I would hesitate to recommend anyone to Mr. Philip Greenspun’s class
I know it is a strong statement. But if someone wants to learn something they should learn from someone who never exhibits his/her preferences and priorities in teaching.
After reading his classless blog, I felt that he may not have required qualities of a teacher. His opening paragraph in that rant says one can’t use Windows 8 easily. Hello, there are videos that show a 3 year old operating Windows 8 easily.
He claims Microsoft had chance to study Android and implement Back button. Hello Mr. Greenspun Microsoft Windows has Windows key even before Android was formed. You claim that you are expert in XP, Windows Vista or 7 and I don’t know how did you miss that. Windows 8 Tablets must have a Windows button. That takes them to Start Screen. If you think Google invented back button on the screen, you are completely wrong. Back button on mobile devices was there even before Android formed. Google took some cues from iPhone after it bought Android system and prior to that it was replica of Blackberry interface. If you want to teach your students your preferences, and personal choices at least make sure that the facts are right.
if you read his blogs, you realize he prefers Google technologies over anything and uses them while teaching. I really don’t care about his personal choices and preferences in his private life. But as an academic personality one should not exhibit personal preferences. If someone shows personal priorities, then it will not be professional. That’s what my engineering education and profession taught me.
His current rant about Microsoft Windows 8 headline itself tells that he is a classless man. Do you share something you don’t like to a person whom you don’t like? That’s not what Christmas is for. Christmas is to spread love and peace without any personal attachments and choices. Christmas is for sharing.
His blogs tell that he taught at MIT. My understand is that one of the qualities of a teacher must be not showing bias or preferences. A teacher must not have bias or (s)he shouldn’t express it out even if (s)he has. Do you accept a teacher who has preferences towards one party and exhibits it out always while teaching Government or AP Government to your kids? His blog made me to think that Fox channel is right. Like our government doesn’t negotiate with terrorists, we shouldn’t talk to the guys who show bias in their professional life. If we talk to them, they feel their agenda is right. Just ignore them and move past. I would hesitate to recommend anyone to take his classes even if he is an expert teacher. I would feel his students learn only one side of the story.
PS: Neither I know him nor he knows me. I come to this conclusion after reading his blogs and some of the comments made by FOSS supporters there. I don’t question his teaching skills and he may not show his personal preferences in his class. But his blogs are saying otherwise.
Now please tell me would you recommend anyone to take a class of a very expert teacher who lacks taste and exhibits personal preferences and biases to his/her students?
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About The Author
saiweb
Mobile Gadget Geek. My mobility started with HP Jornada Handheld PC LX320. I currently own and use various Windows Phones, iOS devices, Android devices and HP Touchpad.
So if you’re a professor, in order to get the Ram seal of approval, you cannot have an opinionated, and I’d add well-written, blog?
In his blog post the man reveals that he took W8 for a spin and concluded that he doesn’t care for Windows 8 and he goes on to list why he thinks it’s steps backwards relative to itself, Android, iOS, though on par with the Playbook, and that there’s something the Xerox Alto, a 39 year old computer, can do that Android and iOS cannot. He makes a positive remarks about Windows 7, even throws in one for XP and Vista. In addition to pointing out what he can’t do with it, he’s comparing it against a long list of things, yet you somehow single out Google.
Then leaves the article open for debate and correction, like a few people telling him he can start something with the windows key plus R or whatever. And that yes you can’t right click anything but maybe that will change.
At no point does he bring up “FOSS,” open source, free, Linux, GNU, UNIX et cetra. I have no idea what this has to do with FOSS. And my Google phone, for something you’d label (along with me) as FOSS, has many things on it, most of the things that are visible to me the end user, that are not at all open source and many of them aren’t free either. You know who is heavily-engaged in FOSS development? Microsoft.
His is a well-written article. Here’s another: Let’s Bash Microsoft Today
Among the things his blog does, in addition to sickening you (as if you never seen a negative Windows 8 review before), is reveal his array of persuasions. When picking which professor’s class on RDBMS/SQL to take, if biases, however well-founded, against a particular company or one of its operating system releases bother you, you could thank that transparency for helping you make the right choice.
In addition to likening this MIT professor, who sounds to me like a prolific genius who’s contributed more than his share to society, to a terrorist, I can’t believe you actually are lecturing me/him in boldface on what, with respect to blogging, Christmas isn’t for. You sausage ninja.
I think it hurt you so much, since I pointed flaws in his opinion. A professor can have an opinion, but (s)he shouldn’t express his personal opinion. Also I didn’t say he mentioned FOSS, I said some of the FOSS supporters. Please re-read you clueless one.
Okay Ram, but do I have to reread the whole thing or can I just read all the boldface parts? Gotta love boldface, right?
So what, the man loves his boldface, stop being a wiseass for two minutes and re-read his post. You might learn something.
There’s a small part of me, Simmons, that enjoys your writing, but quite often I find it challenging if not impossible to find that part. Please make it easier to find that special corner of my heart, okay wiseass? Nobody likes a wiseass.