Re: [school-discuss] What's in a name?
Chris Calise <chris@oip.net> said:
> Ben,
> how about a "tech mentor"?
That's not bad. What about Guru, or Guiding Guru, or Guru Guide?
-Doug
> Chris Calise
> www.ufda.net
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ben Armstrong" <synrg@sanctuary.nslug.ns.ca>
> To: <schoolforge-discuss@schoolforge.net>
> Cc: <debian-jr@lists.debian.org>
> Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2002 10:06 AM
> Subject: [school-discuss] What's in a name?
>
>
> > I have a naming problem.
> >
> > I'm revising Debian Jr. documentation and the web site, and in doing so
> > I realize that we don't really have a good name for the people who help
> > children with their computers. It struck me that this isn't a problem
> > specific to our project, which is why I'm turning to the members of this
> > list.
> >
> > So I brainstormed with Justin Zeigler of OSEF over this problem on irc
> > and together we came up with a list of words, some of which I prefer
> > better than others, and for some very specific reasons. But without
> > biasing your opinion, I'll just give you the background for the problem,
> > and the goals I have in mind for a replacement term, and then the list
> > of words. I'd like you to review them and tell me which seems like a
> > "best fit" and why, or suggest some alternatives.
> >
> > I had been using the phrase "children and their sys admins" fairly
> > liberally up to this point, and that might be suitable today, with
> > Debian Jr. being focussed on the sys admins who install Debian Jr. on
> > behalf of children. But I'm afraid the term sys admin is too narrow
> > a designation and won't survive as a generic label as we branch out.
> > Please refer to http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-jr where I use "sys
> > admin" throughout. I think in most instances on this page, it is an
> > accurate description of the role, but as my documentation grows beyond
> > the systems level to touch the users themselves, the label does not
> > fit so well for everyone in the helping role. Beyond the initial
> > system install and the occasional upgrade, the "sys admin" may not be
> > around often, fading into the background.
> >
> > Parents, teachers, teenaged siblings, relatives or friends my all take
> > "helper" roles when children use computers. What is a term that best
> > describes the primary person or people in the "helping" role? The term
> > should not have primarily dominant or authoritarian undertones. It
> > should not be specific to one particular kind of relationship (like
> > "teacher") and it should be a "comfortable" term both as a
> > self-designation for any of these people and as a term used by the
> > children themselves. I want some term that embodies support,
> > co-discovery, and mutual enjoyment in the relationship.
> >
> > Here is our list of "keepers". I will not list the ones we rejected, as
> > they are too numerous. I'll deal with my specific objections to those
> > if any of you chances to come up with one of them.
> >
> > advocate
> > agent
> > aide
> > guardian
> > helper
> > pathfinder
> > patron
> > sponsor
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Ben Armstrong
> > p.s. I unavoidably designated the role as a "helper" or "helping" role,
> > in this post, which is not necessarily an endorsement of that very
> > general term as a favourite. I merely chose it since it seemed
> > like the broadest term which encompassed all others, perhaps for
> > that very reason a bit too broad. (Oops, there I go biasing you :)
> > --
> > nSLUG http://www.nslug.ns.ca synrg@sanctuary.nslug.ns.ca
> > Debian http://www.debian.org synrg@debian.org
> > [ pgp key fingerprint = 7F DA 09 4B BA 2C 0D E0 1B B1 31 ED C6 A9 39 4F ]
> > [ gpg key fingerprint = 395C F3A4 35D3 D247 1387 2D9E 5A94 F3CA 0B27
> 13C8 ]
>
--
Douglas S. Blank, Assistant Professor
dblank@brynmawr.edu, (610)526-6501
Bryn Mawr College, Computer Science Program
101 North Merion Ave, Park Science Building
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 dangermouse.brynmawr.edu
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