From: frants@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Leonid Frants)
Subject: Re: More education talk...
Keywords: Russian students, "cookbook recipes."
Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University.
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 17:42:04 GMT

In article <1992Sep30.141722.19999@watson.ibm.com> bil@burka..aix.kingston.ibm.com (Igor Belchinskiy) writes:

>
>OK, let's try to be serious.
>
>Seems like current problem is in different image of what's 
>expected from educated and intelligent person in Russia and US.
>Ph.D. in Russia is considered as aforementioned person 
>and is respected.
>From my experience in US I may say the same seems true here.
>(Of course, I'm not speaking now about that thin level of society
>to which a lot of us belongs and where absense of Ph.D. may be 
>explained only by lazyness or unlucky circumstances or unwillingness
>to spend some time preparing thesis).
>
>In Russia correct spelling as a part of correct and clear language
>was as a rule considered necessary part of that image. The same
>way as it wasn't expected to see a person in jeans in theater,
>it wasn't expected to meet "potatoe" person with Ph.D.
>It was a norm in the society - as it was norm to wear accurate clothes
>for intelligent in Russia hundred years ago.
>Look at old pictures of aristocracy.
>
>I could hardly imagine that person who got his education in Russia and who
>knows his habit to make grammar error in Russian language every second line 
>would explain in Russian language that Russian education is superior.
>At least he would understand this his own example as a result of this
>education proves quite opposite.
>
>In US this is acceptable. You may say this is projection of freedom to
>education. To my taste it's degradation of education. 
>
>The same as was absence of classical languages in our education.
>
>Should I explain more?
>


You have not explained anything. You have simply restated the dogmas
imprinted in your brain by living in Russia for too long. The dogmas
about the qualities an intelligent person should possess (good spelling
is one of them according to you) and the clothes an intelligent person
should wear to the theater.

Another thing it shows is that while you may be able to spell well in
russian your brain is not capable of understanding that it is NOT of
importance whether you are wearing jeans in the theater or a tuxedo or
whether you misspell words in a quickly written note. 

On the other hand, a sign of true intelligence is a flexibility of
one's mind as opposed to the strict adherence to the learned dogmas,
the ability to see what is of relevance (like the contents of the
message) and what is not (like a few spelling errors). You do not seem
to be shining in either of these departments.


I could also expect that a person like you, with 'good education', when
writing in english to a large forum, would check with his english
grammar book and post the articles in correct english - not making
grammatical errors by the dozen. But I do not expect it - I understand what
you are trying to say and observe your lack of general intelligence
from the poor contents of your recent messages - not from the
numerous grammatical errors you make.

>Serious mode off.
>

You cannot be serious - you message was a joke.

>	-igor, Ph.D.

Leonid Frants.