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Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Thought that this was a pretty interesting case of deindividuation via the Internet. Although I think I mentioned the case in class nothing beats reading the email corresondence.
This is an email that I got about a year ago from one Professor:
Dear students,
Fact of life 1: Most people tend to over-estimate their performance. For example, I think I am an above-average instructor in SMU. However, the truth is that students' evaulations don't support this psychological thinking. So, take my advice: Don't over-estimate and self-create unhappiness.
Fact of life 2: Hard work is a necessary condition to excel. But hard work alone is not sufficient to guarantee excellence. Take my advice: Don't think that you put in efforts and therefore deserve a higher grade. Take a look at the very hard-working workers. I can assure you that there are endless stories told about hardwork but don't get the pay rise or promotion.
Fact of life 3: Despite acrimonious and personal criticisms I received for the mid term and probably end-of-course evaluations, I am generous in giving you marks for class participation, individual persentations and project reports. I am also very generous to give all students two marks for the last question in the final test. So take my advice: Don't spoil my generosity.
Fact of life 4: You have until 30 April 2005 to review your grades. I have taken pain to make sure that the grades are fair, error-free and commensurate with your ability and performance.
Fact of life 5: In finance, the no-free-lunch or no-arbitrage principle applies. If you want a review of your grade, I will also review less generously your class participation, the two marks for the last question, the project reports etc. There is a possibility that review requests may result in lower grades.
Thank you and take care.
Some two months later, all of us, the Professor included, received this email from a person called JR Liew via a yahoo email account:
Dear Professor,Fact of life 1:You are not incorrect to assume that most people over-estimate their performance. In fact, self-evaluations only do not correlate strongly nor reflect fairly on actual performance. Hoewever, such self-serving bias is functional in ego protection. Contrary to your reasoning, overestimating of one self does not create self-unhappiness. Failing to do so does.Fact of life 2: If you work hard just to get a promotion or a pay raise, you are in the wrong job. It is little wonder you fail to achieve despite all your efforts. Lament not what others do for you, but what u do for yourself.Fact of life 3: a) Comments and criticisms are part of life. Rather than be sore about it, channel your energy towards accepting them and changing your attitude and behavior. b) The purpose of a feedback system is so that everyone can be honest in assessment. I am sure the school did not create a feedback system just for students to praise instructors. For your case at least, the feedback system would be grossly under-used if it did.Fact of life 4: I am glad to know that you have taken pain to ensure the fairness of our grades. It is your job. You have proven yourself to be very worthy of the huge pay you pocket every month funded by our exorbitant school fees.Fact of life 5: Finance principles are finance principles. Grade reviews are grade reviews. Just because it is a finance module does not mean u apply finance principles to the grading system. By your reasoning, i would assume that if it were a social work module, the needy can therefore apply for 'grade aids'.Have a great week ahead.
Regards.
Not long after receivign this email, we again received an email from a student called Liew Jiarong (note the initials, JR Liew. They correspond) who was saying that the email was not sent by him. Well, the Internet certainly leads to increased deindividuation.But is it necessarily bad? Not in such cases, for I felt that there was nothing wrong with what the student wrote about the Professor for there was no offensive remark made. [But as to whether who was the one who wrote it remains a big mystery still]. If it were really the case that someone else borrowed his initials, then perhaps that is irresponsible. But then again, that person took care to send that email only in June, long after the results have been sent to the Registrar' s Office so we needn't fear any repercussions [that our grades will be affected by this email that openly opposed the Professor] Deindividuation via the internet allows people to air their views more freely, and I certainly do feel much mroe at ease writing about my innermost thoughts through this blog cos for one, I sometiems am not comfortable with face-to-face communication. But there is the bad side of it too. Think of the date rapes that occur when girls meet in person the guys that they get to know online. Sometiems you hear of some middle-aged man pretending to be some teenaged guy, lure the girls out and then rape them etc.
Deindividuation via the internet is not a bad thing provided the person is responsible enough to not propagate undersirable content, and that the person possess the moral integrity to not use the Internet as a means to do illegal/immoral acts
*| 5:41 AM |*
