat. Turns out he didn't actually land on my lap, it was a dead bird he gave me.

Not a present, a threat.

[Morinth]

He's too much of a dog to threaten me. My step-dad drove down the road to go visit his mother with my puppy. He came back ten minutes later. He didn't notice that Panzer had climbed into the car and settled down on the passenger seat with my pup. My kitten's under the impression that he is in fact, a dog.

He also climbs into his water dish to bathe.

[Eowale]

I wake up to my brothers shitty techno music. I go down to rage at him, only to realise he left the music on when he left to eat at Subway with his cousin.

[Rmuffn]

I wake up to my brothers shitty techno music. I go down to rage at him, only to realise he left the music on when he left to eat at Subway with his cousin.

"his cousin"? You aint sharin'?

[Kettin]

Thought it was coming to 5:00pm, Was like ya 1hr left in work, then I saw it was only coming to 4:00pm -.- such a slow damn day.

[Darilas]

Some shithead tied an explosive to a speeding camera. Result: two staffmembers of the explosive clearing squad are heavily injured.

[Morinth]

Spent an hour trying to figure out how to get to Howling Fjord for Alliance. >.> I'M GOING BACK TO HORDE!

[Muzjhath]

That's because Horde is WINSOME!

And yes. GEtting to the Howling Fjord as Alliance is gay in how complicated it is.

[Ave/Sariella]

Go to menethil, take boat.

[Lavian]

Norweigan keyboards suck far too much, That is all... I mean Why is there a ø where the @ is meant to be? WHAT IS THIS!

[The Z]

Not a present, a threat.

[Lyniath]

Norweigan keyboards suck far too much, That is all... I mean Why is there a ø where the @ is meant to be? WHAT IS THIS!

I use Norwegian keyboard layouts on all my home and school computers. I now can't use English ones!
I changed to spell the æ in my char Miræ, and got used to it.

If anything, french keyboards are the worst. AZERTY, and Shift to use numbers.

[Shaelyssa]

French keyboards are indeed the worst

[Sponsored content]