Laptops in Class?

What follows is my 150 word tirade on laptops in class. Warning, it's didactic and smug.

In lecture classes: If you want to waste your time and tuition buying clothes off of Amazon or reading ESPN, be my guest.

In seminars: The whole point of these classes is to converse with one another and share ideas. If you're surfing, and not making meaningful contributions to the discussion, then all of your other classmates are loosing out.

BUT WHAT BOTHERS ME MOST:

If you are g-chatting/IMing, remember that other people can read your screen. Today, in class, the person next to me was chatting with someone else who was also in the same class. After anyone spoke, they commented about what they think about that person. Some of the things they said were quite nasty. I doubt they would want those words broadcast throughout the school. But, when you are sitting in class, it's very likely someone is reading over your shoulder. Your conversations are not private. Remember this, and don't badmouth others in public. Keep your criticisms of others to yourself. It's not nice, and it only reflects poorly on you.

My 2 cents. Pshew.

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to be continued...