Several years ago, I saw a cartoon that showed a man sitting at his computer. The caption indicated that he had finally realized why he did not do well getting dates while participating in on-line chat rooms. It seems his screen name was “Big-goofy-dork.”

While the cartoon was humorous, the results of an inappropriate e-mail address are not so funny for the students who use them professionally. What can I expect from the princess who enrolled in one of my classes this semester; the princess who likes to party? Or what about the pimp who is also enrolled? Do their on-line personas build confidence that they will be serious, dedicated students?

I know that some students might argue that they are just having fun and that I am being too serious about what they write. While I sympathize with this argument, the reality is that what students write does impact me. For example, a few semesters ago it was not possible to ignore the information one student—via his e-mail name—told me about the size of a cherished body part.

As a teacher, I do not let student e-mail accounts influence how I grade. However, I would not say the same thing if I were an employer. Neither the party princess nor the pimp would make the final cut of potential employees. Even if I did not believe the literal truth of their claims, I would doubt the maturity of anyone who chooses to present themselves professionally with such monikers. The princess and the pimp need to establish professional lives separate from their social lives if they are to be taken seriously on a professional level.

Given the ease with which one can get a free e-mail account, both the princess and the pimp need to take a few minutes to register a boring name—like sberg@schoolcraft.edu—to use when conducting business with the college, professors, and potential employers.

–Steven L. Berg, PhD

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Responses

January 23, 2007

I loved your essay; it will fit beautifully into the discussion I always conduct [in ENG 116] about whether nonverbal communication exists online.

–Professor Carmela A. Gillette

February 15, 2007

I believe that a teacher, like yourself, shouldn’t grade the students on how they speak, act, carry themselves, etc. I believe that one should grade a student on how their work ethic is and how they present it. Let’s say, for instance, that the students had to do a presentation in front of the class and one student was dressed like a goth and the other student was a prep. If you had to grade them [not just] on how their presentation was but also on the students dress, then the goth student wouldn’t do so well and the preppy student would. If you based your grading system on how the students looked and act then that just wouldn’t be fair. You have to treat everyone equally.

–Sarah Stratman