An Experience in Distance Learning

[to the reader: please realize this is all written in good humor]

Among the students of DL (distance learning), a good amount of us consider the server where everything DL is located to be of, shall we say, oxymoronic value. After taking an exam online and the submit button is hit, the test, after 2-3 hours of hard work, goes to the dust in the form of the following message: "Unable to submit test." Or, in another instance, let's say a forum needs to be accessed and instead of instant gratification, the students sits there almost ten minutes, clicking the link multiple times only to find out it shows up blank. As another example, let's say someone participating in a heated discussion on the instant messenger feature sees a window pop up, telling him: "The server lost connection, please reconnect."

At the least, a warning should be posted on the homepage saying, "Not held responsible for dented laptops, ripped textbooks, or uprooted hair." Just think of the legal liabilities...

The reason why we think the server an oxymoron? "ANGEL" is its name.

So, as a result of this interesting ordeal, a fellow student and I had the following conversation...

(used with permission)

Tyler B: so no comarison for me...but my experiences with angel have been less than pleasant...
Ashton Bandy: haha, i've had a rough time with ANGEL as well
Tyler B: haha...haven't we all...
Ashton Bandy: but some good memories are with it ;)
Tyler B: I suppose...
Tyler B: still...
Tyler B: if it would die...I would not cry...
Ashton Bandy: lol
Ashton Bandy: i don't think i would, either :P
Tyler B: excellent...
Tyler B: maybe we should be morose and write angel death poems...hehehe
Tyler B: ;)
Ashton Bandy: rofl!
Ashton Bandy: everybody'd love that
Ashton Bandy: :P
Tyler B: yeah...it would be VERY funny...but I am not the one to do it...
Ashton Bandy: neither am I O:-)
Tyler B: bad poetry writer am I...
Ashton Bandy: guess we'll have to elect someone, then tell them they're supposed to do it
Ashton Bandy: i pick...hmm...
Tyler B: sounds good....lets pick somebody at random from the list...
Ashton Bandy: *looks through the side list*
Tyler B: hmmmm....
Ashton Bandy: how about Mallory Riley?
Tyler B: I was thinking that...
Ashton Bandy: i've talked with her a good amount
Ashton Bandy: has a good sense of humor *grin*
Tyler B: or Michael C
Ashton Bandy: ah, haven't met him yet
Tyler B: don’t know him but I'm for picking a random person...teehee...
Ashton Bandy: oh!
Ashton Bandy: what about Joshua A?
Ashton Bandy: if you're in WestLit, he's the Russian mafia-type guy
Tyler B: not in western lit...
Ashton Bandy: ohh, ok
Tyler B: but sounds like a good guy to write death poems ;)
Ashton Bandy: ;D
Ashton Bandy: so Joshua A, yay or nay?
Ashton Bandy: (yay)
Tyler B: yay...lol...
Ashton Bandy: or yea, whichever spelling
Tyler B: its unanimous ;)
Ashton Bandy: excellent, we've an accord

So there you have it.

Joshua, when you read this on Facebook, realize the responsibility given unto you.

;)