1 Response to Elevator Riddle- nothingxtoxsay

1. davidbdale says:

   October 22, 2023 at 5:24 pm

   Well, NothingxToxSay, I’ve tried to encourage everybody to choose INSTRUCTIONS to the Elevator over EXPLANATIONS for human passengers, but you’ve chosen to write for a human audience, so let’s start there.

   I will gladly evaluate and grade you on the basis of that choice without penalty, but you’ll have to be just as clear and precise with your human readers as your classmates are being with the Elevator.

   • Press the call button Outside of the elevator and if no one is on the elevator will come directly where you are.
   —That sounds reasonable. An empty elevator will respond to any call. If yours is the only call, the elevator will proceed to whatever floor placed the Call.

   • If somebody is on the elevator The elevator will take care of the person first and then you.
   —That’s true as far as it goes, but incomplete.
   —The elevator might not “take care of” the first passenger completely.
   —If the elevator can pick you up on the way to “taking care of” the first passenger, it will do that, right?
   —Want an example?: The first passenger is on the 10th floor, heading down to the 2nd floor. You press the Call button on the 8th Floor and, once inside, you press the 6th Floor Destination button. The elevator will completely “take care of you” before it completes the first passenger’s request.

   • Once the elevator opens, walk in and press the number button inside the elevator which will indicate to the elevator where to go.
   —Perfectly reasonable. It helps to name these buttons. I’m using Call Button and Destination Button as shortcuts.

   • If I’m going to the Third floor and somebody is pressing the call button outside on the second floor trying to go up, the elevator will stop at the second floor after picking you up.
   —Also reasonable, but you’ll want to phrase it more universally, less specifically. Readers might think this rule applies only on the second and third floors. Can you write an explanation that works for all passengers?

   • If the second person who comes in is going to the same floor as you the elevator will stop and open its doors for you to exit but if the other person is going up to a different floor is going to drop you off first.
   —You describe the two possibilities as if they’re mutually exclusive, but they could both be true. In fact, if the second explanation is true, so is the first.

   • Lastly once the elevator is done dropping people off it will stay resting at the last floor it opened its doors at until somebody else presses the call button.
   —That’s nice.
   —Will its doors remain open?
   —If not, what are the conditions under which its doors will close?

   Since you’ve chosen to provide explanations for a Human audience, you have WAAAYYYY more responsibilities for instruction. For example:
   1. When I press a Call Button, does it light?
   2. When does it go out?
   3. When I enter the elevator, will any Destination buttons be lit? Which ones? Will I learn anything about the route from the button lights?
   4. If I’m on my way UP, will the elevator stop for anyone who has pressed a Down Call Button?
   5. If I get off at my Destination floor, what will the elevator do?
   6. If I don’t get off at my Destination floor, what will the elevator do?
   7. Does it make sense to get onto an elevator headed Up if I want to go Down? Presumably it will eventually go to my destination floor, but . . . what will be different about waiting until the elevator turns around and comes back Down to collect me?

   Etc.

   The ELEVATOR needs a few very clear INSTRUCTIONS.
   People need a very different set of EXPLANATIONS.
   Helpful?

   Graded.
   Revision are always encouraged, particularly on this assignment, which we will update repeatedly throughout the semester.
   Regrades, too, are always available following substantial improvements.
   Should you revise, your Beloved Professor will not automatically notice.
   So, if you desire a Regrade, put your post back into Feedback Please and let me know you’ve earned fresh consideration.
   I’ll decide whether the improvements are substantial.
   (Try not to make things worse. 🙂 )

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