Playground Task #20 is to do with ASKAWAY. As I've already had the training,but not actually answered any questions, I have only a negative response to this service. I can imagine that it COULD be very useful BUT my impression, reinforced by all the people I know who have taken part in it, is that having a school librarian on duty and/or someone who knows how to use a reference book, and/or training during a computer class would be far more instructive to the majority of users who happen to be school students. Also I have been told that their lack of courtesy leaves something to be desired. Our VPL trainer filled the class with horror stories about the rudeness and impatience of many of the questioners, such that we were all reluctant to start answering anything. As well, there seemed to be a variety of responses from the trainers, some "spoonfeeding" the students and others preferring them to use their own intelligence to find the answers.
I am sorry to be so negative but I'm afraid that until I try for myself that is my response to ASKAWAY!
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I am covering ASKAWAY while reading your blog (It's Friday, It's Summer, It's so quiet on the chat-lines I can read your blogs in between questions!) Sometimes some of the clientele we get are "horrible" rude kids who hit the chat-lines in droves, all asking the same Q's or a variant thereof (I generally blame the teachers for these problems.. they are passing their classes on to us and not monitoring their computer etiquette) Sometimes we get some really good interactions, where we feel we have helped someone genuinely but usually in these instances it would be nice to have a personal follow up. Not all the Q's are from bratsky kids..
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