People Mistake Opera Browser for Oprah Winfrey

[AMD_pitbull]

[citation][nom]Ant1matter79[/nom]You would think that as much as kids text, email, and tweet that their writing skills would rival that of any educated adult. What good is technology if it only serves to dumb down society when it could make us so much more intelligent?[/citation]
[citation][nom]taintsauce[/nom]The problem isn't with with technology, but with the people that use it. It doesn't matter so much the language used (languages will change over time), but the ideas conveyed. The ideas that are being conveyed are generally about as deep as a mud puddle, and half as clear. The fallacy is that people are inherently intelligent. If our society is already dumb, technology only serves to ease the conveyance of stupid sentiment.[/citation]
See, I can relate a simple phrase that's helping society lose even more on brain usage: "They're just kids, let them do what they want." Heard that phrase about 10 times this weekend thus far, and it makes my skin crawl when I hear it. Lack of respect for others, language, education in general (even with social skills, english, maths, etc) come from this. Parents have to enforce good habbits from the beginning. Do I use short forms? Sure, but, the basics already being instilled allow for a reference when needed, say, having to write an entrance exam into a Post-Secondary school? As for the 17 year old: Really? You're 17? I really don't like openly insulting people, especially on a forum, but, Parentfail much? I don't even blame the school for this one, the parents really need to be checking on how their kids are doing. A teacher can't enforce grammatical and punctuation skills 24/7, 365. Although, I must say, it was a nice gesture atleast, so, the social aspects of the letter were more than adequate. +1 morals, -1 learning the difference between a talkshow host, and an awesome internet browser (you can't argue that with the team they have behind them).

Back to the article: I use Opera. I love it. The fact that these guys can respond in such a way that isn't mocking so much as joking (which people seem to have a hard time discerning between the two) is quite impressive. PR people are supposed to be able to do that, but, for a quick reference, someone like Apple with their given reputation, might sue the other party insted of making jest about it. (no, this wasn't a random attack on a company, they just have a reputation for suing when words and names are either confused or mistaken, claiming things along the lines of implicit damages, etc. Not the only company to do it by far, just the first one off the top of my head.)

 

[im_thelumberjack]

I have to give props to opera for not only responding to customers, but being humorous about it as well. Also I am not quite sure NOFX is quite the band I would be recommending to a 9 year old girl interested in Hannah Montana.

 

[guardianangel42]

[citation][nom]alphadark[/nom]You both are idiots the whole reason we are in this mess is because of a two party system that has segregated this country into two extreme views that are usually both incorrect. Our forefathers warned us about this type of system. Neither side is interested in the needs and wants of the people. If we stop calling ourselves liberal/democrats conservative/republcans we might be able to start actually getting stuff done. Like education reform and deficit reduction.[/citation]

This. The two party system is the problem because, with the Media's help (Fox, MSNBC, NPR, and to a degree CNN) people are at each others throats over the tiniest things. Each side categorically says the other will be the death of the country and neither is correct.

I do agree with ReggieRay about the Unions though, to a degree. I just recently graduated from high school and all throughout I spent a lot of time talking to my teachers about politics, education, cars, and all sorts of other stuff.

My high school history teacher, one of the best one's I've ever had, has to get a summer job at the local car test track to make it to the next school year. Yet the union has enough dough to go to court over the high school teacher that got arrested and put in prison for doing drugs on campus (He got rehired BTW because of the tenure-producing union).

So much money is spent on education and the Unions absorb most of it. The teachers themselves don't get paid what they deserve. The bad teachers can't be fired because of the Union. My brother and his honors class got a teacher kicked out of the school because she was grading papers based on who turned it in instead of its merits but she wasn't kicked out of the public school system; she was just shuffled to another school.

Unions did a very important job a century ago protecting workers from unsafe working conditions and unethical pay but now all they do is ensure their members can't be fired and get them paid more than they're worth. Where I come from a linesman or mechanic can be paid more in an entry level position than an engineer who's been through 4-6 years of college and it's because of the unions.

I could go on about things I've seen but I figure most people would just dismiss it anyway.

 

[Guest]

@guardianangel42

"Where I come from a linesman or mechanic can be paid more in an entry level position than an engineer who's been through 4-6 years of college and it's because of the unions."

Actually, that's quite common in the automotive industry when the mechanics (even non-unionized) work flat rate however, they have to really work for it. Furthermore, if there is little work available they get only paid a "safety net" minimum per hour.

 

[bin1127]

Those guys are opera really have class. The replies kindly points out their error and chats with them a little.

On the other hand, Oprah fans... I guess that's why the parents are so happy when their kids win a spelling bee. T-H-E The! booyah!

 

[hixbot]

Opera and Oprah both strive to be lightweight, one is succeeding.

 

[sweatlaserxp]

[citation][nom]555[/nom]@guardianangel42"Where I come from a linesman or mechanic can be paid more in an entry level position than an engineer who's been through 4-6 years of college and it's because of the unions."Actually, that's quite common in the automotive industry when the mechanics (even non-unionized) work flat rate however, they have to really work for it. Furthermore, if there is little work available they get only paid a "safety net" minimum per hour.[/citation]

You're just jealous because somebody else gets better wages and benefits than you. The average American worker hasn't gotten a raise in the last ten years (increasing productivity for less pay), and we also have a far lower unionization rate in the private sector than other advanced countries... wonder if there's a connection...

 

[11796pcs]

HOW DID THIS TURN POLITICAL? Really, this isn't about politics here it's about the fact that some people are just brain-dead/can't read.

 

[11796pcs]

It's all about the family you grow up in that affects your education, if your parents don't believe education is important and don't stress it then you aren't going to put any effort into it and go anywhere. That's why school systems like Detroit Public Schools are so bad- because the students don't want to learn, they don't see school as important, their parents don't stress it's importance and they feel landlocked by their situation. Ironically school should be the MOST important thing for a kid in that situation since it's the only way things are going to get better for them, the only way they'll have an opportunity in life. Anybody who says we need to dump MORE money in public schools needs to re-examine things a bit. It's not about money, it's about additude that will see students succeed in the classroom. Keep giving just the right amount of money to schools for them to continue to operate and stop throwing money at the problem/caving into the unions. I see the importance of unions yet we have a completely backwards way of looking at student achievement. We say that teachers should get better pay when their students do better/get higher grades. All this does is penalize the good tough teachers and gives money to the easy teachers.

 

[Guest]

Stupidity never ceases to amaze me. Sadly, the education standard has nothing to do with a willingness to learn and to seek out information.

 

[GaMEChld]

Opera FTW! Been using it for years!

As for all the education discussion, it is a very complex issue and there isn't a clear way to address all that needs to be addressed. The real problem is that the education system as a whole has become the linchpin scapegoat for all of society's ails. The only true way to address education is at the homefront. Parental responsibility has been outsourced to the public school system, and quite frankly, there is no way for schools to ever do the job of parents in the form of instilling discipline, respect, values, and good work habits. If a student gets poor grades, and the parents do not really care, impose no punishments, and still provide cash and freedom to their children, they kids aren't really being setup to be the nation's next batch of high achievers. And yet, this is how I see many students being raised.

 

[mchuf]

Ha, and people have said that Opera users are smarted than IE users. Another myth busted!

 

[internetlad]

man, oprah has a sense of humour.

 

[Prey]

I honestly don't think that a few idiots confusing Opera and Oprah is a direct correlation of our educational system. I had a classmate that answered the question, "What is the brightest star in the night time sky?" with "The SUN!" Not a result of a failing educational system, but a failed human brain.

No child left behind was passed and allowed the states to set the bar. So blame government on the state level not the federal on that one. In Oregon, teachers must have a masters degree, that doesn't inject more competent teaching into the system. Either way, cute story with some witty email replies!

 

[mayne92]

[citation][nom]guardianangel42[/nom]...The teachers themselves don't get paid what they deserve...[/citation]
...what a joke.

 

[zak_mckraken]

[citation][nom]im_thelumberjack[/nom]I have to give props to opera for not only responding to customers, but being humorous about it as well. Also I am not quite sure NOFX is quite the band I would be recommending to a 9 year old girl interested in Hannah Montana.[/citation]
My thoughts exactly. I like NOFX, but I'm 30. Heavy Petting Zoo is not exactly the kind of CD I would like to see on my daughter's desk!

 

[eddieroolz]

I found this quite hilarious. The emails made it even funnier.

Meanwhile, I am dreadful of the future of grammar in the English world, judging by the 9 year old's horrible work.