Re: Verbatim transcription

From: haggis (haggis58_at_comcast.netnospam)
Date: 11/24/04 

Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2004 17:49:26 -0500

>>FWIW, we actually WERE taught to use them.
>
>
> Out of curiosity - what course did you take?

Now you're just embarrassing me, having to admit I come from the wrong
side of the tracks. I'm the jackass who can't stop promoting Andrews and
M-TEC because I was too cheap and impatient to pick one of them. Gladly,
I seemed to go into it with enough on the ball to compensate. You'd
think the word of a disgruntled grad would bear enough weight to steer
folks away from something with so many lame deficiencies (I think the
course's standards have deteriorated seriously since I took it, as they
keep expanding the definition of "passing" to accommodate taking money
from people who should be selling Avon or bagging groceries); instead,
it seems every time we have a blowup like Janice alluded to there are a
dozen more who announce they've made their decision and have sent in
their money. "Gosh, the student forum is so FRIENDLY! I just know it'll
be GRATE!" (Hm. If not for the impaired spelling, I might hit you over
the head with what I already said about them censoring those forums to
feed into their PR and fool you into thinking you belong in the
field--but you will obviously fit right in!) Lizzie and I aren't the
only detractors, but we're probably the most vocal. Sadly, for every
voice of reason, there are a dozen feebs who don't want to hear logic or
real-world truths. Not surprisingly, these are usually the people who
couldn't pass the Andrews entrance exam and declare CS superior because
they'll put money over ethics (no test there). Oops--I guess they're
doing a public service by not "discouraging people who might disprove
the odds." Yep, that was the official word--"Who are WE to say they
can't overcome their deficiencies?" It's a shame that they choose not to
strive to earn a place as a REAL top school, because the course is
actually pretty good. I think they're doing themselves a disservice by
pooh-poohing (or ignoring) criticisms. Well, that and the fact their
only official voice on their forum is someone who barely survived the
course and has next to no experience on the job. . . (Bet you didn't
know an MT might do as much as 60 minutes' worth of dictation a day!)

My plan is to simply work long enough to go on my own reputation and
never mention my diploma again (approaching 2 happy years with a
national, so I must be doing something right). Now, if I could only
stop trying to save the world and just let others make their own
mistakes. . .

I'm figuring that by becoming Janice's ***-in-training I can channel my
energies into more personally gratifying directions. ****-eatin' grin*