On Commenting and Readerly Voice

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Konrad Glogowski[Edit][Delete]: On Commenting and Readerly Voice, Blog of Proximal Development [Edit][Delete] September 12, 2006

In 1980 I was sent to Austin, texas, for three months of training by Texas Instruments. After completing the self-study course (video and workbook) on MVS/JES3 operations, and the extra course I took on the JES3 Job Control Language (all fascinating stuff, believe me) I took another optional course, 'On the Way Up', on effective communication in the corporate environment. The course advocated the methodology of 'feel - want - willing' - that is, express how something makes you feel, state what you want, and show what you are willing to do in return. It was effective, and it worked (though I wasn't willing to become a worker-drone, and so TI promoted the other three trainees, who had completed one course, with a lower grade than I, because they 'fit in' better, deciding that I was too much of a loose cannon (even then!) to promote). More...