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If this kid applies to the University of North Texas TAMS program... he has the highest letter of recommendation coming his way from not only the POTUS but Zuck

If this kid applies to the University of North Texas TAMS program... he has the highest letter of recommendation coming his way from not only the POTUS but Zuck too. http://www.theverge.com/2015/9/16/9338747/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-ahmad-mohamed-clock http://www.theverge.com/2015/9/16/9338747/mark-zuckerberg-fa...

tamstams 11y ago
An ex-admin of TAMS said that they'd love to have him.
seiji 11y ago
Your phrasing kinda implies the "Zuck" person of your sentence is more important than the "POTUS" person. Does having something happen to you instantly qualify you to receive insightful recommendation letters from strangers though? The Internet has developed an overly powerful hero amplification beam it shines down when things happen to someone, but does it necessarily reflect the person themselves? Sudden unrelenting Internet-powred fame (either as the receiver or the giver of fame) can drive some people a bit mad after the fact too.
- smtddr 11y ago
  >>Your phrasing kinda implies the "Zuck" person of your sentence is more important than the "POTUS" person. I like Obama 'n all, but in today's world of technology(this is about a student building a clock, unprompted)... I believe the opinion of Facebook's CEO tech-geek outweights Obama's.
  - waterlesscloud 11y ago
    By the time the kid graduates high school, Zuck will still be running Facebook and Obama will be just another ex-president. ;-)
  - seiji 11y ago
    I'm pretty sure looking up to anybody in management roles at Facebook is a sign of advanced mental illness.
    - yellowapple 11y ago
      So is looking up to anybody in management roles in the United States government. ;)
- TallGuyShort 11y ago
  POTUS's tweet has gotten more press than Zuck's from what I've seen. More people recognize Obama's name - I think that's all the GP meant.
nightski 11y ago
Hmm, I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand everyone goes crazy because of the arrest/suspension claiming racism and unfair treatment. Now Zuck and even the President invite him to visit for the same reasons (because he is a muslim who created a clock and brought it to school) and everyone is excited about this. In my opinion both acts are seemingly being done for the wrong reasons. It's sad really, because now the boy will never know if he is being invited out because he created a cool clock, or because helping minorities is good PR. It's also disappointing because of all the other kids out there who are working hard on making things that will never get attention because they are not being discriminated against.
- scrollaway 11y ago
  They're not inviting him because he's a muslim who made a clock. They're inviting him because he's a kid who was wronged, and the situation is representative of the rotten american education system.
  - abfan1127 11y ago
    not just the education system, but the legal system as well.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- shas3 11y ago
  Put yourself in a 14-year old's shoes. If you had a passion for electronics and invention and were snubbed this badly for building something cool and taking it to school, how would you feel? I, for one would have been devastated. At best, I would have lost interest in school and developed deep mistrust of teachers. At worst, I would have developed an aversion to being a maker and started neglecting my grades. Mind you, 14 years is when people are hyper-aware of such things. If this had happened in college or in primary school, most of us would have weathered it. Zuckerberg, Obama, Clinton, Dash, and others are overcorrecting for this in order to ensure that the kid doesn't get dejected and discouraged from being a maker. There's already far too much ostracizing of nerds and geeks in school to add powerful adult actors like school principals and police into the mix. I don't see any room for 'mixed feelings' here. We just have to hope that the kid comes out of this as happy or happier and as or more successful than he'd otherwise have been.
0xdeadbeefbabe 11y ago
Is that some kind of political organization?
serf 11y ago
"Dear Sir/Madam, I believe this child, who was a complete stranger to me before any nationally publicized incident, would make a fantastic candidate to your programs at (school). I have no knowledge of their abilities other than that he has an obvious interest in electronics, and that my PR group said that this would be a fantastic opportunity to remind the public at large just who I am, and the power I can exert. Please accept this child; also I would request that you would be reminded of this recommendation should any world-changing positive developments come of it, and my part in those events. If this child should be a dud, please dispose of this letter and any public recollection of it. -Signed (all the people who wish to piggyback onto this terrible situation for the sake of publicity)" Maybe some big powerful person should be talking to the people that caused this situation, rather than promising the world to the victim? Misunderstandings like this are going to keep happening until way after the worlds' elite run out of personal stock for their recommendation letters.
- mikeash 11y ago
  I figured this sort of thing is talking to the perpetrators. It lets you say "fuck you" but without people getting upset at your swearing.

tamstams 11y ago

An ex-admin of TAMS said that they'd love to have him.

seiji 11y ago

Your phrasing kinda implies the "Zuck" person of your sentence is more important than the "POTUS" person. Does having something happen to you instantly qualify you to receive insightful recommendation letters from strangers though? The Internet has developed an overly powerful hero amplification beam it shines down when things happen to someone, but does it necessarily reflect the person themselves? Sudden unrelenting Internet-powred fame (either as the receiver or the giver of fame) can drive some people a bit mad after the fact too.

smtddr 11y ago
>>Your phrasing kinda implies the "Zuck" person of your sentence is more important than the "POTUS" person. I like Obama 'n all, but in today's world of technology(this is about a student building a clock, unprompted)... I believe the opinion of Facebook's CEO tech-geek outweights Obama's.
- waterlesscloud 11y ago
  By the time the kid graduates high school, Zuck will still be running Facebook and Obama will be just another ex-president. ;-)
- seiji 11y ago
  I'm pretty sure looking up to anybody in management roles at Facebook is a sign of advanced mental illness.
  - yellowapple 11y ago
    So is looking up to anybody in management roles in the United States government. ;)
TallGuyShort 11y ago
POTUS's tweet has gotten more press than Zuck's from what I've seen. More people recognize Obama's name - I think that's all the GP meant.

nightski 11y ago

Hmm, I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand everyone goes crazy because of the arrest/suspension claiming racism and unfair treatment. Now Zuck and even the President invite him to visit for the same reasons (because he is a muslim who created a clock and brought it to school) and everyone is excited about this. In my opinion both acts are seemingly being done for the wrong reasons. It's sad really, because now the boy will never know if he is being invited out because he created a cool clock, or because helping minorities is good PR. It's also disappointing because of all the other kids out there who are working hard on making things that will never get attention because they are not being discriminated against.

scrollaway 11y ago
They're not inviting him because he's a muslim who made a clock. They're inviting him because he's a kid who was wronged, and the situation is representative of the rotten american education system.
- abfan1127 11y ago
  not just the education system, but the legal system as well.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
shas3 11y ago
Put yourself in a 14-year old's shoes. If you had a passion for electronics and invention and were snubbed this badly for building something cool and taking it to school, how would you feel? I, for one would have been devastated. At best, I would have lost interest in school and developed deep mistrust of teachers. At worst, I would have developed an aversion to being a maker and started neglecting my grades. Mind you, 14 years is when people are hyper-aware of such things. If this had happened in college or in primary school, most of us would have weathered it. Zuckerberg, Obama, Clinton, Dash, and others are overcorrecting for this in order to ensure that the kid doesn't get dejected and discouraged from being a maker. There's already far too much ostracizing of nerds and geeks in school to add powerful adult actors like school principals and police into the mix. I don't see any room for 'mixed feelings' here. We just have to hope that the kid comes out of this as happy or happier and as or more successful than he'd otherwise have been.

0xdeadbeefbabe 11y ago

Is that some kind of political organization?

serf 11y ago

"Dear Sir/Madam, I believe this child, who was a complete stranger to me before any nationally publicized incident, would make a fantastic candidate to your programs at (school). I have no knowledge of their abilities other than that he has an obvious interest in electronics, and that my PR group said that this would be a fantastic opportunity to remind the public at large just who I am, and the power I can exert. Please accept this child; also I would request that you would be reminded of this recommendation should any world-changing positive developments come of it, and my part in those events. If this child should be a dud, please dispose of this letter and any public recollection of it. -Signed (all the people who wish to piggyback onto this terrible situation for the sake of publicity)" Maybe some big powerful person should be talking to the people that caused this situation, rather than promising the world to the victim? Misunderstandings like this are going to keep happening until way after the worlds' elite run out of personal stock for their recommendation letters.

mikeash 11y ago
I figured this sort of thing is talking to the perpetrators. It lets you say "fuck you" but without people getting upset at your swearing.