[olug] Slashdot article

[Thomas D. Williamson]

In thinking about this, although the D&D stuff is a type of fantasy interation,
it may not create the behaviors truly needed in real social settings. One thing
that could be done is see if there is a place that needs something in the IT
area done for other people. An area of need that I have run into is helping
elderly folk in redsidental living facilities or assisted living facilities
getting their computers running correctly and setting up internet access and
e-mail accounts. Doing this in that setting puts him in contact with people who
will more often than not give affirmation for the work done and provide a place
where he will have to explain and show to them how the applications work. They
may even give kind suggestions for improving his appearance as grandparent type
figures.

Another area is helping non-profit groups do similar things. But I do not see
this allowing the same kinds of interactions as with the elderly.

Tom Williamson

Quoting Tim & Alethea Larson <thelarsons3 at cox.net>:

> William Langford wrote:
> 
> >
> > Someone on /. suggested D&D... and it'd prolly be a good idea.  They 
> > can use their imagination for the main stay of what they're intending 
> > to do, and then pick up some social skills as time goes on just by the 
> > interaction with other people.  Things such as grooming and such would 
> > come naturually/over time.  It's not the final solution (how many 
> > times do you see ppl in D&D constantly overhyper and acting out their 
> > characters 'special actions' ... which would be annoying, if not at 
> > least unusual in a public environment)... but it's a good step in the 
> > right direction.
> 
> 
> You're not serious, are you?  An uncombed kid, already living in the 
> "not with the rest of us" world of math/computers/science, hanging 
> around with a bunch of others like him in order to "build social 
> skills"?  As other \. posters said, it's not just the hair - that's just 
> the outward sign.  I knew a kid that got picked on because of bad teeth, 
> so he got braces.  When the braces were off, the kid still got picked 
> on.  Self-confidence doing real things in the real world will probably 
> help more.
> 
> 
> Tim
> 
> 
> 
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