So, Claire in Canada was sitting in Psych class and — shame on her — “talking quietly with a friend” when she noticed this guy’s screen in the row ahead of them. After they stopped talking, she says, “He then went on Skype chat with someone for the rest of the class.”
Adds Claire: “Don’t worry, I leaned in and whispered an apology for interfering with his Skyping.”
related: “The hair pulling debackle of lecture”
92 responses so far ↓
#1
Kris
The difference being his not paying attention wasn’t making any noise. And he could still hear the teacher even if he was skyping. Then they took a picture…maybe their phone is different than mine, but it makes a really loud flash sound that can’t be silenced. What about the people sitting beside her, were they not paying attention either? Maybe she should pay attention in psych class, she might even learn something.
Mar 23, 2011 at 9:02 am rating: 83
#2
divaandwriter
Note to Professor: Please stop lecturing in front of me!
Mar 23, 2011 at 9:04 am rating: 49
#3
bean
technology, just helping people become more effective communicators without any actual human contact required. Love it.
Mar 23, 2011 at 9:08 am rating: 16
#4
Alex
Regardless of what that guy was doing, people who “whisper quietly” in class are the worst.
Mar 23, 2011 at 9:19 am rating: 147
#5
Valerie
I agree with him.
Sure, he could have been less passive by turning around and shushing them (oh, good old university days), or simply politely asking them to stop. Still, Skyping is different because at least the person Skyping is the only one who is distracted. And for all you know, he’s an auditory learner, which would mean that Skype wasn’t actually a distraction.
Why bother coming to class if you’re just looking to socialize? You can be inconsiderate in places people didn’t pay $1,000+ to learn something. Classrooms are not a place for conversation when someone else (professor, student, TA, etc.) is talking. It’s highly disrespectful. Don’t they teach that in JK?
Mar 23, 2011 at 9:24 am rating: 69
#6
Canthz_B
Poor little lab rats.
Don’t they know their professor is collaborating with a sociology professor to study the effects of social media on the real-life interactions of the youth of today?
Someone should send them a Tweet about it.
Mar 23, 2011 at 9:32 am rating: 26
#7
maylor piece
That IS annoying!
I was in a computer lab listening to Snoop Dogg on my headphones and had a message pop up on my screen that said “turn down the volume on your headphones”. I didn’t know the lab had that facility and the worst part was that it was anonymous! Annoying. Very. I even bet they were playin WoW too which just wanted to make me punch them even more.
Mar 23, 2011 at 9:36 am rating: 5
#8
Canthz_B
“PLEASE STOP WHISPERING BEHIND ME! SPEAK UP…I CAN’T HEAR A WORD YOU’RE SAYING!!”
Mar 23, 2011 at 10:03 am rating: 28
#9
Bree
I’m honestly on Skype boys side. If I was in class and two girls were whispering at all, no matter how “quietly” I would have been absolutely peeved. I don’t care that he was Skyping because it was his choice to not pay attention, it wasn’t his choice to come to class and be distracted by two girls who have 23 other hours in the day to communicate in numerous ways with each other. Quite rude.
Mar 23, 2011 at 10:30 am rating: 44
#10
Kay
I would find the Skyping just as annoying if the Skyper was in front of me. I took a bunch of corporate business courses last year and many of the adults set their laptops on a game or something suddenly and although they were silent, I just wanted to slam them! It was terribly visually distracting. Your eyes are compelled to go to the movement.
Same with cell phones in movie theatres. They’re like freaking flashlights popping up all over the dark theatre. Have we had that discussion?
Mar 23, 2011 at 11:21 am rating: 47
#11
sit down and shut up
forget passive, i go straight to aggressive when people talk during lecture.
Mar 23, 2011 at 11:31 am rating: 18
#12
iruleuruniverse
Was he skype-typing or actually conducting a call? It seems on here people think Skype is like AIM or Yahoo Messenger – but you can actually conduct a conversation with a person live – by voice.
So, if he was SPEAKING with someone on skype, I say Team Claire because really dude? Shushing other people so YOU can talk over your teacher = not cool. If he was just typing… you know what? Still Team Claire. If he isn’t concentrating on the lecture by being distracted by his computer, some whispering in the background won’t kill him!
Mar 23, 2011 at 11:34 am rating: 14
#13
Honey Cunt
When a person sitting in front of you is doing anything other than taking notes on his/her laptop during class (whether it’s Skyping, Facebooking, looking at porn, whatever), it is FUCKING DISTRACTING. Yes, you can look away, but that’s pretty difficult when there is a constantly changing screen sitting just below your line of sight to the professor. Am I alone in this?
Both sides are annoying and disrespectful, and neither is learning a goddamn thing.
Mar 23, 2011 at 11:50 am rating: 32
#14
jadefirefly
I had a class last term where the back row was occupied by three or four guys who didn’t seem to care that the entire room was privy to their conversation, lecture time or lab time; and a guy in the front row who thought that lab time meant ‘break out the iPhone for facetime chat’.
I had to resort to bringing headphones in to class, or I’d have gotten nothing done.
Mar 23, 2011 at 12:12 pm rating: 1
#15
Quite Contrary
Whispering in class? How old school. Claire and her friend should have texted each other during the class. Far more cool and less distracting. Win win!
Mar 23, 2011 at 2:54 pm rating: 2
#16
chesire cat
I am on team you all suck.
You should not have been chatting during class and he should not have been chatting online during class. How about you pay attention and do your damn work?!
From your friendly neighborhood Hermoine
Mar 23, 2011 at 3:44 pm rating: 42
#17
Pot, meet kettle
Both are horribly distracting. But I’d still rather be stuck behind a guy skyping than having people whispering a convo… take it outside.
Mar 23, 2011 at 4:29 pm rating: 10
#18
Rachel
There’s nothing worse than distractions in class. Both of these people need a kick in the face. Yeah, sure, they’re paying many thousands of dollars to be there, so it’s up to them how they spent that time, but on the same page, I am also spending many thousands of dollars, and I am there to learn, not to chat, or listen to/watch you chat. If it’s so important that you have to talk/text/AIM/what the fuck ever, get out of class.
My favorite professor I ever had was one who would kick you out of class if he saw you texting. He was a hard-ass, but god dammit, I learned more from him than anyone I’ve ever had, and I wasn’t even majoring in his subject area. (Also: three absences meant you failed the class, not just dropped a letter grade like most other classes I’ve had, which was also great.)
Bottom line: I like order, and anyone who disrupts my order needs a-punchin’.
Mar 23, 2011 at 5:30 pm rating: 15
#19
JT
I think I would be more distracted by the typing then the whispering. I graduated from college a few years ago and none of us used our laptops in class. I am going to grad school now with some undergrads. All the undergrads use their laptops in class. Most of them use facebook chat or skype chat. And they do not type quietly. They type loudly and furiously, then there’s 30 seconds of silence while the other person responds, then more loud and furious typing.
Most of them also do homework for next week’s class during the class, like putting together presentations. We once watched someone go to google street view and pretty much slowly walk around the city for an hour. I also once watched someone watch a really awesome foreign kung fu movie. Fun, but still very distracting!
There’s a very clear line between the older students (by older I mean 24+) and the younger students. Yeah, the older students don’t alway pay attention, but the young kids don’t pay attention in a very distracting way!
Team none of these punk kids! Get off my lawn!
Mar 23, 2011 at 7:28 pm rating: 39
#20
nativefloridian
Is he using paint? for text?
Mar 23, 2011 at 8:23 pm rating: 6
#21
bec
He is wearing a military style jacket, fashion is the real loser in this scenario.
Mar 23, 2011 at 10:05 pm rating: 5
#22
Jabba
I bet this “Claire” is one of those bitches that texts during movies and get’s upset when people ask her to stop.
People need to realize they don’t live in a bubble where they can be as obnoxious and inconsiderate as they want because.., like.., I’ll do what I want ok?!
Mar 24, 2011 at 7:11 am rating: 12
#23
Managed Hosting
Although, what would have been really clever was to lean over to view his Skype name, add him and apologize. Oh, the little joys of class.
Mar 24, 2011 at 2:28 pm rating: 2
#24
Madrias
As someone who on many occasions brought a laptop to high school, I found that many fellow students found my typing (light finger taps on keys, not hammers-on-anvils typing style) was less distracting than the people texting, whispering, talking, etc.
A lot of the teachers also noticed I paid more attention when I was able to type my notes. Why? I can type faster than I can write.
As long as he wasn’t hammering the keys, I’m on Team Laptop. If he was hammering on the keys, I’m still on Team Laptop, cause whispering pisses me off.
Mar 24, 2011 at 3:43 pm rating: 5
#25
Jiu Jitsu Los Angeles
This gives a whole new meaning to passing notes in class. Oh technology, you’ve even taken away our favorite past times!
Mar 24, 2011 at 5:51 pm rating: 1
#26
Todd
Hey jerk,
If someone is writing you passive aggressive notes in class you really must have been annoying. If you want to blab on go to the cafeteria. You idiots are obnoxious, clueless and inconsiderate.
Mar 25, 2011 at 12:24 am rating: 8
#27
Sara
Okay, seriously though? There is nothing more annoying than listening to whispering. Whether you’re paying attention or not, it can make your head want to explode. And I’m sure she was annoying plenty of people who were trying to pay attention.
I don’t get why kids like that even bother to go to class if they’re just going to giggle and whisper the whole time.
Mar 25, 2011 at 10:18 pm rating: 11
#28
MYOB
Am I missing something here? The “quiet” whispering is bad enough, as due to proximity they are still louder than the professor. The fake apology is the epitome of passive-aggressive. Then sending this picture in here shows they can’t get over it. At least Screen Guy was clever. The submitter is an asshole.
Then again, I deal with “quiet” whispering every day. I move, and I still hear it. You would think that relocating in a huff would concern them, but apparently they can do no wrong.
Mar 27, 2011 at 5:37 am rating: 7
#29
AVR
In a large class, I can drown out the sound of the occasional whispering. However, I can’t drown out the sound of hundreds of keyboards going clickety-clack while I WRITE (yes! write!) my notes. At least half of those people with laptops don’t pay full attention in class (why are you there..? unless it’s for participation marks). I write my notes in a notebook, because I can focus better, without any distractions that a lap top may pose. Talking is harmless, there will always be people talking, and no one is really inconsiderate enough to start yelling in the middle of class. But flashing, blinking screens, and the sound of Vista starting up PISSES ME OFF! And don’t get me started on people who go on facebook or chatting or playing solitaire! If you use a laptop, and you are prone to being distracted/hammering away on your keyboard, please sit in the back, and let the serious students learn, thanks.
Apr 9, 2011 at 6:14 pm rating: 2
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