Monday, October 12, 2009

TILT! TILT!

Electronic grade book problems at school helped me to feel my age last week.

A teacher sent out an email message to our entire staff asking if anyone else got an error message when they were on the computer grade book. She was apparently trying to enter grades and got a message like: error x9t41qr.

One of the funniest guys on staff replied to all, "Well, I guess as long as you don't get the TILT message..."

The drama teacher responds, "Oh Tom, you're so funny!" I love when the emails get to flying to the entire staff and everyone is getting a good chuckle out of it. (It usually involves the journalism teacher and a math teacher who happen to be husband and wife. He always tries to get the best of her, and she can hold her own quite well!)

And then IT came... a young math teacher sent a follow up message. "I don't get it. What does TILT mean?" And then about 5 other messages came in with others saying, "Thank goodness you asked. I didn't have any idea and didn't want to look stupid."

There it was! A whole generation of people who didn't know about pinball machines giving you the TILT message if you got a little carried away and rocked the machine. *sigh*

The really sad thing--neither of our principals had heard of TILT either.

How many of us knew about TILT? Maybe about 8 or 9 out of 37.

I work with a bunch of babies... *sigh* *double sigh* *triple sigh*

I need a nap.

12 comments:

A said...

ha ha! i don't get it either! we just started using email for a few of the correspondences in our school, but it's nothing like yours. it seems so weird to me that email isn't used like the school i taught at previously or like yours...

Gayle said...

Oh, crud. Now I feel old. I got it.

Heidi said...

Hmmm. This is a very interesting post. Reminds me of Lid's post this morning. Hmmm. I'm wondering what it all says about me, 'cause I think I'm old enough to know. You know, that closet I grew up in, it sure was cozy.

joyce said...

Wow....I would've thought the TILT message was iconic. Maybe for us old folks. Sigh.

ELK said...

oh i loved pinball machines...great story

Brandi said...

OK.....I know what TILT is, and I am in my 30's. What does that make me? :-)

Relyn Lawson said...

This afternoon I spent an hour and a half after school doing our new grade cards on line. So proud of myself because I am ahead of the game - which I never am. Feeling a bit smug because it is easy as pie and what on earth has everyone been fussing about? Till the blankety-blank thing wouldn't save. And wouldn't save. And wouldn't save. GAH!!

Mrs. E said...

Relyn,same thing around here. Fortunately, I am far enought behind that they should have all the bugs out before I finish updating my grades!!

Alicia--I should have known you wouldn't know! You video game, baby, you!

Pugelicious said...

Oh dear - this makes me realise my age. There is an old pin ball machine in our local shop and my son just loves playing it.

Dandy said...

I totally didn't get it. :(

Katie in MA said...

Hey. Wait. I am only 30 and I got it. Oh, I am afraid of the implications.

Lesley A. Owens said...

I got it, and I'm only 25! But I was also a skating rink arcade nerd from ages 6 to 12, so I guess I have an advantage!
-Lesley