January 17, 2019
And Then More Stuff Happened
Apologies for two consecutive posts concerning the banality of my Walter Mitty lifestyle. Here, as partial compensation is something pleasant by Sukabu.
Additionally, Sukabu still has a Tumbler page...somehow...Infer what you will from that statement.
more...
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
07:56 PM
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Post contains 725 words, total size 5 kb.
1
Mitchiko she ain't.
Posted by: Mauser at Thu Jan 17 22:02:18 2019 (Ix1l6)
2
I think we'll chalk that day up as a win.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at Fri Jan 18 09:01:31 2019 (PiXy!)
3
The "computer" overwrote an "A" with an "F"? Not that it matters at this point, but that's either one hell of a bug that's likely affecting hundreds of students, or someone is fibbing to you.
Posted by: Ben at Fri Jan 18 13:27:42 2019 (yXPNh)
4
Yeah, that's a bogus explanation. Reminds me how one assistant professor in my wife's department was fixing to get a tenure. So other professor broke into an office (I don't remember if Dean's or some clerical office) and trashed the assistant's file with all the tenure docs.
Posted by: Pete Zaitcev at Fri Jan 18 13:37:21 2019 (LZ7Bg)
5
That is the professor's story. And the professor is sticking to it.
It might well have been a PEBKAC error of course, something as simple as clicking on the wrong icon in the rush to turn grades in before deadline.
However, I THINK that what happened is that the computer system now automatically assigns a grade of "F" to any class that was marked as "Incomplete" and this has to be corrected. There may be other issues as well. For example, it's possible that if a person in a class with a strict departmental attendance policy is given a waiver because of, say, a doctor's note, the actual attendance figures might cause the system to override the teacher's waiver without additional steps being taken on the instructor's part. Both situations would have applied to me in that class.
The school has had various "issues" with its IT upgrades for months.
There is circumstantial evidence against the PEBKAC theory; Yesterday, when I went to registration to get entered into my new class (which, as I'm an undergrad, required a waiver) I asked if THEY could see my change in status (I sure as hell couldn't). The young lady in registration who was helping me said it wouldn't be visible for a day or so, but she also mentioned that this was not a unique issue and that she'd been in the same position previously. I inferred the conversation that this was a not-unheard of situation. I don't know WHAT is going on, but I suspect (albeit with no hard evidence) that the root cause is someone in the administration with micromanagement tendencies.
...that's either one hell of a bug that's likely affecting hundreds of students, or someone is fibbing to you.
That is the professor's story. And the professor is sticking to it.
It might well have been a PEBKAC error of course, something as simple as clicking on the wrong icon in the rush to turn grades in before deadline.
However, I THINK that what happened is that the computer system now automatically assigns a grade of "F" to any class that was marked as "Incomplete" and this has to be corrected. There may be other issues as well. For example, it's possible that if a person in a class with a strict departmental attendance policy is given a waiver because of, say, a doctor's note, the actual attendance figures might cause the system to override the teacher's waiver without additional steps being taken on the instructor's part. Both situations would have applied to me in that class.
The school has had various "issues" with its IT upgrades for months.
There is circumstantial evidence against the PEBKAC theory; Yesterday, when I went to registration to get entered into my new class (which, as I'm an undergrad, required a waiver) I asked if THEY could see my change in status (I sure as hell couldn't). The young lady in registration who was helping me said it wouldn't be visible for a day or so, but she also mentioned that this was not a unique issue and that she'd been in the same position previously. I inferred the conversation that this was a not-unheard of situation. I don't know WHAT is going on, but I suspect (albeit with no hard evidence) that the root cause is someone in the administration with micromanagement tendencies.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at Fri Jan 18 15:53:30 2019 (gxCG3)
6
At the university I teach at, incompletes become Fs after one calendar year. And it requires moving heaven and earth on the part of the prof to undo that. (I had a student once with a SERIOUS, and I mean SERIOUS health problem, who couldn't come back within the year and....well, he finally completed the class but I will note the then-Dean made *me* cry in her office with all of the rigamarole about what I had to do (she was also quite rude to me)
It's also totally possible, at least in today's grade-entry systems, for a professor to fat-finger the wrong grade. I've done it. Fortunately, not often, and the student usually e-mails me to go "this can't be right, can it?" (I have an online gradebook so each student should be able to look up what they are earning). If they let me know within a couple days, it's an easy fix. Longer, it's a bit more complicated but not hard...
it's entirely possible you F is an F for fat-fingering...
It's also totally possible, at least in today's grade-entry systems, for a professor to fat-finger the wrong grade. I've done it. Fortunately, not often, and the student usually e-mails me to go "this can't be right, can it?" (I have an online gradebook so each student should be able to look up what they are earning). If they let me know within a couple days, it's an easy fix. Longer, it's a bit more complicated but not hard...
it's entirely possible you F is an F for fat-fingering...
Posted by: fillyjonk at Fri Jan 18 19:14:02 2019 (+MBAo)
7
Hm. It's certainly true that "the computer made me do it" is usually shorthand for "that's the way the bureaucracy is set up to work oh god are you going to make me go in there."
The true a**holes of the world are the ones who want a computer system to make irrevocable changes. The entire history of computing is is trying to get AWAY from that. The computer is meant to be your friend, not Friend Computer.
The true a**holes of the world are the ones who want a computer system to make irrevocable changes. The entire history of computing is is trying to get AWAY from that. The computer is meant to be your friend, not Friend Computer.
Posted by: Ben at Fri Jan 18 22:11:21 2019 (4TRZx)
8
I gotta ask...Who's Mitchiko?
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at Sat Jan 19 01:24:44 2019 (gxCG3)
Posted by: Pixy Misa at Sat Jan 19 09:18:44 2019 (PiXy!)
10
Yeah, that pretty much encapsulates it Pixy. Badass thug-girl in a fictional Brazil-like country who's not as smart nor as badass as she thinks she is, but gets through on pure oblivious stubbornness. Rescues her kid from rotten foster parents and searches for the father while the girl tries to talk sense to her.
Posted by: Mauser at Sat Jan 19 18:57:27 2019 (Ix1l6)
Posted by: J Greely at Sat Jan 19 22:44:12 2019 (tgyIO)
January 16, 2019
And Then This Happened
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Art by Mocha
My life is over.
Everything was for naught.
Hope has left the building.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
10:42 PM
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Post contains 103 words, total size 1 kb.
1
Bifocal prescription safety glasses here, with removable side shields. Used to have the "Transitions" lenses, but they actually have to screw up the close prescription to make that work, leaving you with only a small spot that isn't distorted. Got regular bifocals this time. Much better.
Posted by: Mauser at Wed Jan 16 23:46:34 2019 (Ix1l6)
2
Cool! You're only five or six years behind me...
Posted by: Wonderduck at Wed Jan 16 23:49:22 2019 (PzbzM)
3
I've got progressive bifocals and I'm not sure I like them much. I get a lot of eyestrain from various screens...
Posted by: Avatar_exADV at Thu Jan 17 04:31:49 2019 (v29Tn)
4
I'm just getting three different pairs of glasses. This clearly proves I am not old.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at Thu Jan 17 06:56:49 2019 (PiXy!)
5
Progressive trifocals here, but the place I went screwed up the last set. Twice.
Posted by: ubu at Thu Jan 17 07:25:07 2019 (UlsdO)
6
I have driving glasses and kanji glasses. I also have a pair of Foster Grant Multi-Focus cheaters that I bought at an airport that range from 0.5 to 1.0, which come in handy for late-night reading. (I haven't seen these in stores outside of airports, oddly enough)
-j
-j
Posted by: J Greely at Thu Jan 17 17:36:13 2019 (LGSd2)
7
Yeah, the Progressiveness is not worth it. At least if you have any astigmatism.
Posted by: Mauser at Thu Jan 17 22:03:24 2019 (Ix1l6)
8
I got progressive trifocals last year, and I've had near-constant eyestrain ever since. I imagine next year I'll go to some basic bifocals.
Posted by: Ben at Fri Jan 18 13:22:12 2019 (yXPNh)
9
I'm still getting by with cheaters.
Posted by: Pete Zaitcev at Fri Jan 18 13:33:10 2019 (LZ7Bg)
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