tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Sep 27 00:15:40 1997

Back to archive top level

To this year's listing



[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]

Re: Virtual Postal Course



[email protected] on behalf of Kenneth Traft wrote:

> I will agree that EMAIL is easier to communicate, and that when 
communicating 
> people get a little sloppy, but I find it "distasteful" to be told that 
> because I'm doing something "on-line", I'm not going to think about it.  If 
> this is the case, the entire reason for this EMAIL list fits your non-
> thinking 
> senerio, so it too should be dropped and "put to paper" and mailed.

While Qov's statement was a gross overgeneralization, there is a measure of 
truth to it.  E-mail is very quick and easy for some people, while postal mail 
seems more "formal."

This, I think, points to the most important reason that the postal course has 
not yet made it online.  The Internet has so many casual users, who jump into 
something and then decide it's not for them.  This would happen with an e-mail 
postal course.  David Barron tells us that the number of people who complete 
the second lesson of the existing course is a lot less than the number who 
complete the first, and this gap would only be magnified with an e-mail 
course.  Furthermore, e-mail is very, very easy for many people these days.  
Simply put: David doesn't have the time to handle the virtual tons of e-mail 
he'd get if he did this on his own.  Let alone trying to keep track of 
everything!

I'd rather see the KLI take its time and come up with a good, solid online 
course than do a quick job and have someone crushed in the process.  In the 
meantime we've still got our other means of teaching online, including this 
list.

And there is something to be said about putting pen to paper.  These days I 
only write with fountain pens.  I won't use ballpoints anymore.  The 
scratching it makes when I write is just so lovely . . .

SuStel
Stardate 97739.4



Back to archive top level