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The ICT in Education website, 2000, by Terry Freedman.

The ICT in Education website, 2000, by Terry Freedman.

There's nothing new about snowflakes

May 11, 2021

My first reaction when I see people ranting about some trivial thing on social media is to envy them for apparently having nothing terrible to worry about. It’s quite astonishing how exercised people get over inconsequential differences of opinion.

But interestingly enough, this is nothing new. My own experience of it came in the year 2000. As I wrote in my newsletter of 9 January 2001:

“The ICT in Education website update


Over the holiday period I put a snowflake effect on the home page, with
the “snowflakes” being computers with Father Christmas hats. I removed the
effect a couple of days ago. Over the next week or so I hope to add more
links to the Resources section of the website, to include GlobalNet (see
below), the new BETT show website (see below) and possibly one or two
others.


If you haven’t visited the website before, have a look when you can. It
contains quite a few pages of hints and tips relating to various aspects
of managing ICT and using computers to reduce the admin burden on
teachers, plus a number of articles and free resources.
”
— Terry Freedman

Now, you have to admit, that just from that brief couple of paragraphs the website was chockfull of potentially useful stuff, as was the newsletter. Despite that, I received a ranting email from someone who took exception to the falling snowflakes effect mentioned there. He went on about how stupid it was, how the effect shouldn’t be there because he didn’t like seeing it, blah blah blah.

I have a policy of never replying to disrespectful emails. I welcome discussion, and we can all learn from opinions other than our own. But being subjected to a tirade about snowflakes?! Give me strength.


If you found this article interesting or useful (or even both!), why not subscribe to my free newsletter, Digital Education? It’s been going since the year 2000, and has slow news, informed views and honest reviews for Computing and ed tech teachers — and useful experience-based tips.

In From the Archives, News & views, On the lighter side Tags snowflakes, Computers in Classrooms, newsletter
← How is your product different?Tackling tech troubles while teaching online (or avoiding them in the first place) →
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