I’ll just post the chat as it took place. FYI – I’ve been tossing up the whiskey bottle today, so the urgency relayed in this chat may not seem appropriate…along with the posting of this chat in the first place…but Al Swearengen is out for the good of the camp, not just himself. Background – a java program is due on Friday that equals a quarter of the final grade. The chat archive is impossible to follow as the visual is two minutes ahead of the audio describing what’s taking place:
Swearengen (4:13PM) : hello
Messenger (4:13PM) : Please wait until a representative joins the chat.
Swearengen (4:13PM) : Live Chat Session for CS323-0603A-05 : Problem Solving with ProgrammingCS323_5_32_1 7/11/2006 6:05 PM 01:58:40
Swearengen (4:13PM) : This live chat session is not synched up
Swearengen (4:14PM) : I contacted tech support this morning around 3AM EST
Swearengen (4:14PM) : Was told that the problem was confirmed and that I should notify the instructor
Messenger (4:14PM) : Adam (representative) has joined the conversation
Adam (4:15PM) : hello there. let me take a look at this real quick…
Swearengen (4:15PM) : I did that, and he sent me back to you guys – the tech from last night confirmed the problem
Swearengen (4:16PM) : The file recorded wrong – – – I can’t act as a conduit between tech support and the instructor
Swearengen (4:16PM) : For an assignment worth 1/4 of the grade, I need to be able to review this chat session.
Adam (4:17PM) : oh no of course not. Sorry about that. Unfortunately in this particular case, there is very little we can do. Let me take a look at that archive myself os I have a bettter understanding. it’ll just take a moment please.
Swearengen (4:19PM) : No problem, I appreciate your help. This morning I was running on fumes and accepted your coleague’s suggestion to contact the instructor without thinking…came back today and it’s still not fixed. I should have gone about it differently, because when I emailed the professor I didn’t include that tech support had confirmed the problem.
Swearengen (4:20PM) : My situation now is that the expected resourse is not available, and it has to be fixed for me to learn what I need to in order to pass this class.
Swearengen (4:20PM) : Approaching it at this point as a customer
Swearengen (4:22PM) : My suggestion is that a phone call is made out to Professor Larson to inform him (if it’s not tech support’s responsibility to fix this) that the chat must be fixed, with a timetable agreed upon (should be ASAP)
Adam (4:24PM) : we can certainly go ahead and contact him. The main problem is that I’m not sure that this archive can be repaired. That’s going to be the main hurdle in this case.
Swearengen (4:26PM) : It’s an internal business matter – and if it can’t be repaired then a bug must be submitted an evaluated. This course is not a sound product as long as this happens. We’re paying a lot of money for this. I know it’s not your fault – I’m just trying to avoid the “check here-check there” aspect of dealing with something like this. In this instance, I’m not a colleague, I’m a customer.
Swearengen (4:26PM) : Could you escalate it?
Swearengen (4:27PM) : Because the class not being fixed is unacceptable
Swearengen (4:28PM) : Are there established procedures in place to address this problem?
Swearengen (4:29PM) : Can’t be the first time it’s happened. W/ that in mind, the answer couldn’t have been “tough luck” all those times
Adam (4:29PM) : That is what is going to have to happen in this case. However since it can take a long to time to get this resolved in one way or another, our recommendation to contact your professor was more so he would A. Be aware of the issue and B. Be be able to share any information you may have missed in another way of communicating
Swearengen (4:31PM) : I think it would be more appropriate for you to contact the professor and deal with this internally. I (and most of my fellow students I imagine) don’t have time for this. People are being paid from the proceeds of my tuition, and it should be resolved by those people.
Adam (4:32PM) : I will be opening a trouble ticket for this issue under your account. you will be able to track the progress of the investigation by clicking the ticket number under the support tab of the Virtual Campus.
Swearengen (4:33PM) : What is the turnaround time on such tickets? Business hours are soon ending, what happens then? Because if this takes a day to fix, the effort is useless as the assignment is already due.
Swearengen (4:33PM) : Along with submitting a ticket, could you please escalate this and/or contact the professor (emergency number)?
Swearengen (4:36PM) : Is there a log you have access to that would indicate whether or not Professor Larson’s chats have encountered this problem in the past?
Adam (4:36PM) : Well, approximating a turnaround time is not by any means an exact science. Generally 24-48 hours to investigate and find out what caused the issue, make any repairs that can be made if possible. but honestly, that’s a very wide ballpark estimate. it may be as little as an hour. We’re a 24/7 call center, so business hours don’t really mean as much to us around here. We will contact your professor, we will research and history this professor has had with issues relating to this, and we will provide you with an answer as soon as humanly possible.
Swearengen (4:37PM) : Sorry for hounding you Adam – – – – I’m just nervous about this, w/ it only being my second semester at CTU, I’m praying this isn’t something that happens normally’
Swearengen (4:37PM) : OK – Thanks!!!
Adam (4:38PM) : Oh I know. I’ve been here long enough to assure you – this is a new one. Never seen this before and off the top of my head, I cannot even imagine the unlikely set of circumstances that must have happened for this to turn out the way it did.
Swearengen (4:38PM) : The chat in this instance is critical. It really has to be a failsafe aspect of the product.
Swearengen (4:39PM) : OK – I feel a lot better already.
Swearengen (4:40PM) : This was the first chat where it was critical, so my impression had a lot to do with ‘doom’
Swearengen (4:40PM) : or “i’m going to regret this…”
Adam (4:41PM) : it’s understandable. We’ll make every effort to come to a reasonable solution that makes everyone involved as happy as possbile…
Swearengen (4:42PM) : Thank You Adam! I’ve been in your position plenty of times, I appreciate your effort and communication.
Adam (4:42PM) : that’s what we’re here for. Feel free to drop us a line any time.
I took a few classes at University of Phoenix and they have quality problems too. It wasn’t video but you are paying the same amount as a private college and some of the professors could care less. It’s like the students are an annoyance to them.
Uh-oh! Be verwy verwy careful. I think the evidence is overwhelming that education leads to progressive thinking. You’re walking a fine line there RT. Once you gain the benefits of an education you may never be able to call yourself a Republican again.
This is something that is near and dear to my heart. My dad is a university business professor and he runs his own business.
Most students are annoying. Most students (at least that I see) aren’t up to the challenges put on them in a rigorous academic environment.
I hear all the time about students and the horrible excuses they try to pass off. Students cheating, students slacking on group projects, etc. I hate to say it but America doesn’t have a problem with education. America has a problem with students. I believe our major challenge is that our lifestyle and the options available to us make us complacent and lazy. Always looking for the quick fix (get rich quick).
Anyway, your professor probably gives off the vibe that students irritate him because students really do irritate him most of the time.
As a student you must learn that to do well you’ve really got to figure out the instructor and make nice with them (if grades are important). If grades aren’t important then do what you like. I think it’s also important to understand that beyond whatever subject matter you happen to be learning, what university study really teaches you (that has lasting value) is how to learn on your own without someone instructing you. The ability to learn quickly and self-teach is more valuable than anything else you will learn while at a university. Most of my university peers completely missed this point, and that’s good for me because life really is a competition and if they don’t get it good.
Competition between universities for students has also put a strain on the rigor of academic programs. Students often shop for the path of least resistance that will lead them to the glorious piece of paper noting that “they is educated”. When students behave as consumers (and ease of class assignments and material is a factor in their decision-making process) their education will suffer for it. Hard classes make better students, but students don’t want to take hard classes. Problem.
Also, develop relationships with star students these are the folks who can help to make you successful if you want to be.
Off soapbox.
I think the evidence is overwhelming that education leads to progressive thinking. You’re walking a fine line there RT. Once you gain the benefits of an education you may never be able to call yourself a Republican again.
Hahaha, this is great. Here’s one right back at ya, liberals spend all that time iin college and graduate not knowing anything. All those liberal English majors keep asking me if I want fries with my burger and I keep saying NO.
To be honest, there are some stretches where I don\’t view the classroom stuff at all, usually because I\’m completing the assignments and getting good grades on them. With this class though…it\’s the first one where we\’re actually programming code. We\’re using NetBeans, and in terms of complexity, it\’s not out of this world – BUT – there are a couple points where I need one class to refer to something in another, and that portion of his presentation is useless with the screen showing his work 2 minutes in the future…
From 9PM-1AM last night I was trying to complete this, going all over the java site for help…the problem is most of that information (and it is a glorious resource) is way over my head at this point.
I took everyone\’s advice about how to interact w/ the professors, and it\’s paid off immensely so far. They get put off when assignments are turned in late more than anything else, as that\’s when the tapdancing starts (what captain referred to) with lame excuses that insult the intelligence of both parties. The professor\’s in a tough spot in this situation as they have to balance the need to set the bar high, while also not knocking someone out who could turn out to be a solid professional in the field.
The students do suck in a lot of ways…not my program as much (the majority of participants are ex-military, people in their 30s, 40s)…but I do remember the bullshit my friends would tell me about why they failed out of a class…how the professor was a jerk.
Maybe it\’s the reason why I\’m not in touch with a lot of them now, but my response was always…\”you didn\’t do what you were supposed to do, right? You didn\’t turn in your assignments on time or at all, right? Or am I believe that the school tells their professors to fail people on a whim?\”
Nothing I hate more in this life than someone creating a situation for themselves then trying to pawn off responsibility on someone or something else. America has too many of these. People who can\’t understand that their personal life doesn\’t and shouldn\’t be of any concern to your boss, professor or whoever you agreed on something with than blew it off.
Admittedly, I get a little understanding from the people around me when it comes to having two 1 year olds running around…but then again, when I catch a break on one assignment being under a day late, I\’ve also submitted 5 in a row before that on time!
And that\’s when the understanding comes into play, when you\’ve established yourself, compiled a track record that says \”this late assignment is the exception, not the rule\”. Political capital is the correct term for that I believe, and it takes a lot to ensure that you\’re surrounded by people who you\’ve established capital with.
I’m sure you’re just having fun (I know I am), but one thing I’ve noticed about most successful people (regardless of educational attainment) is that they don’t sling mud around (politicians are an exception).
It’s fun to generalize (all liberals are idiot), but in the professional world generalizing is a worthless exercise that only exposes ignorance regarding a particular subject. Liberals can’t be neatly packaged as a group anymore than conservatives can. Both ideologies are founded on perfectly acceptable and rational systems of belief. I’d argue that you probably believe in some of the ideals that are important to liberals… “a nation should be judged by how it treats it’s most vulnerable citizens”. Then again maybe you don’t??? I know that I believe in many conservative sentiments… “our government should intrude into our lives as little as possible”.
But the fact that you can’t see past the 2nd grade generalizations that hard core Republicans have placed on “liberals” reflects poorly on you. Abject generalization is for the good old folk who don’t handle real world complexity very well (but don’t fret, there’s no shame in swimming in the shallow end of the gene pool, our species reflects a bell curve).
And as for your example of liberal arts majors working at a fast food joint, big deal. At least they are working. I’ve worked at a couple. In fact Domino’s delivery tips put me through my undergrad. The important thing is that they are working. Making fun of fast food workers (every 1 in 6 Americans) exposes your elitist attitude towards low wage earners. If you were rich I’d think you were a real jerk, but since the odds are that you are just like me (income-wise), I’d say you’re simply delusional.
Regarding a glorious resource…
I provide technical support services to supplement my “regular job”, and I’ve found that http://www.experts-exchange.com is invaluable.
Whether you’re looking for a code snippet, a complex SQL query, or how to get a Linux file server to see a MS workgroup, this site has saved me many many hours of researching. It’s about $100 per year, but at $75/hour for your time it doesn’t take long to pay for itself. It’s also helped me immensely at my “regular job”.
I feel like punching the wall, but then my brain reminds me that I’ll be even more screwed if I do. This is the assignment in a nutshell:
Two classes – ToddlerToy & ToysManager – ToddlerToy has one private attribute “ProductID” and two modules “SetProductID()” and “PrintProductID()”
ToysManager has the main method where it’s supposed to print a statement (got that), then “create an object ‘Train1’ of class type ToddlerToy using the default constructor, Call the methods from above (Set, Print)
Those two modules have a statement print (got those)…
I have no idea of how to create an object within the main method of ToyManager…
Two hours, actually three, w/ two of my group partners, and we’ve got nothing – – – I’ll be putzing around with NetBeans all night again.
Maybe it’s by design, but seeing as how this is the first time I’ve ever NEEDED the online chat to get something done, I’m really frustrated.
Then you’ve got to figure in two kids a cat and a wife in my hair…when the boys go to bed (which they just did), that’s when Cleo won’t leave me alone and the ‘w’ has nothing to say besides shit that makes me wish I’d joined the circus a long time ago.
Last night I took a break and hopped over to deadissue to see what was going down, and right on cue, “I thought you were doing schoolwork”
Seriously…
The problem is, I immediately recognize that if I respond, the whole idea of taking a break is gone, not to mention the fact that I’ll lose study time…if I ignore, the chirping starts. If I say ANYTHING, I’m shooting myself in the foot…
So I say nothing…oh, the dali lama would be so PROUD OF ME!!!!!!!
FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK
I hear ya brother. I get the same stuff from my wife when I’m working and take a break to blast out some nonsense on your blog.
“I thought you were working!?!?”
As for the java. I wish I was more knowledgable about java. I’m pretty good at javascript if you ever need help.
To create an object called Train1 (my weak guess)…
class ToysManager
{
ToddlerToy Train1 = new ToddlerToy();
}
I’m total grasping in the dark here, but if you can teach it to me, then you will have finished your lesson 😉
Good luck on the java and the distractions.
It has to be the most annoying thing in the world…how the ladies cannot even imagine that a person would have the ability to multitask, or take a “break” without actually getting up and going anywhere. For me it’s the need to get the task off of my mind for a bit, and the break really does help…but of course, I’m not just doing my work, I’m putting on a performance.
It’s then that you start to feel like a lab experiment rather than a mate.
That would be it (the code), but it won’t allow it unless I declare newToddlerToy() above it…here’s what I’ve got so far:
package groupproject;
public class ToddlerToy
{
public ToddlerToy()
{
}
private static int ProductID;
public static int SetProductID()
{
System.out.println(“This is method SetProductID in class ToddlerToys”);
return ProductID;
}
public static int PrintProductID()
{
System.out.println(“This is method PrintProductID in class ToddlerToys”);
return ProductID;
}
}
———————
package groupproject;
public class ToysManager
{
public ToysManager()
{
}
public static void main(String[] args)
{
System.out.println(“ToysManager”);
ToddlerToy.SetProductID();
ToddlerToy.PrintProductID();
}
}
The output is fine, and I understand all of this, but the ‘create object Train1 of class ToddlerToys within the main method’…is it assumed that a declaration of that ‘netToddlerToy()’ will take place above or below the main method?
If that’s the case, then I’ll just do it like that. I’ve got until 2PM tomorrow before the group meets up again…what ended up happening was we met in the chatroom, everyone claimed frustrated ignorance…I started detailing what I’d done the night before and we opened a portal that let me control one of their PCs, and I alone, w/ them watching, attempted to write it.
That was comforting in a way, as at least I wasn’t the most confused.
My obsessive personality kicks in then, and once that happens, 3 hours can fly by like nothing.