Chris Calise <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 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" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: <[email protected]> > 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 [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Debian http://www.debian.org [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [ 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 [EMAIL PROTECTED], (610)526-6501 Bryn Mawr College, Computer Science Program 101 North Merion Ave, Park Science Building Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 dangermouse.brynmawr.edu
