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old hand
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OP
old hand
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I suspect this may be an urban legend. Why would a teacher in the Northern hemisphere be setting an essay about the summer holidays in February?
Bingley
Bingley
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Carpal Tunnel
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well, snopes is aware of it, but so far, no other information about it: http://www.snopes.com/info/news/odd.asp
formerly known as etaoin...
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journeyman
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Thanks for the snurl site, on the cryptic coded essay. However, this is really nothing new, way back when I was in school, only those wanting to be a secretary and take dictation used it. It was a status symbol. Although learning the real shorthand was a problem for some, including me, we developed a this form of shorthand omitting vowels and using only the beginning letter of some words. Personally I am glad to see everyone learning this, however, when doing an essay to hand in, it should be in longhand. This type of coded shorthand is really ideal for taking notes on lectures and for reviewing for tests, etc. But I feel the problem comes from students lacking respect for teachers, students lacking some pride in their finished product, and also in some teachers feeling threated by the fact that kids today are a few steps ahead of them.
And then again, perhaps I am wrong---but why can't we all learn from each other and share our wealth of knowledge, for the good of all mankind??
enthusiast
enthusiast
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OP
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Drat! I never thought to check snopes first - I must be slipping in my dotage. Thanks to all who pointed out my gaffe.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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slipping in my dotageewww. sounds messy. 
formerly known as etaoin...
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Don't worry sjm it's not in the real snopes. I looked there before I posted and couldn't find anything. But apparently they have a new section with links to stories in the news without any debunking or follow up. At the moment this is the only one in it.
Bingley
Bingley
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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...students lacking some pride in their finished product...
Aside from any issue I may have with "pride", I'd be more apt (given this story true) to believe that a sense of pride would create a composition like that... non-conformist (to say the least), of course.
...but why can't we all learn from each other and share our wealth of knowledge, for the good of all mankind??
Because pride has imbedded itself into society so deeply that the *laws say one can "own knowledge".
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Bingley
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old hand
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OP
old hand
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Thanks, Bingley. The Economist appears to to take the story for real.
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