> The salient point I got from msg's reply is that a lot of inquiries
> are made from people who have a difficult time with the English
> language.
But that's not the point being made. Lack of skills with the English
language often make things worse, granted, but they're not the root of
the problem targeted by 'msg'. The actual formulation makes that quite
clear. Quoting "msg":
> the distaste that is engendered by clueless (often non-U.S.) student
> posts
It's utter cluelessness, often combined with quite unacceptable
attitude, that gets on people's nerves. The idea that a highly
specialized technical USENET newsgroup (that may well exist longer than
their own biological age) may not work quite the same way as their
preferred chat forum, IM service or blog site, appears to stretch many a
modern student's imagination beyond breaking point. A pity.
> And since the de facto language of this forum is English,
> therein lies the problem of poor communications, making for painful
> reading.
"Language" doesn't even begin to describe the kind of communication
problems we're talking about.
Reply by CBFalconer●January 9, 20082008-01-09
David Kelly wrote:
>
... snip ...
>
> Don't forget failure to trim, and top-posting. No quicker way on
> the 'net to show one's ignorance than all of the above.
On Jan 8, 1:06 pm, Richard <richardvan...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> In March, I'll be teaching a class called Embedded Systems.
> The text (which I don't have yet) will use the PIC18???? chip and a
> free windows IDE that uses the C language.
> I'd like my students to be required to subscribe to and participate in
> related groups.
> Besided here, what other groups would be appropriate?
Look at Circuit Cellar Magazine. I know it's not the question you
asked but they have student discounts.
www.CircuitCellar.com
Reply by andrew queisser●January 9, 20082008-01-09
"Richard" <richardvannoy@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:d8c350f3-6063-45d5-b877-16e5804744b1@l1g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
> In March, I'll be teaching a class called Embedded Systems.
> The text (which I don't have yet) will use the PIC18???? chip and a
> free windows IDE that uses the C language.
> I'd like my students to be required to subscribe to and participate in
> related groups.
> Besided here, what other groups would be appropriate?
sci.electronics.basics
sci.electronics.design
I've also found www.embedded.com pretty useful.
Andrew
Reply by David Brown●January 9, 20082008-01-09
Mr. C wrote:
>> I think your "often non-U.S." remark is a bit out of line.
>
> The salient point I got from msg's reply is that a lot of inquiries
> are made from people who have a difficult time with the English
> language. And since the de facto language of this forum is English,
> therein lies the problem of poor communications, making for painful
> reading.
Yes, but there are a lot of us here who have no problems communicating
in English and yet don't live in the USA. There are also a lot of
people in the USA who seem to have great difficulty communicating in
English (some apparently believe that you should drop half the letters
in the words, and compensate by using an excessive number of punctuation
marks).
I understand the point Michael was making - I just think he said it
rather poorly (unintentionally, of course).
Reply by David Kelly●January 9, 20082008-01-09
David Brown wrote:
> Pete Fenelon wrote:
>> Tim Wescott <tim@seemywebsite.com> wrote:
>>> Perhaps if you grade them _up_ for asking unique, penetrating questions,
>>
>> ...and not using "plz", "u", "thx", etc.? ;)
>
> ... and for not using absurd pseudonyms - real names only.
Don't forget failure to trim, and top-posting. No quicker way on the
'net to show one's ignorance than all of the above.
Reply by Not Really Me●January 9, 20082008-01-09
"Vladimir Vassilevsky" <antispam_bogus@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:lvTgj.34539$JD.18010@newssvr21.news.prodigy.net...
>
>
> Richard wrote:
>> In March, I'll be teaching a class called Embedded Systems.
>> The text (which I don't have yet) will use the PIC18???? chip and a
>> free windows IDE that uses the C language.
>> I'd like my students to be required to subscribe to and participate in
>> related groups.
>
> Could you please keep the stupidents away from here. Why not creating the
> forum of your own?
>
>> Besided here, what other groups would be appropriate?
>
> alt.stupid.idiots
> alt.morons
> alt.clueless
> alt.help.with.homework
>
>
> VLV
Classy Vladimir, really classy. (Not that we don't appreciate the
sentiment...)
Scott
Reply by David Brown●January 9, 20082008-01-09
msg wrote:
> David Brown wrote:
>
>> msg wrote:
>>
>>> Richard wrote:
>>>
>>>> In March, I'll be teaching a class called Embedded Systems.
>>>
>>> <snip>
>>>
>>>> I'd like my students to be required to subscribe to and participate in
>>>> related groups.
>>>> Besided here, what other groups would be appropriate?
>>>
>>>
>>> I suspect the O.P.may have confused this Usenet N.G. with a 'Google
>>> Group'
>>> considering his post was made from Google Groups and he called c.a.e. a
>>> 'group'. His request would likely be met with more sympathy if made
>>> from
>>> his institution's network using an NNTP client. Also to the O.P.: please
>>> review this N.G.'s archive to understand the distaste that is engendered
>>> by clueless (often non-U.S.) student posts in order to avoid acrimony.
>>>
>>
>> I think your "often non-U.S." remark is a bit out of line.
>
> <snip>
> Not intending to cast aspersions against any nationality, just pointing out
> a statistical trend. A large number of 'clueless' posts in this N.G.
> originate
> from the Indian subcontinent; perhaps as a result of intentional
> policies in
> educational institutions there, or as a result of inadequate
> familiarization
> with both the subject matter after matriculation or a disregard or
> ignorance
> of social convention in this forum.
>
Yes, I realise that - and I suspected that was what you meant. But you
picked a bad choice of phrasing when you swept up the rest of the world
as well as those countries that are relatively new to newsgroups and/or
the subjects on hand here. It's also a bit unfair to generalise - even
though a disproportionate number of clueless posts come from India, you
can't then generalise to say that posts from India are often clueless.
That would be like saying that since most spam comes from the USA (at
least indirectly), then most posts from the USA are spam.
Anyway, as long as the OP (whatever country he is in) takes to heart the
message that he must educate his students before turning them lose here,
then maybe we'll avoid clueless posts from that group at least.
Reply by Mr. C●January 9, 20082008-01-09
>I think your "often non-U.S." remark is a bit out of line.
The salient point I got from msg's reply is that a lot of inquiries
are made from people who have a difficult time with the English
language. And since the de facto language of this forum is English,
therein lies the problem of poor communications, making for painful
reading.
Lou
Reply by msg●January 9, 20082008-01-09
David Brown wrote:
> msg wrote:
>
>> Richard wrote:
>>
>>> In March, I'll be teaching a class called Embedded Systems.
>>
>> <snip>
>>
>>> I'd like my students to be required to subscribe to and participate in
>>> related groups.
>>> Besided here, what other groups would be appropriate?
>>
>>
>> I suspect the O.P.may have confused this Usenet N.G. with a 'Google
>> Group'
>> considering his post was made from Google Groups and he called c.a.e. a
>> 'group'. His request would likely be met with more sympathy if made from
>> his institution's network using an NNTP client. Also to the O.P.: please
>> review this N.G.'s archive to understand the distaste that is engendered
>> by clueless (often non-U.S.) student posts in order to avoid acrimony.
>>
>
> I think your "often non-U.S." remark is a bit out of line.
<snip>
Not intending to cast aspersions against any nationality, just pointing out
a statistical trend. A large number of 'clueless' posts in this N.G. originate
from the Indian subcontinent; perhaps as a result of intentional policies in
educational institutions there, or as a result of inadequate familiarization
with both the subject matter after matriculation or a disregard or ignorance
of social convention in this forum.
Regards,
Michael