# And the winner of the stupidest , PC, back-to-school trend of the day is... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 23, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171 "2004-08-23T23:42:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171/21 "2004-08-24T01:01:05Z")
> [@Binarydrone](#): > > Eh, as long as it produces lifetime learners with high self-esteem it gets an A in my book. 😛 OK. That one made me spit ginger beer on the monitor. Our school is undergoing WASC this year, so we have all been writing mission statements and goals and ESLRs and shit. They all tend to sound like **Binarydrone’s** line, because Og Forbid we actually take a stand for Education instead of “lifelong learning!” :rolleyes: (For those of you not in education, WASC is our accreditation inspection, Think ISO9000, unit inspection, visit from the Home Office, etc. It tends to make normally competent administrators turn into drooling Educratese-spouting morons.) ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171/22 "2004-08-24T01:04:26Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > social trends and attitudes which emphasize superficial messages or remedies over substance. But is the whole thrust of the supposed argument against red ink NOT superficial, but is rather tackling subconscious reactions to colour? ---
**Author:** ![SpectBrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@SpectBrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpectBrain)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171/23 "2004-08-24T01:22:52Z")
> [@](#): > > Here’s a clue, kid. If you don’t want to get red corrections, don’t give me anything to correct. The antodote to red ink is a little bit of study. Works every time. -2 sp. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171/24 "2004-08-24T01:29:16Z")
Preachin’ to the choir, man. I personally believe that if I were allowed to shoot any three of my students at any given time during the year, at any time, for any reason, you’d see behavior problems drop to zero, overnight. I suspect in a world where this were allowed to happen… you’d see parents spending a LOT more time working on their kids’ manners and behavior, too. _sigh_ I can dream, can’t I? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171/25 "2004-08-24T01:32:20Z")
…and in a decade or two, students will have learned to associate purple with **getting something wrong** on a test/paper/homework assignment, and once again there will be a search for a new, non-threatening color to correct papers with… ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171/26 "2004-08-24T01:43:03Z")
> [@The Asbestos Mango](#): > > …and in a decade or two, students will have learned to associate purple with **getting something wrong** on a test/paper/homework assignment, and once again there will be a search for a new, non-threatening color to correct papers with… I’ve always found teal non-threatening. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171/27 "2004-08-24T01:54:51Z")
If they get scared by purple, just switch back to red. Meanwhile, which is worse for the kids? To go fat, dumb and happy through school and not learn anything, assuring a place among the chronically unemployed, or to actually learn and be able to support themselves in a decent manner later on? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171/28 "2004-08-24T02:01:31Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > If they get scared by purple, just switch back to red. Meanwhile, which is worse for the kids? To go fat, dumb and happy through school and not learn anything, assuring a place among the chronically unemployed, or to actually learn and be able to support themselves in a decent manner later on? Oh, they’ll be able to support themselves…by suing the school systems that let their stupid asses out without learning anything. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171/29 "2004-08-24T02:21:04Z")
> [@Binarydrone](#): > > Where can I find a work place like that? State government job, my friend. Oh and **Dio** , I heard about this on Garage Logic today and earned a hearty “End of the World” Who would’ve though you, me and The Mayor would all agree on something? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cosmopolitan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/94ad74/32.png) [@Cosmopolitan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cosmopolitan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171/30 "2004-08-24T02:30:24Z")
Hmmmm. I’ll start my student teaching experience this coming January; remind me to stock up on red pens. ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171/31 "2004-08-24T03:02:55Z")
I don’t think you people realize the seriousness of what’s at stake here. This is not about education and self-esteem; this is a transnational struggle between [Red](http://www.red.com/) and [Purple](http://www.purple.com/). These two international conglomerates have been locked in struggle for world domination for centuries, perhaps even millennia. Choose your side carefully. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171/32 "2004-08-24T03:27:29Z")
Considering almost every student has to write in either **blue** or **black** , doesn’t **purple** seem too close to be distinguishable from the other two? How would anyone even _notice_ the correction?? Or is that the whole point? (So we’ll all feeeeeeeeel better :rolleyes: about our inabilities.) I say pick **MAGENTA** and fight the power!!! “It’s not just for **Rocky Horror** any more!” 😛 ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171/33 "2004-08-24T03:29:29Z")
> [@Kallessa](#): > > **Diogenes** , a very good effort, very descriptive. Next time, try not to quote from someone else so much, it’s your work that I’m interested in reading! You need to work on your paragraph structure (remember, more than one sentence), and “bad” is an adjective, you should have used the adverb form “badly.” Keep up the good work!!! > > Well, somebody had to do it. This post has been ungraped by the UnGrapeist! Well, somebody had to do it. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171/34 "2004-08-24T03:41:12Z")
If we use the Bad Color, it will attract the attention of Those We Do Not Speak Of Except During Months Whose Names Contain the Letter “R”, Months Whose Names Are Less Than Five Letters Long, or the Month of August. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171/35 "2004-08-24T03:52:22Z")
Lots of purple biros in the shops now? Fab! 😃 I love writing rough drafts either in purple or in pink, depending on the swing of my bizarro fetish/ritual/compulsion of the moment. When I were a TA, I would grade using red or purple or green or blue – anything with a fine point tip so I could squeeze even \*more \* comments about their shortcomings on the paper 😛 Seriously, I used to write quite a lot on their papers, constructive criticism, corrections, and sometimes just comments if something they wrote made me think or was interesting. They got accustomed to that, and I had more than one every term tell me that they appreciated that I wrote so much (if they had something wrong, I would say why). I was known as the Toxic TA, and Dr Death, by my students. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171/36 "2004-08-24T04:01:24Z")
Sigh. Why can I only surmise the whole premise was cooked up by none other than the Grapist? ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171/37 "2004-08-24T04:02:44Z")
I have never graded in red pen. In fact, I try not to use pens at all, if I can help it. I grade and write in pencil because I have terrible handwriting and letter formation, so I need to be able to erase whatever craptastically incomprehensible comments I scribbled on the paper. Basically, I’m too lacking in self-esteem to use the dreaded Red Pen of Doom, probably because some horribly mean English teacher shredded my self-worth and crushed my fragile ego… Yeah, whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171/38 "2004-08-24T04:10:35Z")
I don’t think the concept is new, I just think it’s gotten media attention now. I can remember getting red corrections in school, but I can also remember my kindergarten teacher using blue marker to grade student’s work, and I remember my second grade teacher used several colors to correct work, each color corrected a different type of mistake. I thought it was cool. This was in the mid to late 70’s mind you. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171/39 "2004-08-24T04:14:21Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > OK. That one made me spit ginger beer on the monitor. While I enjoyed the theme of you liking what I wrote, I have to give you a C- for drinking Ginger Beer. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![legion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/838e76/32.png) [@legion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/legion)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171/40 "2004-08-24T04:22:05Z")
Purple eh? I blame that old “Barney Must Die” campaign for giving the colour purple such negative connotations. :mad: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-stupidest-pc-back-to-school-trend-of-the-day-is/261171.md?page=3)