Disqus - Latest Comments for chrisleonard

Re: UCLA prof suspended after refusing lenient grading for black students demands $19 million-plus in damages

chrisleonard — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 14:18:51 -0000

Well, I've also worked for about a decade on standardized testing. Early in my career I worked at NCS (since purchased by Pearson) on standardized tests that high school students in Texas had to pass in order to graduate. I don't know if this is still a requirement for graduation in Texas, as that was a long time ago. I've also worked on designing and writing database technology certification for Microsoft.

I think the studies you mention that have analyzed results from standardized IQ test are interesting. There is a long history of IQ exams showing different results between people of different races. However, those studies also show differences between people of the same race but of different ethnic groups, and primarily found differences between people who lived in the same places (for example, the same countries).

People are starting to wonder about why these comparisons only worked within the same countries and why they also worked for people in different ethic groups that were of the same race. Long story short, it is starting to look like these tests are better at measuring literacy than they are at measuring IQ. These findings have been reenforced by other studies demonstrating that IQ entrance exams historically used by the US military have been almost perfect predictors, not of IQ, but of the reading level of the test-taker, which is more strongly correlated with their educational background than with anything else. We just haven't been very good, historically, at measuring actual IQ.

If you are developing a standardized test for Texas high school students, it's OK to assume they can read, because you're testing whether they should graduate from high school. But what's been found is that a lot of these "IQ" tests that were used in these studies predicted on thing better than anything else: it predicted whether the person taking the test had been given an opportunity to learn to read, and how well they had learned it. This is a very different thing than IQ.

As literacy among these populations has improved, so has their scores on these exams. Here's one article that discusses this in detail. It additionally explains the negative impact of dietary and health problems on IQ.

Long story short, the problems on these exams that people have been quick to associate with These are not inherent problems due to race, ethnicity, or anything else. They have been shown to be due to not having access to education, good food, and good health care.

https://www.psychologytoday...

You say you are passionate about getting people to think. I hope you are willing to read this and think through this. I don't hate the truth. I'm trying to find it, and I hope you are looking for it also.

Re: UCLA prof suspended after refusing lenient grading for black students demands $19 million-plus in damages

chrisleonard — Sun, 11 Feb 2024 18:30:53 -0000

Be careful of false dilemmas. Truth is rarely this clean-cut.

There may be different admissions standards for in-state vs. out-of-state students; specific student groups such as revenue-generating athletes; and so on. Admissions decisions are frequently considered on a one-off basis.

This is especially true today, when it can be hard to recruit quality students because of lessened interest in traditional degrees and more competition between schools (ie: just supply and demand).

While the _minimum_ entry requirements may remain in place, there is s lot of variance in what you actually get. It's not a coincidence that the large software packages that many colleges and universities use to run the business side of their operations refer, internally, to admissions as "Sales." The market for students is cutthroat, and the salespeople will wheel and deal just like any other salespeople will if they think they can land somebody who's "on the fence."

So a lot of students have had what is being referred to here as "lesser" academic success, but it's for tons of reasons that nobody is taking about here. It appears that you are claiming that students are admitted to colleges based primarily on standardized test scores or "only" on race.

Unless your goal is to just make people angry - and I don't think it is; I think your trying to help lead people through a tricky topic - this is a false dilemma that can lead people to get more upset, thinking that either students are admitted for the one (good) reason or the other (bad) reason, and that, as you said, there isn't "any other way to look at this."

In reality, I don't think I've ever seen anyone admitted because of race only in my career. The prices is much more involved, complex, and human than that, and except for schools that are bad actors (similar to ones that will put your kids on a rowing scholarship if you give them enough money), I have not seen this exploited in practice.

Source: myself, having worked many years on designing, coding, purchasing, and deploying enterprise-level software at a Big Ten institution, and having worked with the people that run departments like admissions, including talking with them about what their peers do at other Universities.

Re: UCLA prof suspended after refusing lenient grading for black students demands $19 million-plus in damages

chrisleonard — Sun, 11 Feb 2024 17:56:14 -0000

This is a common, but misleading, train of thought.

There are problems in the black community, but that is not the same thing as saying that all of of the black community's problems are solely caused by black people or should (or even can) be solved within that community alone.

I believe that it is not realistic or kind to expect such a large American community, especially one that has been generally disadvantaged for hundreds of years, to resolve whatever problems they might have completely on their own. That might not be what you are intending to convey, but I think that is what this line of thinking conveys.

Whatever problems black America does or does not have, it is overwhelming clear that they didn't get there on the own, in some kind of cultural vacuum. To expect them to solve these problems on their own feels, to me, like we are tearing them like foreigners. They are not. They are Americans, and America has done much to harm their community. But even without looking back at that, I think that Americans should help their neighbors without worrying about how alike we are.

That is, after all, Professor Klein's point, and the point of the MLK speech he references.

Re: AI Chatbots on the Parable of the Sower

chrisleonard — Sat, 03 Feb 2024 14:25:37 -0000

One possible addition to assignments now that AI is readily available would be to explicitly include it as part of the homework. This would make the homework more realistic compared to how the students interact with information in their normal lives, and help them develop the skill of separating good information from misinformation.

Here are a couple specific ideas:
- Include a question that you asked an AI, along with its response (or post of its response). Ask the students to critique what the AI has said, and to back up their claims by voting themes and pages from the work being studied.
- Give the students a question and explicitly tell them to consult with AI as though it were another student or a teaching assistant as they craft their answers. Have them supply the AI conversation along with their answer, but be clear that they are not to paste the AI's comments in as an answer, but they should reference important ideas suggested by AI that are relevant. Also let them know that including ideas referenced by AI that refer to ideas and questions that are not found in the work being studied will lose points.

Re: What does “I couldn’t care less” mean, and which is correct, couldn't or could? | Ask The Editor | Learner's Dictionary

chrisleonard — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 18:31:55 -0000

This may be true (and it sounds like it is). However, the problem today with saying "I could care less" is that people are unaware of the ironic usage of 60 years ago. While we understand what the speaker means, it frequently makes the speaker sound like they have not had the benefit of a good education, since they really are technically misspeaking. This is especially true if English is their native tongue. In general, there is a broader issue in American culture with people who say things that sound and feel like what they mean, but the words they choose do not convey that meaning. This is a trivial example because it's so obvious to us in America. But it's harder with:

Q: Do you know where Bobby is spending the night?
A: Oh yeah, I know exactly where he is.
Potential problem: where he is now might not be where he is spending the night.

Q: Did you enjoy dinner?
A: The vegetables were interesting. The spice was really different.
Potential problem: it's not known if dinner, any of its foods, the company, or the atmosphere was enjoyed, just that the vegetables were interesting.

Q: What do you think about the upcoming Trump/Biden election?
A: I could care less.
Potential problem 2: Some smart-a$$ asks "really? can you give me an example of something you care less about?"
Potential problem 2: That same sense that can happen with the two previous Q&A sections where one person gets the impression that the other person's communication skills are not great.

Just a though.

Re: Why are You Still Using Android?

chrisleonard — Fri, 22 Nov 2019 02:32:46 -0000

You might might want to study up a bit on the future of Android updates, as this experience is changing drastically. Project Treble allows phones to take security and Android feature updates in a way that is independent of when the carrier/vendor updates happen. This means that you can update Android whenever the Pixels do, basically, and that the vendors can release smaller, more frequent updates.

I have a Treble-enabled phone from OnePlus. I've had it less than a month and it had already received two updates, both of which were small (the most recent one was about 70 MB).

Re: Some Pixel 3 devices from the Google Store can’t be bootloader unlocked

chrisleonard — Sat, 24 Nov 2018 17:50:06 -0000

I ordered a Pixel 3 XL from the Google store early Thanksgiving morning for my wife. It arrived today, only two days later, and I am very disappointed to find that its bootloader cannot be unlocked. This makes no sense at all. How could they miss QA on one of the key differentiaters between the Google store version and the Verizon versoin?

Re: Linux Mint Is Still the Leading Desktop Distribution

chrisleonard — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 04:20:52 -0000

First of all, I should apologize for the tone of my post, which (to paraphrase myself) makes my local Apple fan club look calm and un-opinionated. I wonder what I was stressed about? It wasn't just this. My apologies.

What you are saying makes sense in terms of Mint being accessible. and how *nix and BSD were developed as programming and server platforms. I'm not sure what you might be referring to for security issues, but these OSes are certainly _securable_. But still, the article itself left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I almost felt like I was on one of those web sites that have generated content (like http://www.erroranswers.com....

The biggest thing, though, is that I'm glad you pinged me with a more reasoned voice to help me "get" what you all are saying ... and also to give me an excuse to apologize for that first post.

Re: Linux Mint Is Still the Leading Desktop Distribution

chrisleonard — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 21:59:24 -0000

Wow, this is the biggest puff piece I've read in a long time. Ubuntu is a buggy distribution for hobbyists but Mint is what you want to be productive ... so Mint should have a lot of corporate, adoption, right? But it has none. And last year you were all psyched that Mint had the most page views so you called it the #1: distro, right? But this year Manjaro is leading in that category so you go with the "common knowledge" that Mint is more popular than Manjaro. That's simply hypocritical.

I came hear going to learn more about Mint but findf an echo chamber that makes your local Apple fan club look open-minded minded.

Re: Blue-Collar Whites Are Leaving Trump - The Atlantic

chrisleonard — Thu, 11 Jan 2018 13:48:16 -0000

Please think a little more about what I'm saying - I think you may have misunderstood me.

I totally agree that both approval ratings and voting likelihoods are measurable - I did not say they weren't. But approval rating is merely correlated with actual votes. If Trump's approval rating was 30 percent among a certain demographic but Clinton's was only 20 percent, that demographic would vote primarily for Trump. They just wouldn't be happy about it. We saw a lot of this in the 2016 election. So when the article implies that Trump is losing a demographic in 2020 when his approval ratings go down, they may be correct but they may not be. Specifically, they would only be correct if the Democrats have a candidate which that demographic has a higher preference for.

Re: Blue-Collar Whites Are Leaving Trump - The Atlantic

chrisleonard — Thu, 11 Jan 2018 13:38:57 -0000

I agree with you completely, but I would point out that the same is true of Democrats. To some extent, many on both sides of the election chose who to vote for based on who they disapproved of less. And changing the political mind of anyone over 50 might be difficult!

Re: Blue-Collar Whites Are Leaving Trump - The Atlantic

chrisleonard — Thu, 11 Jan 2018 13:07:56 -0000

One subtle thing about this article is that it keeps saying things like "in 2016, X percent of demographic Y voted for Trump, but in the 2017 poll his approval rating in that same demographic was down to Z." Approval ratings don't equate with who someone might vote for. Many people voted for Trump even though they disapproved of him merely because they disapproved of Clinton more. If we forget this detail - which this article may have, at least at times - then we forget one of the largest factors driving Trump's election. That puts a fatal crack in the foundation of any further analysis.

Re: St. Louis Cardinals: Cards have attainable magic number for the playoffs

chrisleonard — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 15:39:17 -0000

Looks like this story could use an update. The Cubs are going to win more than 86 games, and the Redbirds should be focused on the second WC spot instead of letting their eyes get bigger than their stomachs. What do the numbers look like now?

Re: These are the 11 Representatives and 21 Senators that have stood up to the FCC regarding net neutrality

chrisleonard — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 17:34:27 -0000

Thanks. I support Net Neutrality (I even have the official t-shirt from the first Net Neutrality Day), but I find it hard to believe that not one elected federal Republican chose to sign on to this. :: sigh ::

Whatever the reason, it's certainly a disappointment.

Re: These are the 11 Representatives and 21 Senators that have stood up to the FCC regarding net neutrality

chrisleonard — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 18:15:18 -0000

Were Republicans invited to sign these letters? Serious question.

Re: The Pernicious Legacy of Planet of the Apes

chrisleonard — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 21:28:59 -0000

Hi Esther! So what I'd like to know is this. Nobody gets upset about the personification of animals in Charlotte's Web, Peanuts, Animal Farm, the Lord of the Rings, or Mister Ed. So what if we put that detail aside for the sake of playing ape's advocate for a moment. Even if this movie did have a deliberate worldview agenda promoting evolutionism, and even if the film's marketing staff were transparent enough to include voiceover from Jane Goodall in a promo spot, that doesn't mean that they succeed in hiding truths of Christian pedigree. This movie asks a LOT of questions that are worth discussing, at least some of which the Church doesn't have a great history of addressing. For example: What kind of sacrifice would you be willing to make to save your people? What makes an action humane or beastly? What virtues are shared between man and beast, and which are distinctly human or animal? How do Biblical themes hold up the main infrastructure of this movie's plot and characters?

In a fallen world, why would we assume that God would never consider a movie like this to be a fitting reprimand to humanity: "I gave you this world to fill, subdue, and cultivate, but you have instead subdued each other and subjugated all else. Let me remind you of who you are supposed to be."

I think that this movie doesn't have to be seen as teaching anything about a moral equivalence of people and animals. If you believe, as I do, that humans are under unique ethical and moral obligations, then an interesting take on this movie is to assume that the moral message of the film is directed at people. It cannot turn beasts into people, but it can encourage people to act humanely.

I have just become aware of your writing today (on FB), and really respect what I have read so far. I really wish we could get a group together and sit down to discuss this! Short of that, I will look forward to any reply you might be kind enough to offer.

Re: Quire Mark II, reimagined and rebuilt for your dreams

chrisleonard — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 14:55:51 -0000

Glad to see the continued iteration, but it's disappointing to see a major release come out with still no Android version. I know, I know ... stay tuned for details.

Re: But What Do the Stripes Mean?

chrisleonard — Tue, 28 Mar 2017 03:29:46 -0000

Thank you for sharing what you found! I was, like you, wondering if it really just meant that items I created were solid and others were not - except that this theory didn't work for all events. I think you nailed it; I will rest well tonight.

Re: In her quest for revenge and pride, Ronda Rousey lost her own way

chrisleonard — Mon, 02 Jan 2017 21:13:16 -0000

I think the author's interpretation of her colleague's comments are suspect. It sounds like he might very well have meant that Rowdy was getting "worse and worse" in her public persona. I don't follow MMA closely, but I have heard that Rowdy is the only athlete that MMA has allowed to not do the standard promo work. I had heard about this, and I'm only a casual fan. I have no trouble saying a fighter is getting worse and worse if they are not fulfilling the expectations of the sponsoring organization. He may not have been commenting on her psyche and spirit at all - in fact, I think that idea is a stretch that only injects the idea of sexism where it didn't need to be.

Re: Be prepared for pain with Bash on Windows 10

chrisleonard — Sun, 29 May 2016 13:44:03 -0000

With the permission issues (raw sockets) did that happen only when you were in a non-Administrator bash shell? If so, I think that may be expected behavior.

Re: Why tabs are clearly superior

chrisleonard — Wed, 09 Dec 2015 11:26:56 -0000

But ... tabs, while working well for initial indentation, still suck bigger than suckage for alignment since everybody has different tab stop settings. It seems like most people who use tabs use tabs for alignment also, because that's how their editor preferences are set up.

Compare this with spaces, which can elegantly handle both indentation and alignment. All someone has to do to edit your code is to change the size of their spaces-per-tab setting so that they indent the same amount as the original. But you have to do the same thing if you're using tabs because if one person displays tabs at 3 spaces and you use 4, and their code has a 3-tab indent, you can't match it with your 4-space default tab.

This all correlates with my anecdotal experience: about half the time I open up code written by tabbers, it looks like Picasso wrote the code after a drinking binge.

Bottom line: no downside for using spaces. Show some love.

Re: Time to Welcome GoDaddy

chrisleonard — Sat, 29 Aug 2015 21:37:19 -0000

This makes me so happy! :o) I manage the database development team at GoDaddy, and am glad you're noticing the good changes. One comment, though ... we manage over *60* million active domain names. Just thought you'd want to know.

Also ... welcome to the Garage!

Re: Ubuntu 12.04 review – precisely what we feared

chrisleonard — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 09:31:58 -0000

You are correct - thanks for the correction. I use Windows 8 (now 8.1) Professional.

Re: Ubuntu 12.04 review – precisely what we feared

chrisleonard — Wed, 22 Jan 2014 21:17:35 -0000

You know what really indicates a lack of intelligence? How about "insulting people you disagree with?"

Re: The most unequal place in America

chrisleonard — Sun, 03 Nov 2013 16:44:51 -0000

I have one complaint about this otherwise informative article. A farm worker is an employee, but a farm is a business. The comparison of farmers to farm workers is kind of like saying a business is awful because its employees earn $20K a year but the business earns $500K per year. I know the topic is subsidies, but the comparison itself seems grounded in foul thinking. Farms (farmers) also have very high expenses compared to the normal transportation-and-clothing expenses of an employee. Seems like a really deliberate apples-and-oranges maneuver that makes me wonder what other number stunts I should be leery of. And that's too bad, because it distracts me from the real pain and dramatic questions you are brining to our attention.