Choice of language colors the conversation

"in the cross of two shadows, there lies a darker diamond" I wrote that many years ago. I come back to that from time to time. Recognizing patterns, recognizing intersections.

Kate Rutter writes:

Here’s the skinny on what I call Page Rage. Page Rage is the emotion that overwhelms you when you realize that continuing to use the term Web Page curdles opportunities for evolving user experiences. Why? Because the word is an artifact of the woefully outdated book metaphor — a metaphor that limits thinking.

The word “page” means paper and books. And although it never made literal sense, it was a helpful metaphor when the digital stuff on the web was mostly about static content…when it behaved more like books. But the capabilities and possibilities for digital interfaces have shifted dramatically.

You can read her full explanation in this weeks Adaptive Path Newsletter here.

Bill Glynn writes:

Equally disconcerting is the union’s rejection of the Superintendent’s plan, not based upon the plan’s potential effectiveness, but based upon selfish and misplaced priorities. It’s impossible to determine from this article exactly how the union came to its position and whether or not that position actually reflects the view of the faculty at large. However, the union’s position is troubling. When demands to negotiate take priority over the overwhelming need to work together, that’s a problem. When more time is spent searching the fine print of a contract or seeking a legal opinion than researching best practices for motivating and connecting with students, that’s a problem. When education is waning and students are suffering and the voice of the teacher goes unsolicited or is organizationally silenced, that’s a problem.

I suggest that you go and read the full posting on the Franklin School Committee blog here.  The Central Falls High School teacher situation is not good. It will not be solved (if it can be) in the newspapers and blogs. Especially when the readers are presented information where the words chosen are already coloring the points of view. Negotiations can not be conducted in a public discourse when the goal of newspapers is to sell papers or the goal of TV is to attract eyes to sell advertising.

The darker diamond that I opened with indicates where the two articles (Kate's and Bill's) come together. Kate is struggling with describing a website in page references where the page is not reflective of the "thing" itself.  Bill is assuming that there was no negotiation and that the teachers priorities are misplaced and selfish based upon what has been written in the papers. I read between those same lines and see a different story. I see negotiation. I see desire to help. I see a breakdown due to a miss understanding of an issue that has played here in Franklin and may indeed return.

The real issue is time. The teachers did agree to the extra summer work. They did not agree to the extension of the school day as the compensation was insufficient.

Yes, Bill can apply all sorts of adjectives to the situation. He has. Just be aware that there is an inherent bias in the words chosen. Just like Kate's issue with talking about web pages. The web is so much more than a page but continuing to talk about a page is limiting. Accusing the teachers of "selfish and misplaced priorities" assumes one takes the higher road. Taking a higher road will not resolve a negotiation that requires coming to a meeting of the minds in the middle.

What language would you choose to use?

The iPad adjectives!

Very interesting concept. Edited the iPad announcement talk the other day to leave JUST the adjectives.



Have you listened to yourself talk?

Yes, hearing your voice can be scaring the first time.

Listen to what you say and how you say it. This is what people will hear. Consider making some changes to make and leave a better impression.

Hat tip to @JasonTurcotte for sharing this link!

Watch your language

My take away from the discussion around the Gates-Crowley affair, especially after President Obama stepped into the mess, is simply to watch your language.

Why?

Crude and offensive language is wrong, period. When someone gets upset and the vitriol starts to flow, it creates an escalating situation. If both parties become engaged, they are now riding a toboggan on a slippery slope.

How do I know this?

I have worked on several help desks. When a customer calls in with a problem and they have reached an anger point, the tendency is to match anger with anger. That doesn't lead to a successful conclusion.

What should you do?

What does work for the recipient (you on the help desk) is to calmly let the caller vent. Let their steam run its course. When they realize that you are not escalating with them, when you are calmly and patiently waiting, they will begin to listen to themselves, realize what they are doing and calm down.

As President Obama rightly said, cooler heads should have prevailed.

The bottom line

Cool heads will prevail. Cool heads can help prevent the escalation by watching their language. Vulgar language, however 'socially acceptable' it has become, is inappropriate period.

Find a way to use some words other than vulgar language. The English language is full of opportunities. Find a way to duck it!

doctor gobbledgook

From Verna Wilder writing at Out of the Cube

When I was married, my husband went to law school, and when he was about to graduate (after 4 years of study), his professors told him that now he would go out in the world and learn law. Studying is a wonderful thing, and I have always loved being a student, but study has nothing on practice. Study is fun; practice sucks. Study is reading and discussing and exchanging ideas; practice is falling and failing and flailing over and over again.

And it is the only way to live. I mean this: being in the muddy huddle of life, down in the stink of it and the muck of it and the hurling humility of it is really the best thing in the whole wide world. After my little hissy fit, Dad sat in his chair and I propped myself up on pillows on the bed and we talked. Yes, he still bites off his words in anger and frustration, but he also laughs. And when I can shut up and listen with my heart, turn off my frenetic brain's stories, I get to hear Dad's stories.

I feel so darned lucky I can hardly stand it.

Read her full posting here

Listening to learn the language

Continuing with my notes from a single session with Naomi Shihab Nye at the recent Dodge Poetry Festival 2008, she told of babysitting twice a week. She likes to do this, especially with young ones. Being around them, listening to their beginning talking

"will restore your essential relationship with language".

Take the opportunity where it exists.

Observe the world around you.

What is it telling you?

What are you willing to listen to?

Now, what do you hear?

Quotes & Links

From AJ Hoge writing at Hobopoet comes this acknowledgment:

What this little experiment has taught me is that the key to being a successful micro-preneur is simply this-- START. I can't tell you how many years I wasted THINKING about starting my own little project. I dreamed. I analyzed. I planned.

I suppose these activities had some psychological value-- helping me overcome doubts, fears, and hesitations.. but thats about it. Beyond that, it was just a lot of wasted time and energy.

The key to becoming financially independent is not a super idea, or a genius plan, or the amazing thing that no one else has ever thought of. The key is to simply start something-- anything. Just start and then adapt. That's all it really takes.

Read the full post here. Explore AJ's new venture site here.

From Rhea writing at the Boomer Chronicles the seltzer comes gushing:

Do you remember I wrote about bottled water a couple of weeks ago and why we shouldn’t be buying it?

That got me to thinking. If I want to curb my bottled-water buying, why am I still buying seltzer? I live on the stuff. The seltzer with the lime flavor, the seltzer with the black cherry flavor, the seltzer with the cranberry flavor, and so on.

Then I remembered there are little machines you can buy to make seltzer at home. I went online and did some research. I found the Soda Club, a company that’s been making seltzer makers since 1903.

Read the full post here.

From Grammar Girl who has a blog and accompanying podcast:

I know it's upsetting to find out that your nearest and dearest beliefs are wrong, so this week, I'm going to talk about my own mistaken pet peeve: it bugs me to no end when people use “while” to mean “although,” but no matter how hard I looked I couldn't convince myself that I was right. The horror!

You see, I think “although” means “in spite of the fact that,” as in “Although Sir Fragalot was tall, Squiggly and the aardvark considered him an equal.” “Although” is what's called a concessive conjunction, meaning that it is used to express a concession. On the other hand, I think that “while” should be reserved to mean “at the same time,” as in “While Squiggly gathered wood, aardvark hid the marimbas.”

To find out the last work on 'although' vs. 'while', check out the full posting.

That's all for now folks, enjoy the language and water sandwich!