> > In article <[log in to unmask]>, "Roger H. Levy"
> > <[log in to unmask]> writes
> > >I'm trying to determine the value of the introductory programming
course
> > >taught at my son's high school.  They use an HP-3000 to teach Basic
and
> > >something called "Reflection."  Since my son has already written
Visual
> > >Basic programs, ...
> [snip]

    I'm a little concerned about the nature of the replies to these posts.  It
seems to me that it is never a good idea to assume stupidity, even of a
High School teacher.  It very well may be that the "Reflection" your son's
teacher is preparing to teach is a semi-obscure database package (didn't
Alfredo Rego preach that databases are a 'reflection' of reality?) or
somewhat.  That is, the "Reflection" package may be something we just
don't know about.
    In the HP3000 world, the term "Reflection" means the terminal emulation
package from WRQ.  However, your son's teacher is probably not aware
of HP3000 terminology and is probably referring to something that has no
meaning in the HP3000 community's "language."
    Now to the rest who have replied.  Just as I know about a pc-based
text editor package named, ready for it?, "Qedit" does not mean that the
package comes from some very bright folks of our acquaintance located
in the western part of Canada (it doesn't).  If you go to Japan and say
"Hi!" to everyone you meet, they will think you're saying "[yes]! - a pretty
odd greeting to them.  The difference is language.
    What is particularly bothersome is the tone that the replies have had.
All the posts knocking down  this High School program assume that they
know the teacher's language because the teacher used a word that
sounds the same as something in "our" language.  This is an invalid
assumption and is pretty damned insulting to somebody you don't know
(the thankfully unnamed High School teacher) regarding a conversation
that you did not hear.
    I know nobody intended to flame anybody in the course of these posts.
  And, of course, it could be that the High School class is going to teach
how to use a terminal emulator -- admittedly a weak curriculum!
However, the direction of these posts (computer education is a crock in
this country) and the implied flames on somebody who can't reply is
unwarranted from this one incident.