Dear Karen
In response to your email to Teena, I think the list probably suffers from the limitations of text only communication. It is very difficult to bring emotional subtlety to email communications. I think that the issue over 'the lurking' has been caused by an established culture on the list that has got used to using that term in an ironic and friendly way- I think that some people have used it to describe their own shyness or even to make fun of themselves- not of others. But it does show the risks of language being used in the absence of the physical, embodied persona- where a wink, a smile or a nuance of voice would have made the intention of the expression clearer.
You write that:
"PhD to me belongs to brilliant people who uphold unique mindsets of how things work and how to structure different thought processes which lead to new findings. It also means a fine special character which oozes rare charisma" .
Personally I don't see how a PhD can give a person a unique mindset, fine character or charisma ( which are each certainly characteristics that are difficult to convey via an email text)- a PhD qualification can very possibly enable or develop an individual's innate charisma- and help them to find their way to a "fine character" and "a unique mindset"-- But these are not obligatory human qualities - even though there are millions of people in the world without PhD's who may have such qualities.
I think your post to Teena is highly charged and passionate - you obviously have a great energy for study and for learning. Thats brilliant! Don't ever lose it. However, I can't help feeling that there is some idealism going on for you that may not be that helpful for your study.
You say that to you "...university means cultivating one's own thinking, not following" I think thats spot on.
All the best from rainy NW UK
Fiona
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From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related research in Design [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Karen [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 02 November 2012 00:50
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: fostering research communities
Dear Teena,
Thanks for coming in straight on. I will be as blunt as before. Always been and probably wont improve that much, though I must honestly admit that recent events have made me far less amicable. Maybe I have changed or the environments around me have changed. My reply was directed to you. Actually I do not expect you to reply me, given that I have actually grown an impression that you have certain misconceptions about me from previous earlier posts. Perhaps I have misread you. Perhaps I don't. I came to read and feel that though you had encouraged Abhishek to contribute, I had read it to mean a negative hint to people who hibernated on the list. 'Lurkers' to me means people who sneak in 'knicked' off ideas off without contribution or in some ways fail to acknowledge contributors.
Following the culture of most lists that would prefer a quoted definition from reference, I will just pick one off from Merriam Webster that a 'lurker' is someone who 'lie in wait in a place of concealment especially for an evil purpose. b : to move furtively or inconspicuously etc' I believe most references will give more insight into who is a lurker.
Fostering research communities must include anyone who has a unique mind. It shouldn't be mutually exclusive to 'Phd' holders or 'PhD in process'. Honestly, I don't pay the same respect to anyone who has a doctorate degree. My experience with a good many aren't pleasant, often wondering how they get their terminal degrees. And for a good few, they actually try to stop others from learning and are afraid that their positions be threatened. Educated people must be gracious, honest and zealous, not jealous.
PhD to me belongs to brilliant people who uphold unique mindsets of how things work and how to structure different thought processes which lead to new findings. It also means a fine special character which oozes rare charisma. You know when you see one. There are plenty of Doctorate graduates and college graduates, who merely follow procedures to get their degrees. Thats another story. To me, university means cultivating ones own thinking, not following, if everyone were to follow set routes, clearly there will be no new questions, hence no new findings. Research establishments, regardless academia or not, should be set free of cultures especially negative ones of any kind.
We will never benefit in any environment where discrimination of any kind grows. There is no point pretending to be all that nice and pretty, when policies or endeavours are run on double standards too. Unfortunately this still happens. Unless we gather the finest minds with the grandest guts, nothing much new or good will prevail. These days, things do run into new forms of problems, not just female academics being undermined or so.
Damn, the last line sounds awfully negative. Definitely not my style.
But in life, something will come out to balance it off.
Best,
Karen Fu
On 2 Nov, 2012, at 4:30, teena clerke <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Dear Karen,
>
> I assume your comment is aimed at my post, although I am puzzled that you seem to have interpreted my invitation to Abhishek as 'sarcastic'. The term 'lurkers' is common parlance on this list, and is used, indeed, by lurkers themselves with no derogatory intention – I have used it to describe myself in the past.
>
> I asked Abhishek to contribute her story to the list, given her interest is in experiences and the past few posts have been descriptions of experience. You can see by the email she used from a previous post of mine, what you seem to be saying to me is clearly not what I am encouraging.
>
> Dialogue is enacted through productive, open and mindful exchanges, some of which are prompted by 'silly' questions.
>
> I hope you are able to contribute your own stories, as I often do, knowing that they will be read with respect.
>
> regards,
> teena
>
>
> On 02/11/2012, at 3:44 AM, Karen wrote:
>
>> So are sacarstic remarks part of the PhD conversation?
>> Guts, we must have.
>> Bold Passion to learn and undying perseverance to endure the toughest environment is another.
>> List lurkers may be silent. But that doesn't mean they don't think and not read.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Karen Fu
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 1 Nov, 2012, at 17:29, teena clerke <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Abhishek,
>>> perhaps you might like to share some of your experiences for the other list lurkers?
>>> teena
>>>
>>> On 01/11/2012, at 8:10 PM, Abhishek Shrivastava wrote:
>>>
>>>> I am looking for more accounts of experiences. Please keep the thread going.
>>>>
>>>> Regards,
>>>> Abhishek
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 23 June 2012 03:01, teena clerke <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I almost forgot to mention that at an international level, this list in
>>>>> particular, and research conferences more broadly, have played a great part
>>>>> in fostering a research community through dialogue. So I encourage those
>>>>> new to the PhD to post the silly questions you dare not ask, challenge the
>>>>> comments you think suspect and air your thoughts as they progress – it is
>>>>> well worth it, as it helps you articulate what you are doing, and
>>>>> importantly, what you are NOT doing.
>>>>>
>>>>> happy phding,
>>>>> teena
>>>
>>>
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