[blindkid] Problem with Orion TI-36X Talking Scientific Calculator when in Statistics Mode

Richard Holloway rholloway at gopbc.org
Tue Sep 2 15:08:00 UTC 2014


Gosh Bill, what rude response. 

I read quite well, thanks for your concern in that area, though unfortunately, my glasses are not always able to resolve sharp clear text for me. 

You know, somehow, I don’t feel like you were actually offering to help if I could not read well, and I am a print-only reader at this time, so for me, it is text or noting right now. No doubt your underlying intent was to see if I needed help with my reading, right? It wasn’t just a random insult, was it?

Clearly, you know I can read, and surely, in this forum— of ALL places, you’re not suggesting that a vision issue is a good reason to ridicule me, are you?

Sometimes I tend to look for all the needed info in the body of the post and don’t re-read the subject line searching for specific details. Clearly that was my oversight and I apologize if that disturbed Meg. I am less concerned if my mistake caused you frustration, Bill, since you seem to feel like attacking me, and since this was a thread with which you were not involved. 

To be clear, what I was trying to do was see if someone (perhaps even myself), knowing the model of the calculator and a SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF THE CALCULATION THAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM, and the SPECIFIC PROBLEM RESPONSE GENERATED might be able to enter the information to try and help Meg. 

You were kind enough to copy more of my post as a quote, Bill—

>  I'm not quite following it saying the first number then the
> answer, then the rest of the number.

Where was THAT answer posted in her original email, Bill? Do you know the answer? You see, I do not know the answer, and I was requesting the information. Can you help Meg solve her problem? Because if you’re not trying to help her, all you are doing is getting in the way of her getting help and wasting people’s time. Meg sounded upset and frustrated, and I thought I’d like to help her, but I didn't have enough information to try anything at all here, so I asked for clarification. What exactly is wrong with that?

When people post nasty responses, like yours, it makes some of us not want to respond to posts on the list with what might be very valuable, helpful information. People are afraid they will be attacked, so why risk the abuse?

This sort of thing even drives some people to stop reading the list, or outright unsubscribe… If any reading are curious, that it the primary reason I have dignified Bill’s response with this detailed post. I don’t understand why this forum cannot be a place for calm, helpful information exchange. A safe haven, if you will. I like to have a place where I feel safe discussing my daughter’s needs. Insults take that away from me. I’ve already had enough taken away from me in my life. Maybe I’m unique in that regard, but I don’t think so. 

I, for one, have enough opportunities to feel attacked over my daughter’s unique needs and challenges elsewhere. I never, EVER want to make anyone on this list feel like I am looking down on them, or their child, or making fun of them in any way. If I have ever appeared to do that to anyone on this list, I truly, sincerely apologize, and I assure you that has never been my intent. Not once, not ever.

Nobody on this list needs to be made to feel as if he (or she) or someone they are trying to post and get help for is the object of ridicule. Not even you, Bill. We are all due some respect. 

We have a talking calculator here. As it turns out, it isn’t Meg's model, so I probably cannot help Meg this time. But even if I had there right model, I’d not have known what was causing the response she was troubled by, or the response itself, so I still needed the info., This might also make it easy for others on the list to help her.  Also, if I know what was happening in more detail, I might check and see if that happens on what we do have, or on things we buy in the future. Maybe the problem is model specific. Maybe it is broader than that. Maybe I will solve a problem for my daughter before it even comes up by checking this out.

I’ve had many discussions over the years about what happens on this list. It goes through waves of people posting insulting, argumentative, or even combative and abusive comments, and I don’t understand it. I’m not the moderator, and I’m not trying to overstep any boundaries, but I’ve talked to enough people on this list through direct emails and through direct conversations at convention, etc., to know that this sort of behavior is destructive to the spirit and intent of this list, and I wish it would stop. I’m not trying to attack you Bill, and yours is just a tiny example of this sort of attacking I have personally felt over the years, but I honestly, truly don’t understand it. 

Let me just set aside any sarcasm I might wish to offer at this point and state directly and clearly that you, Bill, have started off my morning by making me feel chastised by you, and frankly, made to look like a bit of a fool, when I was simply trying to help someone else on the list. Please do not do things like this to me in the future. Perhaps my clear and direct request will help you understand just how frustrating and upsetting your comment was this morning. 

If you have in irresistible need to point out I made an error; that there was an oversight, then please state that alone, and leave the personal attack aside. Perhaps, “actually she posted the model number in the subject line” would have conveyed that you had been more observant that I and read the model information without suggesting that I am, perhaps, illiterate. I hope that makes sense and sounds reasonable. 

Also, while we are speaking candidly, she actually wrote "TI-36X”, not "TI36-X”— it seems that in your rush to correct me, you also made an error. 

I suppose this is where I am supposed to ask if you can read, but I’m not going there.

How embarrassing, right?

On Sep 2, 2014, at 9:03 AM, Bill K. Dengler <codeofdusk at gmail.com> wrote:

> " I suspect more information may increase your odds at getting a useful
> response. I'm not quite following it saying the first number then the
> answer, then the rest of the number. Perhaps you can post the brand and
> model of the calculator."
> Can you read?
> She wrote TI36-X!
> 
> Bill
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindkid [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Richard
> Holloway via blindkid
> Sent: Tuesday, September 2, 2014 8:55 AM
> To: McLean, Megan; Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Problem with Orion TI-36X Talking Scientific
> Calculator when in Statistics Mode
> 
> Meg,
> 
> I suspect more information may increase your odds at getting a useful
> response. I'm not quite following it saying the first number then the
> answer, then the rest of the number. Perhaps you can post the brand and
> model of the calculator. 
> 
> If you can find someone with the exact same model (or find another one where
> you bought this perhaps?) what you probably want to do is duplicate the
> exact same situation with a duplicate calculator to try and determine if
> this is a defective unit, or of there is a design issue. 
> 
> In fact, a precise example might be appropriate- a specific calculation that
> doesn't work as expected, and the specific result you get. 
> 
> If you can tell the manufacturer that when I enter the problem "a+b" and I
> anticipate "=c" and instead I'm getting "a+b=x" (obviously a random example
> for discussion), and then follow up with- this happens on your unit and not
> others, or this happens on multiple units, then they will have something to
> respond to.
> 
> If, for example, you tell the company you have a defective unit, but it is a
> design issue, they may send you a replacement that does the exact same
> thing...
> 
> 
> On Sep 2, 2014, at 12:17 AM, McLean, Megan via blindkid
> <blindkid at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
>> Hi everyone,
>> We have just had an issue with our calculator and can't find a solution.
> When the calculator reads the answer for finding standard deviations the
> answer is being read incorrectly and/or reads the first number, then says
> answer, then continues reading the numbers. We have tried with the charger
> in, charger out, fully charged etc but this problem is only occurring in
> stats mode no matter what level the battery is at. We've written to the
> company in the past to ask questions but have never had a response from
> them. As we are in Australia it is difficult (and expensive) to make a phone
> call. If you have any ideas we would be most grateful.
>> Regards
>> Meg
>> 
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