Inside the World of Online Trolls: article from this Sunday's NY Times Magazine

[chrisfoll577]

Hahaha! lulz

[jamesp]

I blame Fight Club for inspiring a generation of morons.  Seriously though, between reading this and about hipsters, my whole day has felt depressing.

It's great that "weev" can afford moving from condo to condo at his whim and having a chauffeured rented Rolls Royce but he still has the same crappy TV that I do.

[yesno]

Seriously though, between reading this and about hipsters, my whole day has felt depressing.

You're welcome!  Now, let me tell you about how modern agriculture depends on fossil fuel-based fertilizers....

[Susannah]

A little update: I arrived back to school for faculty meetings this week, and found that the school administration finally wised up and blocked access to Facebook, MySpace and a number of other social-networking sites via the school's network.  This probably won't stem the tide of cyberbullying--we can't monitor what kids do on their personal computers at home--but at least it relieves the burden of liability a little bit.

Unfortunately, however, cell phones are now allowed back on campus after being banned last year.  I expect to spend at least 5% of each class period confiscating BlackBerries.  How do my students think I can't tell they're texting?  Why are they texting during my classes?  Am I a bad teacher?  Professional anxiety rears its ugly head.

[Sarah]

Don't feel bad, Susannah.  It's nothing personal.  I know that during my short tenure in high school I thought all my teachers were bad, whether they were or not. 

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

Yeah, it s not personal at all.  Or if it is, my students feel the same way about me that yours do about you.  It s also worth mentioning that even the most fun classes aren t THAT fun.

[dave from knoxville]

Yeah, it s not personal at all.  Or if it is, my students feel the same way about me that yours do about you.  It s also worth mentioning that even the most fun classes aren t THAT fun.

How dare you! Why just today we were having an uproarious discussion of the fine distinction between ordinal and nominal data, and I accidentally said "norminal!" Oh, we all chortled gaily over that gaffe, believe you me!

[tenspeed]

I expect to spend at least 5% of each class period confiscating BlackBerries.  How do my students think I can't tell they're texting?  Why are they texting during my classes?  Am I a bad teacher?  Professional anxiety rears its ugly head.

I know how you feel...my first year of teaching I spent 5% of each class period confiscating my cellphone. 

[emma]

Yeah, it s not personal at all.  Or if it is, my students feel the same way about me that yours do about you.  It s also worth mentioning that even the most fun classes aren t THAT fun.

How dare you! Why just today we were having an uproarious discussion of the fine distinction between ordinal and nominal data, and I accidentally said "norminal!" Oh, we all chortled gaily over that gaffe, believe you me!

I must say, math is okay and everything, but I like what teaching Old-Timey Grammar And Language Skills to summer school kids has done for you, DFK.

[mokin]

Maybe a cell phone jammer would be a good solution, Susannah? They're pricey but possibly worth it.