Re: Hi TheFallen, i'm still not sure...

Posted by Word Camel - not Fallen but tipping on June 07, 2003

In Reply to: Hi TheFallen, i'm still not sure... posted by sphinx on June 07, 2003

: about questions I asked last time:
: 6) To get one's hopes up is a standard English idiom, meaning to become more hopeful.
: (the original sentence is "trying NOT to get their hopes up." Do they wanted to let themselves down?)

: 7) It's a humorous allusion to George Orwell's book "1984" ...
: (i know it is about the book, but I cannot find relation between despotism and computer technology! could expalin why it is humorous?)

The serious point is that thinking that the human element in teaching can be replaced by a computer reveals a contempt for the positive impact that human beings can have in teaching or more broadly (i.e. like 1984). The humorous part is where is says that Texas Instruments, that company you thought were only making innocent calculators, is already working on it. Obviously Texas Instruments is probably not plotting to remove the human element from education, but if such a thing were possible a ubiquitous company Texas Instruments would probably do it.

• Ps. re: Not getting their hopes up Word Camel 06/07/03
  • Re: Ps. re: Not getting their hopes up sphinx 06/08/03
    • Re: Ps. re: Not getting their hopes up Word Camel 06/08/03