in reply to Re^3: Assigning unique identifiers within a discussion thread to each distinct anonymous commenter
in thread Assigning unique identifiers within a discussion thread to each distinct anonymous commenter
they are also often exceptionally rude.
Corollary: exceptionally rude to certain people.
And then *only* when civil discourse and reasoned persuasion have failed to modify frustrating behaviour that borders upon the malicious.
At school, my favorite teacher was a guy called Guy Swan, my music teacher. I have no aptitude for music then or now, but music was obligatory then and I didn't mind because he was one of those exceptional teachers that was perfectly happy to teach those that wanted to learn; and allow those that didn't to slide so long as they didn't disrupt those that did.
He also had a (nearly unique in my experience) ability to teach the same material at multiple levels concurrently.
That latter attribute meant that despite my lack of ability, I came away from each lesson having learned something -- and something that felt valuable enough that I was in the group of those that wanted to learn rather than those that didn't.
Part of his secret was that he was one of the most laid back characters you'd ever wish to meet. Calm, funny, and forgiving of pretty much anything that was not of malicious intent. Uninformed misunderstanding, or deliberate April Fool, he could take most everything in his stride. Until...
Gary Evans. A mid-term transferee, and obviously used to being the centre of attention, he chose the music class to try and establish his bona fides as a wide boy. He mistook Guy's laid back nature as an easy touch. He chose to be disruptive. And he chose wrong!
Guy put Gary in his place in no uncertain terms. (And it worked!)
Later, the teacher explained, "Sometimes, you just have to shout and swear".
|
|---|