I want to express my
welcome, to all students physically present, as well as those currently online and able to interact with the class on this rainy Vermont
day, and to those auditing the class in my future, slash
their present, who're unable to interact with the group. I thank you for your attention.
For this discussion, I'll
be acting in a "master-of-ceremonies" role. My name is spelled: Veach
Glines. For those of you unable to see the board, my name is spelled Vee
as-in Victor; EACH as in beach (spelled like the ocean-shore not the beech
tree); Gee as-in Golf, followed by LINES, like the phrase: 'I prefer coloring outside the lines'.
{intermittent squeak of dry erase marker}
When speaking about myself in
third-person—something I find jarring to experience, so I rarely do it unless trying for cringe—I prefer he/him. I'm comfortable with the honorific, professor, albeit un-capitalized. Because capitalization is lost when speaking, please feel free to use any word you're
comfortable with: sir, ma'am, asshat . . .
{audible chuckles}
Let's begin! For
those present or logged-in: if
you communicate via text, your preferred name will automatically appear before
your typed-words. Languages other than English are translated by the AI and appear in English adjacent the
<translated> notation. Communicating by voice is sourced as affiliated with your preferred name and also translated
automatically by AI. If you're auditing and want to talk or text,
please pre-identify with an acceptable gnome-de-plume (and, yes, I pronounced
it Gnome—reasons may be explained later).
The topic for today's discussion was the title of my
first lecture:
Artists Are Terribly People. Anyone like to
start us out?
{sound of collective shuffle-rustling}
Please, go ahead; in
the wonderfully colorful sweater . . .
Hi, hello. I
believe, little-p-professor, that this order, of these four words is the
only order they could be placed, if the desired outcome was to
encourage the most confusion.
I think that all possible placement-locations of the adverb
Terribly, within the three-word sentence "Artists Are People," causes readers to ponder the use of that adverb. However, in this placement:
Artists Are Terribly People, readers are faced with the additional consideration of wondering if the t-shirt designer
accidentally printed the letter Y instead of the letter E. The word Terrible is an adjective. And adjective-immediately-before-a-noun is grammatically correct.
{as the relatively youthful, slight Midwestern-nasal, flat-but-charming voice
expounded,
their words became visible on the text-screen
|
Name: "Dre"
|
|
Preferences: they/them/student
|
below a multicolored maple leaf with a plum-purple
background
above a canary-yellow, capital letter,
C}
Well, Dre. Thank you for this
well-thought-out and concise interpretation. I see you've indicated 'student' as preferred
honorific. Are you willing to explain? I try to ask pertinent questions as they arise.
Umm, well, I, um, thought about what title a gender-less person. Not gender-neutral. Who's only been a student for . . .
for their-whole-life, might . . . consider . . . complimentary. To be . . . damn. Sorry. I should have thought about it more.
Dre, I'm not trying to embarrass or make
light of a very-real conundrum. It's just a coincidence that you were "first at bat" and, accordingly, first to admit an unability to address the honorific-issue. I normally mention this during the introduction, but I forgot, so here goes!
Any instructor striving for objectivity—who
takes the job of teaching seriously—should not need to explain the self-imposed requirement to treat every person with equal respect, and especially each of their students. I see from some of your faces that a detailed explanation may be helpful.
While referring to everyone by their preferred name may be simple, now that technology automatically puts it in our direct line-of-sight, the consequence of live-grading makes encouraging and discouraging students, without my words affecting their grade, very challenging.
The AI allows the optional use—and, more importantly, the non-use—of honorifics without allocating grade-weight. When I call someone by their preferred honorific, while I am saying, "keep up the good work," I'm also setting the stage for when I do not use some future person's honorific. Because when I avoid using a preferred honorific, that is how I informally suggest disapproval without the AI interpreting my bio-metrics and changing their grade.
Please consider my need to have a desired honorific for everyone as something as important or valuable to me, as hearing others use your preferred gender-less pronouns are to you. Until then, I would like your permission, Dre, to utilize the non-word 'eglaf ' as an honorific? Only after you update your profile, though, so we don't confuse the AI.
Thank you, Dre, you've
excelled.
{the canary-yellow
C
became a florescent-green
A
whispers rose and faded}
Ahh . . .
I've received a text from someone who is auditing. Please bear
with while I read; because obviously auto-posting to
class screens from unregistered auditors would be an ill advised practice.
{slight-whispers}
I will read it, in a rather
abridged form because of online-speak and slang. It is from an anonymous source.
It says, "The equivalent of a military rank
or title of honor should suffice. The term crew-chief is a
position of specific authority which delega . . . (think they meant
'designates') a position respected by all of the crew members as well as every
senior officer who heavily relies on the person with that title. They are normally only
called by the single honorific: Chief."
{murmurs and rustling}
I appreciate the
auditor's suggestion, however, if Dre had written 'chief' as their
preferred honorific, we'd be exactly where we are. I will decline to use certain words perceived as a legitimate title
of honor by someone but possibly disparaging to another. And, chief is
one such word. Similarly, I would only call someone Doctor if they
were a PhD or MD.
Moving on. Dre's observation that
Artist's Are Terribly People causes a mental hick-up with
Artist's Are Terrible People. They also pointed out that the
three other placements of the adverb may not provide sufficient context to
completely understand those sentences, but also that those sentences
would not be cause for too much more mental deliberation.
Someone else? Ah,
OK. The person standing . . .
The concreteness of the words printed
on the front of a shirt is not unimportant. If it were overheard or read in a
text-conversation it would be less open for evaluation or consideration.
Statements proclaimed on shirts are intended to be received like a
brand by an audience. Maybe funny. Or ironic. An
aphorism. Sometimes proclaimed in protest. But always intentionally crafted. Always created. Just like artwork is created. Artists Are Terribly People emblazoned on a
shirt? That's a statement made by an artist! Begging to be evaluated.
{as the raspy voice shot-out its clipped sentences
their words became visible on the text-screen
|
Name: "E F NoΓ«l"
|
|
Preferences: they/them/newt
|
below an image of a orange salamander on a rock
above a canary-yellow, capital letter,
C
which transformed into an 2+}
Ahh. Very good. I wondered why you stood instead of raising your hand like the
others. Clearly, Nude, you've already read the manual. I have
nothing to add except an explanation about the grading system. Everyone
begins at the median. Maximum is 9+. Minimum is 9-. Participation results in change.
Sir? S-Sir? I'm c-confused by this
gra-grading system . . . I-I've never exp erienced re-real-time class-ss-room p-par ticipation scoring . . . W-why a r range of . . .a
. . . ff . . . s-something like . . . thir thirty levels?
{as the speaker navigated sentences like a old truck
veering around potholes (and hitting some),
their words became visible on the text-screen
|
Name: "Susan or Sue"
|
|
Preferences: she/her/blank
|
below an image of the speaker in cap and gown
above a canary-yellow, capital letter,
C}
Anyone wish to answer Susan or Sue's
question? . . . Someone besides the four online
auditors who have been permanently blocked. Five, ahh,
six are now blocked. I thank Susan or Sue for asking. Some auditors are trolls who eventually identify
themselves. It was bound to happen . . .
{adjacent Susan or Sue's thumbnail image,
the canary-yellow, capital letter,
C}
became a
C+}
A-anh ohh?!
{as her sighs and non-verbal utterances of disapproval continued
the canary-yellow, capital letter,
C
returned}
Wh-wh-aA Da fff . . .
{the canary-yellow, capital letter,
C
became a hard-orange
D}
Someone should answer her question, if
for no other reason than to save her . . . from herself.
The! Grading system is fake! Or
. . . maybe, fabricated is better. Maybe crafted by
little-p-professor, so that our attention is entertained. Hard to look
away from a train-wreck . . . and,
{as the roller-coaster lower-register voice almost sang-out
with a noticeable degree of over-acting emphasis
their words became visible on the text-screen
|
Name: "Randelf"
|
|
Preferences: she/her/nude
|
below an image of a very recognizable rainbow
above a canary-yellow, capital letter,
C as it snapped into a
very warning-orange
D}
and . . . it definitely encourages participation! Little-p-professor said he was performing the role of
master-of-ceremonies, didn't he? Well. Look at your
emotions. Right now! Are you hoping I drop to an F?
Schadenfreude much?
{the very warning-orange
D gradually switched to bold electric
B}
Are you to shallow to care? Who's
able to realize that they are . . . WE are . . . All circus performers and
while we desire to become so aware of our Self that we can . . . do Both things at once . . .
Sit in the audience . . . and . . . watch . . . our own performance!
Simultaneously? Well that's what I'm here for, anyway!
{which became a
C+}
Nude! Well said. If only you answered Susan or
Sue's question, though. She is confused about the "so many levels"? Oh, and Randelf? Keep reading. More reading less grandstanding.
Yes, please. With your hand up over
there.
Professor little-p. The most logical
reason for thirty-one grade levels is because the computer program probably allows
only two digits. Rooting the median in the center of the five-letter ABCDF
normative system, allows for the addition of eight plus's and eight minus's.
{as the median-monotone voice marched
solemnly along without exertion
their words became visible on the text-screen
|
Name: "Francis 'Freak' Storm"
|
|
Preferences: zhe/hzr/zero
|
appended-to a white-on-black slashed-numeral zero image
above a canary-yellow, capital letter,
C changed into a
cool-electric B+}
This level of deep-dive into my writings, Freak, while personally appreciated, is not specifically related to the class. However, I applaud your use of the term 'normative system', your logic, as well as your accuracy.
We have our first AI confusion of the day, nice! An unregistered auditor posed a statement, which was translated by the AI, but either they are present in the room or they have the same identifying profile as someone in the room. We'll see if the AI blinks itself. Until then, I'll read it.
<translate> Being a
terrible person is
drastically different than
being terrible at person-ing (which is what
the shirt seems to convey). Being socially clumsy, possessing less-than-optimal charisma, as well as other traits commonly believed to be possessed by those who self-identify as introverted, are the characteristics of so many people who are creative that they are stereotypical-to-the-point-of-cliche. This shirt draws attention to those stereotypes.
I see it's still working on its hick-up, so, would any of y . . .
{as the professor's words
dwindled away, the text-screen changed
|
Name: "Ted"
|
|
Preferences: he/him/sir
|
appended-to an image of a cowboy on a horse
above a canary-yellow, capital letter,
C as it changed
into florescent-green A}
Um. Well! It is possible . . . Is it possible, Ted, that you are in this room, or can hear me?
<translate> Yes. I am the person in the wheelchair at the back. My voice program is similar to others with muscular dystrophy, only my French-English translator is old of date. And, I did not want to shout to call attention. So I logged in as a auditor even though I am registered. Apologies.
Ted, your interpretation is as correct as it's possible to be. That said, I (and the AI) would like to discover a way to recognize the equivalent of your hand being raised. I can not see you from down here. Does your chair have a light?
{In the top back of the room a spotlight lit the back of the wall,
rustle of clothing, whispers, creaking chairs}
Excellent. I will now be able to call on you, sir. Thank you.
{a dozen more people contributed to the class discussion,
which touched on some of the elements from
however nothing further was said by any of the study group:
go on, keep it up:
