Re: Regarding EVALUATE TRUE


Pete Dashwood wrote:

Just a note in passing...

As I never attended an American College, I find the use of the
formal "Mr" to be unfriendly and cold... <minor snips>
If people wish to communicate with me here, please, use my name.
Adopting
the formal, indicates displeasure or hostility as far as I am concerned.

Frank Swarbrick wrote:
Just want to say that I agree with this. It is quite possible that people
here are using "Mr so-and-so" here in a respectful manner, but my first
impression is that the intention is to be insulting. With Doc I honestly
have no idea. He's very hard to read. :-) With Ken I believe his
intention is quite respectful. But I still don't care for it. As you say,
it seems 'cold'.


A brief story: One of my peers a while ago referred to me as
Grandpa :-) in an e-mail, and I took him to task for "taking
familiarities that were neither appropriate nor welcome."

I do believe that time once was the same view was held regarding use
of first names. Yes, I have friends, and I have business associates,
and sometimes they are the same, but sometimes not. The use of "Mr."
helps makes that distinction, albeit in a respectful way. To do
otherwise is to, ahem, "take liberties."

In another dialogue, in another forum, I challenged the use of an
exhortation that we "embrace our customers." I put forth the notion
that while I embrace many people, my wife, my family, and my friends,
I have never embraced my hardware salesman, or my accountant, or my
lawyer, or any number of people I do business with. Perhaps I was
blunt, to the point of being heavy-handed, when I continued: to do so
is a bit of a flirtation, and I am neither a panderer nor a harlot.
Though I appreciate my clients, I treat them with a certain, uh, arm's
length distance. My arm reaches far enough to shake their hand. That
will do.

A certain _Miss Manners_, aka Judith Martin, would be the arbiter of
protocol in this matters. Unfortunately, I do not have her _Miss
Manners Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior_ with me right now.
But I know where a copy is, and eventually I will be able to give you
the final word, according to Miss Manners, on this issue.

Of one thing I am certain Miss Manners would agree with. Once
requested by an individual to be addressed in a certain way, it is
impolite not to do so.

Isn't that so, Pete and Frank? :-)

And OK, you two and I have a wee bit more than a nodding acquaintance,
so you may address me as "Ken". As for other CLC'ers, that familiarity
is to come only with the passing of some time, and the "paying of
dues", a concept which is hopefully not entirely outmoded.

As for addressing "the Doc", well you're all on your own, but somehow,
I feel safe with him. :-)

Not sure what this mode of address has to do with going to an American
College, though.


I am teaching Intermediate Algebra tonight at a community college. I
will address my students as Mr. and Ms. I expect to be addressed as
Mr. in return. I will make my effort to be kind and compassionate, as
well as respectful. Math is so intimidating for many of them.

Set operations, Union and Intersection, and Set Complementation, are
on the agenda, eventually. Shall I tell my students of De Morgan's
Laws? :-) You know, they apply to set operations as well as logical
booleans.

Later,
Ken


.

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