Microsoft, LOL, OMG February 13, 2009 9:53 PM Subscribe
This is so not even close to best of the web it's embarrassing. Microsoft, LOL, we get it.
One option is to flag it, if the malware will let you.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:02 PM on February 13, 2009 [12 favorites]
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:02 PM on February 13, 2009 [12 favorites]
I think this is a pointless callout, but I also think that everyone who replaces the S in Microsoft's name with a dollar sign should get a week off per occurrence. It's not funny and it doesn't achieve anything.
So I guess that's a big ol' "meh" from me.
posted by Caduceus at 10:03 PM on February 13, 2009 [2 favorites]
So I guess that's a big ol' "meh" from me.
posted by Caduceus at 10:03 PM on February 13, 2009 [2 favorites]
Sometimes, at night, when everyone else is sleeping, I boot into OS 9.
Yeaaaaaaaah, that's the stuff.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:03 PM on February 13, 2009 [3 favorites]
Yeaaaaaaaah, that's the stuff.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:03 PM on February 13, 2009 [3 favorites]
If the standard cop hate thread with usual lack of substantive discussion plus outrage is allowed to stand, you're going to have a hard time making the case that a standard MS hate thread with usual lack of substantive discussion plus lulz has no place here.
Plus that thread produced this BSG joke, which was pretty damn good.
posted by middleclasstool at 10:07 PM on February 13, 2009 [2 favorites]
Plus that thread produced this BSG joke, which was pretty damn good.
posted by middleclasstool at 10:07 PM on February 13, 2009 [2 favorites]
Most posts aren't "best of the web"; that's not an official metric of an acceptable post and never has been. So I wonder why you picked this particular hill to make your stand on.
posted by George_Spiggott at 10:24 PM on February 13, 2009
posted by George_Spiggott at 10:24 PM on February 13, 2009
LOUD NOISES!
posted by dead cousin ted at 10:29 PM on February 13, 2009
posted by dead cousin ted at 10:29 PM on February 13, 2009
This is the worst callout in the history of Metafilter. The only way to regain your honor in our eyes is ritual suicide.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 10:31 PM on February 13, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 10:31 PM on February 13, 2009 [1 favorite]
Gosh, I love Mondo Meta. Every time someone uses "M$", their post magically vanishes into the background, only to be revealed upon highlighting. Which, I have to say, does not happen often.
So far, this has not measurably reduced my enjoyment of MetaFilter.
posted by scrump at 10:32 PM on February 13, 2009
So far, this has not measurably reduced my enjoyment of MetaFilter.
posted by scrump at 10:32 PM on February 13, 2009
There has been a rash of politicsfilter/newsfilter/obitfilter of late. Oh look, I posted the plane crash first!
posted by LarryC at 10:37 PM on February 13, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by LarryC at 10:37 PM on February 13, 2009 [2 favorites]
M$ M$ M$ M$ M$ M$ M$ M$ M$
Nyah, nyah, nyah.
posted by ryanrs at 10:53 PM on February 13, 2009 [3 favorites]
Nyah, nyah, nyah.
posted by ryanrs at 10:53 PM on February 13, 2009 [3 favorites]
Does it really embarrass you that this post is on a website you read?
posted by ORthey at 10:57 PM on February 13, 2009
posted by ORthey at 10:57 PM on February 13, 2009
I'll be honest - I went in to crack some jokes, and didn't even read the article until later when I felt bad. But hey, at least we got this out of my comment.
that's the last time I trust the Firefox spell check.
posted by niles at 11:14 PM on February 13, 2009
that's the last time I trust the Firefox spell check.
posted by niles at 11:14 PM on February 13, 2009
My PST file is 1.6 GB. I think I need to do something about that.
posted by maxwelton at 11:25 PM on February 13, 2009
posted by maxwelton at 11:25 PM on February 13, 2009
It's a pretty lame thread on a pretty weak post, but tbh in my book that's not nearly as much of a problem as when a post on something actually interesting that ms have done gets buried under generic anti-ms bullcrap.
posted by Artw at 11:36 PM on February 13, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by Artw at 11:36 PM on February 13, 2009 [2 favorites]
I have four words for you:
I... LOVE... THIS... CALLOUT....YEAH...!
posted by KokuRyu at 11:40 PM on February 13, 2009 [3 favorites]
I... LOVE... THIS... CALLOUT....YEAH...!
posted by KokuRyu at 11:40 PM on February 13, 2009 [3 favorites]
The only way to regain your honor in our eyes is ritual suicide.
Are you the third shift cabal spokesperson?
posted by longsleeves at 12:05 AM on February 14, 2009
Are you the third shift cabal spokesperson?
posted by longsleeves at 12:05 AM on February 14, 2009
OH SHI-
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 12:27 AM on February 14, 2009
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 12:27 AM on February 14, 2009
I have four words for you: Callout, Callout, Callout, Callout.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:30 AM on February 14, 2009
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:30 AM on February 14, 2009
Post wasn't great, but ericb's comment saved the day.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 1:35 AM on February 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by PeterMcDermott at 1:35 AM on February 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
Post poor, comments good, overall rating meh.
Hardly worth the screen ink this callout used up.
posted by dg at 1:53 AM on February 14, 2009
Hardly worth the screen ink this callout used up.
posted by dg at 1:53 AM on February 14, 2009
Hardly worth the screen ink this callout used up.
i think you've got the connections to your monitor and your printer switched around
posted by pyramid termite at 5:30 AM on February 14, 2009
i think you've got the connections to your monitor and your printer switched around
posted by pyramid termite at 5:30 AM on February 14, 2009
Haven't you heard? MetaFilter is the new place for boring people to create press release-type FPPs about boring things that no one wants to talk with them about at the office watering hole. You know, because they're boring.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 6:33 AM on February 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 6:33 AM on February 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
It's a drag because there could have been a great or decent post made out of this sort of weird move by Microsoft but it wasn't. The post is sort of meh but it doesn't suck (in my opinion and I guess the opinions of the other mods) so we'll leave it to limp along.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:44 AM on February 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:44 AM on February 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
You are lame. If you want to tell someone it's not the best of the web, leave it in the thread and be done with it.
Go away.
posted by sunshinesky at 6:48 AM on February 14, 2009
Go away.
posted by sunshinesky at 6:48 AM on February 14, 2009
What's with all the criticism of this callout? It's not like he used MeTa to thank someone, for Christ's sake.
posted by TedW at 7:19 AM on February 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by TedW at 7:19 AM on February 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
metafilter: doesn't suck (in my opinion and I guess the opinions of the other mods) so we'll leave it to limp along.
posted by cjorgensen at 7:23 AM on February 14, 2009
posted by cjorgensen at 7:23 AM on February 14, 2009
I think we should put a dog cone around this thread and call it "Gimpy".
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 7:52 AM on February 14, 2009
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 7:52 AM on February 14, 2009
> I also think that everyone who replaces the S in Microsoft's name with a dollar sign should get a week off per occurrence. It's not funny and it doesn't achieve anything.
Oh come on, it was funny the first time. Back in 1978 or so.
posted by ardgedee at 7:59 AM on February 14, 2009
Oh come on, it was funny the first time. Back in 1978 or so.
posted by ardgedee at 7:59 AM on February 14, 2009
The only thing funnier than a thread mocking Microsoft, are the people who take it personally.
You are not your OS. Get over it already.
posted by five fresh fish at 8:22 AM on February 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
You are not your OS. Get over it already.
posted by five fresh fish at 8:22 AM on February 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
The only thing funny about a thread mocking Microsoft is that it's always such an unintentional trainwreck.
posted by Zambrano at 8:53 AM on February 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by Zambrano at 8:53 AM on February 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
You are not your OS.
Yeah, but you can be.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:55 AM on February 14, 2009
Yeah, but you can be.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:55 AM on February 14, 2009
Oh come on, it was funny the first time. Back in 1978 or so.
Wasn't it Apple$oft back then?
posted by TedW at 9:10 AM on February 14, 2009
Wasn't it Apple$oft back then?
posted by TedW at 9:10 AM on February 14, 2009
I never realized that M-dollar-sign actually offended people. Knowing that now, I'll stop doing that. I've used it more because it is a lot shorter than typing "Microsoft" than out of some sort of rage at the company and its stupid, monopolistic ways.
I voted with my feet a long time ago when I switched to Ubuntu. I only use windows at work (and at home to log into my company's stupid payroll site than only works with IE). I'm pretty happy with my decision, but I wouldn't force it on anyone else.
So you are upset that Microsoft is displaying its obvious tone-deafness to the consumer again and people are making fun of them for it? Would you have made this post if Apple opened a store that only sells upscale toasters?
posted by SteveTheRed at 9:21 AM on February 14, 2009
I voted with my feet a long time ago when I switched to Ubuntu. I only use windows at work (and at home to log into my company's stupid payroll site than only works with IE). I'm pretty happy with my decision, but I wouldn't force it on anyone else.
So you are upset that Microsoft is displaying its obvious tone-deafness to the consumer again and people are making fun of them for it? Would you have made this post if Apple opened a store that only sells upscale toasters?
posted by SteveTheRed at 9:21 AM on February 14, 2009
The only thing funnier than a thread mocking Microsoft, are the people who take it personally.
But BBC Basic was *so* much better than Sinclair Basic. It really was!
posted by PeterMcDermott at 9:25 AM on February 14, 2009
But BBC Basic was *so* much better than Sinclair Basic. It really was!
posted by PeterMcDermott at 9:25 AM on February 14, 2009
I earned the right to use the dollar sign-enhanced abbreviation whenever I want. Possibly a bummer that bugs some folks so much that they filter comments using that as a standard, but to each their own*.
Could have been a better post, but I don't think it's worth a call-out. Flagtastic, maybe.
*! just occurred to me I could use it for this one word that tries to ruin my day all the damned time! Worth it for that!
posted by batmonkey at 9:44 AM on February 14, 2009
Could have been a better post, but I don't think it's worth a call-out. Flagtastic, maybe.
*! just occurred to me I could use it for this one word that tries to ruin my day all the damned time! Worth it for that!
posted by batmonkey at 9:44 AM on February 14, 2009
No, wait, then I might miss something legitimate or informative regarding it...dangit. Nevermind.
posted by batmonkey at 9:51 AM on February 14, 2009
posted by batmonkey at 9:51 AM on February 14, 2009
O$X
posted by Sys Rq at 10:24 AM on February 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by Sys Rq at 10:24 AM on February 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
I never realized that M-dollar-sign actually offended people.
SteveTheRed, I don't think it really offends people per se, but I agree with Caduceus that "It's not funny and it doesn't achieve anything." I think perhaps that not doing things that people associate with Slashdot trolls is in general a worthwhile pursuit?
posted by The Pusher Robot at 10:48 AM on February 14, 2009
SteveTheRed, I don't think it really offends people per se, but I agree with Caduceus that "It's not funny and it doesn't achieve anything." I think perhaps that not doing things that people associate with Slashdot trolls is in general a worthwhile pursuit?
posted by The Pusher Robot at 10:48 AM on February 14, 2009
I think perhaps that not doing things that people associate with Slashdot trolls is in general a worthwhile pursuit?
I can go along with that.
I started reading Metafilter in 2002, arriving here via the Slashdot -> Kuro5hin -> Metafilter route. I had to leave the first two after the signal-to-noise ratio dropped to zero, so I am happy to discontinue any behavior that lowers the S/N ratio here. It's just such an ingrained habit that I didn't think of it in those terms before.
posted by SteveTheRed at 11:50 AM on February 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
I can go along with that.
I started reading Metafilter in 2002, arriving here via the Slashdot -> Kuro5hin -> Metafilter route. I had to leave the first two after the signal-to-noise ratio dropped to zero, so I am happy to discontinue any behavior that lowers the S/N ratio here. It's just such an ingrained habit that I didn't think of it in those terms before.
posted by SteveTheRed at 11:50 AM on February 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
B€OS, A$/400, AmigaO$, N€XT$T€P, £inux,
Thanks, I'll be here all week.
The only thing funny abouta thread mocking Microsoft is that it's always such an unintentional trainwreck.
posted by BrotherCaine at 11:54 AM on February 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
Thanks, I'll be here all week.
The only thing funny about
posted by BrotherCaine at 11:54 AM on February 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
N€XT$T€P. Sorry, that should have been ₪€₡₭$₮$₮€p.
posted by BrotherCaine at 12:00 PM on February 14, 2009
posted by BrotherCaine at 12:00 PM on February 14, 2009
Micros~1
posted by blasdelf at 1:22 PM on February 14, 2009 [5 favorites]
posted by blasdelf at 1:22 PM on February 14, 2009 [5 favorites]
It's not funny and it doesn't achieve anything.
The fuck it doesn't. If it wasn't for the ability and freedom to snark at Micro$haft in any which way that pleases me - not excluding the use of juvenile character replacements as social commentary on the heaping mountains of fuck-off money Microsoft makes on the broken backs of the faceless corporate masses - if it wasn't for that, you'd end up with years or decades of pent up frustrations within your local Microsoft technical support engineer.
Have you really taken a good look at your Windows tech support type person? Take a really good, long look. That stiff, tense shrugged shoulder thing isn't because he or she is a socially-maladjusted nerd. That's what years of repressed rage does to a human being. They're rarely but a few moments away from taking a fire ax to every goddamn computer in the building.
Speaking as one of the highly over-wrought and poor thankless bastards who actually knows what the fuck PC LOAD LETTER means and exactly which printers would say it - you really don't want to put any roadblocks at all in the way of allowing us to express our frustrations, especially outside of work.
You don't like it? Tough.
You want your email and the ability to browse MetaFilter at work? You want us to look the other way when you spend 6 hours a day in Facebook, shopping, or playing Forum Wars or whatever it is you keep doing to that poor work computer? Suck it up, bucko. If we can deal with you calling us to replace the toner cartridge after we've shown everyone in the office how to replace it fifty times in and out of formal training sessions, if we can deal with yet another trojan, virus or hijacked browser because someone insisted on opening that infected MySpace link at work - I'm certain you'll all be able to deal with the mild rage venting inherent in the use of a dollar sign as a replacement for an S.
If not, don't come calling when IE on your work computer is fountaining porn pop-ups like some kind of smut geyser and expect us to "just fix it and not tell the boss I don't know what happened I swear" - because, honestly, we do know the difference between an accident and a manually-typed URL to "hotwetteenswithliveninjabaconsquids.com"
Because, you see, we have numerous mostly harmless (if juvenile) coping mechanisms that normally allow us to not give a shit about any of that.
FUCK MICRO$OFT.
posted by loquacious at 1:38 PM on February 14, 2009 [5 favorites]
The fuck it doesn't. If it wasn't for the ability and freedom to snark at Micro$haft in any which way that pleases me - not excluding the use of juvenile character replacements as social commentary on the heaping mountains of fuck-off money Microsoft makes on the broken backs of the faceless corporate masses - if it wasn't for that, you'd end up with years or decades of pent up frustrations within your local Microsoft technical support engineer.
Have you really taken a good look at your Windows tech support type person? Take a really good, long look. That stiff, tense shrugged shoulder thing isn't because he or she is a socially-maladjusted nerd. That's what years of repressed rage does to a human being. They're rarely but a few moments away from taking a fire ax to every goddamn computer in the building.
Speaking as one of the highly over-wrought and poor thankless bastards who actually knows what the fuck PC LOAD LETTER means and exactly which printers would say it - you really don't want to put any roadblocks at all in the way of allowing us to express our frustrations, especially outside of work.
You don't like it? Tough.
You want your email and the ability to browse MetaFilter at work? You want us to look the other way when you spend 6 hours a day in Facebook, shopping, or playing Forum Wars or whatever it is you keep doing to that poor work computer? Suck it up, bucko. If we can deal with you calling us to replace the toner cartridge after we've shown everyone in the office how to replace it fifty times in and out of formal training sessions, if we can deal with yet another trojan, virus or hijacked browser because someone insisted on opening that infected MySpace link at work - I'm certain you'll all be able to deal with the mild rage venting inherent in the use of a dollar sign as a replacement for an S.
If not, don't come calling when IE on your work computer is fountaining porn pop-ups like some kind of smut geyser and expect us to "just fix it and not tell the boss I don't know what happened I swear" - because, honestly, we do know the difference between an accident and a manually-typed URL to "hotwetteenswithliveninjabaconsquids.com"
Because, you see, we have numerous mostly harmless (if juvenile) coping mechanisms that normally allow us to not give a shit about any of that.
FUCK MICRO$OFT.
posted by loquacious at 1:38 PM on February 14, 2009 [5 favorites]
I read that as live-in Jabba squids. Grosstastic.
posted by Lemurrhea at 1:57 PM on February 14, 2009
posted by Lemurrhea at 1:57 PM on February 14, 2009
mountains of fuck-off money Microsoft makes on the broken backs of the faceless corporate masses
I cant hear you over your Rage Against the Machine blaring in the background!!!
posted by damn dirty ape at 3:00 PM on February 14, 2009 [8 favorites]
I cant hear you over your Rage Against the Machine blaring in the background!!!
posted by damn dirty ape at 3:00 PM on February 14, 2009 [8 favorites]
I cant hear you over your Rage Against the Machine blaring in the background!!!
That's ok. I cross-linked your Exchange profile with your manager's about a month ago. He says you should get that growth checked out especially since he has been seeing your girlfriend.
posted by loquacious at 4:31 PM on February 14, 2009
That's ok. I cross-linked your Exchange profile with your manager's about a month ago. He says you should get that growth checked out especially since he has been seeing your girlfriend.
posted by loquacious at 4:31 PM on February 14, 2009
cornflakes cornflakes cornflakes cornflakes cornflakes cornflakes cornflakes cornflakes cornflakes
posted by zinfandel at 8:23 PM on February 14, 2009
posted by zinfandel at 8:23 PM on February 14, 2009
I think this is a pointless callout, but I also think that everyone who replaces the S in Microsoft's name with a dollar sign should get a week off per occurrence. It's not funny and it doesn't achieve anything.
Killjoy! What's next, banning for using Windoze or Internet Exploder ??
posted by iconomy at 1:33 AM on February 15, 2009
Killjoy! What's next, banning for using Windoze or Internet Exploder ??
posted by iconomy at 1:33 AM on February 15, 2009
Speaking as one of the highly over-wrought and poor thankless bastards who actually knows what the fuck PC LOAD LETTER means and exactly which printers would say it
If we can deal with you calling us to replace the toner cartridge after we've shown everyone in the office how to replace it fifty times in and out of formal training sessions
Everytime someone calls on you for help, you should be treating this as an informal training session/opportunity to educate your coworkers on your company's technology. Then, incrementally, your coworkers won't be such incompetents. One of the reasons people don't understand their own technology is because the shrugging "thankless bastards" silently troubleshoot each problem with the employee standing right there, not understanding what the hell is going on and why the thankless bastard is so upset. Again, please treat so-called stupid requests as opportunities to educate your coworkers on the technology they use.
The attitude I'm seeing in your response is the reason I avoid talking to IT and cluelessly try fixing everything myself.
posted by i'm being pummeled very heavily at 9:55 AM on February 15, 2009 [1 favorite]
If we can deal with you calling us to replace the toner cartridge after we've shown everyone in the office how to replace it fifty times in and out of formal training sessions
Everytime someone calls on you for help, you should be treating this as an informal training session/opportunity to educate your coworkers on your company's technology. Then, incrementally, your coworkers won't be such incompetents. One of the reasons people don't understand their own technology is because the shrugging "thankless bastards" silently troubleshoot each problem with the employee standing right there, not understanding what the hell is going on and why the thankless bastard is so upset. Again, please treat so-called stupid requests as opportunities to educate your coworkers on the technology they use.
The attitude I'm seeing in your response is the reason I avoid talking to IT and cluelessly try fixing everything myself.
posted by i'm being pummeled very heavily at 9:55 AM on February 15, 2009 [1 favorite]
IBPVH: Then, incrementally, your coworkers won't be such incompetents.
Loquacious: ...after we've shown everyone in the office how to replace it fifty times in and out of formal training sessions
From my personal IT experience, even if Loquacious was engaging in a bit of hyperbole, the kernel of truth that there will be some people who never get it is still there. Good IT people never give up patiently and respectfully trying to explain things, but your assuptions that everyone is trainable are off the mark.
posted by BrotherCaine at 1:41 PM on February 15, 2009
Loquacious: ...after we've shown everyone in the office how to replace it fifty times in and out of formal training sessions
From my personal IT experience, even if Loquacious was engaging in a bit of hyperbole, the kernel of truth that there will be some people who never get it is still there. Good IT people never give up patiently and respectfully trying to explain things, but your assuptions that everyone is trainable are off the mark.
posted by BrotherCaine at 1:41 PM on February 15, 2009
Speaking as one of the highly over-wrought and poor thankless bastards who actually knows what the fuck PC LOAD LETTER means
You and the other millions upon millions who have access to Google.
Computers are remarkable things. The information on how to resolve 95% of your problems is actually right there on your computer under the icon that says Help and Support. Make that 99.5% if you've got internet access.
So how is it that people are able to find the way to install all manner of silly backgrounds, crank up the screen fonts to the size of an elephant and install Bonzi Buddy on a weekly basis, but can't manage to install a basic USB printer?
posted by PeterMcDermott at 2:17 PM on February 15, 2009 [2 favorites]
You and the other millions upon millions who have access to Google.
Computers are remarkable things. The information on how to resolve 95% of your problems is actually right there on your computer under the icon that says Help and Support. Make that 99.5% if you've got internet access.
So how is it that people are able to find the way to install all manner of silly backgrounds, crank up the screen fonts to the size of an elephant and install Bonzi Buddy on a weekly basis, but can't manage to install a basic USB printer?
posted by PeterMcDermott at 2:17 PM on February 15, 2009 [2 favorites]
take your bbc and fuck off - spectrum reprazent.
mind you, the bbc's could go online............
posted by sgt.serenity at 7:05 PM on February 15, 2009
mind you, the bbc's could go online............
posted by sgt.serenity at 7:05 PM on February 15, 2009
Again, please treat so-called stupid requests as opportunities to educate your coworkers on the technology they use.
I do this, actually. I'm very good at helping people understand technology, and I've enjoyed it as a job. I've specialized in educational IT support.
I'm engaging in a lot of hyperbole, above, but it seems to have hit a little too close to home as it's being read entirely too straight. Granted, I have actually taken a fire ax to a loathsome computer, and I've also thrown other noisome offenders from great heights, but these were always very deliberate, planned acts that were more calm, symbolic moments than an unconscious fit, tantrum or spaz attack. Heck, we had a laptop pinata day at one job for the students who got stuck with a lemon laptop model that year. It was a huge success.
The attitude I'm seeing in your response is the reason I avoid talking to IT and cluelessly try fixing everything myself.
At least you're trying. If you're at least trying and showing some curiosity - you're not the sort of user I'd ever be frustrated by, and I've had people do some insanely, awesomely goofy stuff. One of my favorites still has to be the kid who couldn't get his laptop online so he gave himself a hard IP address - and it just so happened to be the IP address of our top router/switch which knocked the whole buildng offline. (Yeah, it's not supposed to do that - unknown bad configuration.) He came in the lab to the help desk and was milling around while we where trying to figure out what was going on until he overheard what IP addresses we were talking about then suddenly turned pale and bolted from the room shouting "Oh, shit! Oh shit oh shit! SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, sorrry, sorry" dopplering down the hall way as he suddenly realized that he was the accidental cause of the outage and ran off to yank his laptop from the network.
It's the people that somehow manage to totally shut off their minds the second they have to learn something about technology that bother me the most. It's really, really frustrating to try and teach someone when you can actually watch their eyes go glassy and attention goes right out the window.
I think one of the reasons why this is still acceptable in a modern office workplace is because office technology isn't inherently physically dangerous enough. There aren't physically painful lessons taught immediately when the user makes a mistake such as would happen when operating a car or heavy machinery. If people operated their cars, blenders or lawn mowers in with the same attitudes that some people operate their office computers, they'd probably have a lot less limbs.
Which is why I'm a strong advocate of advanced rapid prototyping and desktop manufacturing. When computer viruses start releasing payloads of endless streams of flesh-eating nanobots with frickin' lasers maybe people will start to pay attention to what they're doing on a computer.
posted by loquacious at 8:38 PM on February 15, 2009 [1 favorite]
I do this, actually. I'm very good at helping people understand technology, and I've enjoyed it as a job. I've specialized in educational IT support.
I'm engaging in a lot of hyperbole, above, but it seems to have hit a little too close to home as it's being read entirely too straight. Granted, I have actually taken a fire ax to a loathsome computer, and I've also thrown other noisome offenders from great heights, but these were always very deliberate, planned acts that were more calm, symbolic moments than an unconscious fit, tantrum or spaz attack. Heck, we had a laptop pinata day at one job for the students who got stuck with a lemon laptop model that year. It was a huge success.
The attitude I'm seeing in your response is the reason I avoid talking to IT and cluelessly try fixing everything myself.
At least you're trying. If you're at least trying and showing some curiosity - you're not the sort of user I'd ever be frustrated by, and I've had people do some insanely, awesomely goofy stuff. One of my favorites still has to be the kid who couldn't get his laptop online so he gave himself a hard IP address - and it just so happened to be the IP address of our top router/switch which knocked the whole buildng offline. (Yeah, it's not supposed to do that - unknown bad configuration.) He came in the lab to the help desk and was milling around while we where trying to figure out what was going on until he overheard what IP addresses we were talking about then suddenly turned pale and bolted from the room shouting "Oh, shit! Oh shit oh shit! SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, sorrry, sorry" dopplering down the hall way as he suddenly realized that he was the accidental cause of the outage and ran off to yank his laptop from the network.
It's the people that somehow manage to totally shut off their minds the second they have to learn something about technology that bother me the most. It's really, really frustrating to try and teach someone when you can actually watch their eyes go glassy and attention goes right out the window.
I think one of the reasons why this is still acceptable in a modern office workplace is because office technology isn't inherently physically dangerous enough. There aren't physically painful lessons taught immediately when the user makes a mistake such as would happen when operating a car or heavy machinery. If people operated their cars, blenders or lawn mowers in with the same attitudes that some people operate their office computers, they'd probably have a lot less limbs.
Which is why I'm a strong advocate of advanced rapid prototyping and desktop manufacturing. When computer viruses start releasing payloads of endless streams of flesh-eating nanobots with frickin' lasers maybe people will start to pay attention to what they're doing on a computer.
posted by loquacious at 8:38 PM on February 15, 2009 [1 favorite]
loquacious: Which is why I'm a strong advocate of advanced rapid prototyping and desktop manufacturing. When computer viruses start releasing payloads of endless streams of flesh-eating nanobots with frickin' lasers maybe people will start to pay attention to what they're doing on a computer.
Preach it, brother.
i'm being pummeled very heavily: Everytime someone calls on you for help, you should be treating this as an informal training session/opportunity to educate your coworkers on your company's technology.
Lord, it's plain you've never worked in IT support. Yes, you can educate people.. but only if they listen. And the vast majority of folks just. want. it. fixed. NOW!!! with the volume on "now" raising in direct correlation to self-perceived level of importance.
Do you have any concept how soul-destroying it is to have to fix the same. damned. problem fifty times a month, for the same five users? When they could fix it themselves in five seconds?
At this point, I reckon I'd take Sysiphus' rock any day -- ultimately, it would prove infinitely more satisfying, and a LOT less frustrating. And at least I'd be getting regular exercise.
posted by coriolisdave at 9:08 PM on February 15, 2009 [1 favorite]
Preach it, brother.
i'm being pummeled very heavily: Everytime someone calls on you for help, you should be treating this as an informal training session/opportunity to educate your coworkers on your company's technology.
Lord, it's plain you've never worked in IT support. Yes, you can educate people.. but only if they listen. And the vast majority of folks just. want. it. fixed. NOW!!! with the volume on "now" raising in direct correlation to self-perceived level of importance.
Do you have any concept how soul-destroying it is to have to fix the same. damned. problem fifty times a month, for the same five users? When they could fix it themselves in five seconds?
At this point, I reckon I'd take Sysiphus' rock any day -- ultimately, it would prove infinitely more satisfying, and a LOT less frustrating. And at least I'd be getting regular exercise.
posted by coriolisdave at 9:08 PM on February 15, 2009 [1 favorite]
If people operated their cars, blenders or lawn mowers in with the same attitudes that some people operate their office computers, they'd probably have a lot less limbs.
In America, 40000 die in the more than 5 million automobile accidents each year. An estimated 70000 injuries are caused by lawn mower accidents; hundreds of those accidents result in loss of limb(s) or death. And finally, sixty eight thousand blender accidents chop off 272000 digits and poke our twenty thousand eyeballs, or would if the numbers I just made up were true.
In short, people are stupid. Really, really stupid.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:19 PM on February 15, 2009 [1 favorite]
In America, 40000 die in the more than 5 million automobile accidents each year. An estimated 70000 injuries are caused by lawn mower accidents; hundreds of those accidents result in loss of limb(s) or death. And finally, sixty eight thousand blender accidents chop off 272000 digits and poke our twenty thousand eyeballs, or would if the numbers I just made up were true.
In short, people are stupid. Really, really stupid.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:19 PM on February 15, 2009 [1 favorite]
...One of my favorites still has to be the kid who couldn't get his laptop online so he gave himself a hard IP address - and it just so happened to be the IP address of our top router/switch which knocked the whole buildng offline...
Heh, been there, done that (well sort of). A company I was working for once moved into new premises and I couldn't figure out why the servers were all screwy every time I tried to boot them - all sorts of weird error messages about domain controllers and shit. Turned out that the organisation who moved out had left the fibre link that connected their old premises with the new place and we were trying to authenticate via their primary domain controller, which had the same name as ours - something unique like server01, if I recall correctly. While I was scratching my head over this, their network people were going berserk over the intrusion attempts that were coming from inside their own network, with something like 500 users screaming at them to get the network back on-line.
Good times, good times.
posted by dg at 12:39 AM on February 16, 2009
Heh, been there, done that (well sort of). A company I was working for once moved into new premises and I couldn't figure out why the servers were all screwy every time I tried to boot them - all sorts of weird error messages about domain controllers and shit. Turned out that the organisation who moved out had left the fibre link that connected their old premises with the new place and we were trying to authenticate via their primary domain controller, which had the same name as ours - something unique like server01, if I recall correctly. While I was scratching my head over this, their network people were going berserk over the intrusion attempts that were coming from inside their own network, with something like 500 users screaming at them to get the network back on-line.
Good times, good times.
posted by dg at 12:39 AM on February 16, 2009
I came here to say ¢ommodore
posted by Dr-Baa at 7:08 AM on February 16, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by Dr-Baa at 7:08 AM on February 16, 2009 [1 favorite]
Do you have any concept how soul-destroying it is to have to fix the same. damned. problem fifty times a month, for the same five users? When they could fix it themselves in five seconds?
Why yes, I work in a public library!
Actually, it's worse than that, some of our users refuse to use the online catalog because it's "too difficult" and you know what? It IS too difficult. It's poorly made, clearly shipped as soon as it worked with no regard for user interface design or even the fact that many library users are people with poor motor skills and or cognitive problems. If I were a patron in a public library who was faced with a new online catalog, hell I might make the librarian look up a book for me too [every few days] just to get the point across that forcing novice computer users to use terribly designed software is actually, in part, creating some of the nationwide "computers are hard" mentality that a lot of us have to deal with in our other daily jobs.
That and Internet Explorer and its array of cryptic error messages.
Every time we make people jump through hoops to learn how to use bad tools I feel like we're setting back the clock on technology learning another six months. I'm the most patient person when I'm teaching people how to use a mouse or how to hit "return" to go to a new line, but I won't tell them that this is how good software is supposed to work.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:03 PM on February 16, 2009
Why yes, I work in a public library!
Actually, it's worse than that, some of our users refuse to use the online catalog because it's "too difficult" and you know what? It IS too difficult. It's poorly made, clearly shipped as soon as it worked with no regard for user interface design or even the fact that many library users are people with poor motor skills and or cognitive problems. If I were a patron in a public library who was faced with a new online catalog, hell I might make the librarian look up a book for me too [every few days] just to get the point across that forcing novice computer users to use terribly designed software is actually, in part, creating some of the nationwide "computers are hard" mentality that a lot of us have to deal with in our other daily jobs.
That and Internet Explorer and its array of cryptic error messages.
Every time we make people jump through hoops to learn how to use bad tools I feel like we're setting back the clock on technology learning another six months. I'm the most patient person when I'm teaching people how to use a mouse or how to hit "return" to go to a new line, but I won't tell them that this is how good software is supposed to work.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:03 PM on February 16, 2009
You know what this Mac vs. PC debate is like? It's like masturbating in a darkened corner of a deserted church because you love the smell of hobo, wood polish, dusty wax, and pigeon shit. Exactly like that.
I guess what I'm saying is...find something less retarded to work yourselves into a frenzy about, jeez.
posted by turgid dahlia at 2:48 PM on February 16, 2009 [1 favorite]
I guess what I'm saying is...find something less retarded to work yourselves into a frenzy about, jeez.
posted by turgid dahlia at 2:48 PM on February 16, 2009 [1 favorite]
I guess what I'm saying is...find something less retarded to work yourselves into a frenzy about, jeez.
Not that I indulge in Mac v PC debates typically, but I spend up to twelve hours a day using computers, and some fraction of that time using bad UI. If I'm going to gripe about anything, it should be computer/UI design.
posted by BrotherCaine at 6:23 PM on February 16, 2009
Not that I indulge in Mac v PC debates typically, but I spend up to twelve hours a day using computers, and some fraction of that time using bad UI. If I'm going to gripe about anything, it should be computer/UI design.
posted by BrotherCaine at 6:23 PM on February 16, 2009
Thing is, it's only bad design if you're used to one thing and not the other. I think Ubuntu, for example, has an appalling UI and that Linuxes in general are completely counterintuitive, and OSX only marginally better (though indisputably prettier than anything else). But that's only because I've been raised on Windows. If the situations were reversed and I was a dedicated Machead, then I'd no doubt be staring at Vista in dismay. Not that I don't already, because Vista is a joke, but you see my point? Windows has a perfectly usable, productive and quite clever interface, but I only recognise this because I've been using it for however long. I can find my way around a Mac easily enough even though some things frustrate me royally, but after 6 months I wouldn't have a problem, and would likely be loving it.
posted by turgid dahlia at 6:43 PM on February 16, 2009
posted by turgid dahlia at 6:43 PM on February 16, 2009
Thing is, it's only bad design if you're used to one thing and not the other.
I'm really really not sure about this, but maybe I've just been teaching novice users for too long. I think that the differing OSes make assumptions about what a user needs that lead to certain behavior from the OS.
So in the PC world, and even moreso from Vista, the user seems to need safety first and then after that, a million configurable options. Techie users are happy with it because they're decent at customizing their environment, but out of the box, the thing pops up so many notifications that to a new user, they think the operating system is there to nag them to death and they don't understand, if the thing is so unsafe [many of these warnings have to do with danger they're in if they don't make it safer - phishing filter, Norton sibscription, whatever] why they're even using it.
In the Mac world, for a newer user, the assumptions are that you'll have a faster connection to the internet that's pretty much always on, and that you don't mind sacrificing some level of customization for easier to use features. The Mac assumes you'll use all its software and maybe not any other software which actually is okay for newer users. When you try to do something you don't have permission for, you just have to type in your password which most new users can get.
So I know that for techier people, really it's six of one and half dozen of the other. You go with what you know, or what you like or what's better for your job or hobbies. For newer users, simpler and less scary really is better. Like I think objectively better, and that's why I tell people getting their first computer to consider a Mac if they can afford it. A Dell PC would work, sure, but a Mac is less likely to toss up scary messages and seems, more of the time to be working with the new user, not against them.
So when anyone who knows their stuff has a preference, I'm always curious why, but when someone who has no idea what a computer really is, I try to nudge them towards something that is simpler.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:02 PM on February 16, 2009
I'm really really not sure about this, but maybe I've just been teaching novice users for too long. I think that the differing OSes make assumptions about what a user needs that lead to certain behavior from the OS.
So in the PC world, and even moreso from Vista, the user seems to need safety first and then after that, a million configurable options. Techie users are happy with it because they're decent at customizing their environment, but out of the box, the thing pops up so many notifications that to a new user, they think the operating system is there to nag them to death and they don't understand, if the thing is so unsafe [many of these warnings have to do with danger they're in if they don't make it safer - phishing filter, Norton sibscription, whatever] why they're even using it.
In the Mac world, for a newer user, the assumptions are that you'll have a faster connection to the internet that's pretty much always on, and that you don't mind sacrificing some level of customization for easier to use features. The Mac assumes you'll use all its software and maybe not any other software which actually is okay for newer users. When you try to do something you don't have permission for, you just have to type in your password which most new users can get.
So I know that for techier people, really it's six of one and half dozen of the other. You go with what you know, or what you like or what's better for your job or hobbies. For newer users, simpler and less scary really is better. Like I think objectively better, and that's why I tell people getting their first computer to consider a Mac if they can afford it. A Dell PC would work, sure, but a Mac is less likely to toss up scary messages and seems, more of the time to be working with the new user, not against them.
So when anyone who knows their stuff has a preference, I'm always curious why, but when someone who has no idea what a computer really is, I try to nudge them towards something that is simpler.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:02 PM on February 16, 2009
So in the PC world, and even moreso from Vista, the user seems to need safety first and then after that, a million configurable options...
Oh, yeah, I agree totally. That's one of the most annoying things to come along since Robot Chicken. Vista makes a lot of counterintuitive and frankly intrusive assumptions about how you want to use your computer. So, strictly speaking, yes, if I were to go out an buy a computer for, say, my elderly mother, it would be a Macintosh, principally because they are less frightening. In this thread, however, I was labouring under the premise that we are all relatively savvy in the ways of computers and internets, and thus the "it's easier to use!" argument dissolves slightly. I've never heard experienced drivers justifying their purchase of a car with automatic transmission because they're "easier to use" than synchromesh.
posted by turgid dahlia at 7:29 PM on February 16, 2009 [1 favorite]
Oh, yeah, I agree totally. That's one of the most annoying things to come along since Robot Chicken. Vista makes a lot of counterintuitive and frankly intrusive assumptions about how you want to use your computer. So, strictly speaking, yes, if I were to go out an buy a computer for, say, my elderly mother, it would be a Macintosh, principally because they are less frightening. In this thread, however, I was labouring under the premise that we are all relatively savvy in the ways of computers and internets, and thus the "it's easier to use!" argument dissolves slightly. I've never heard experienced drivers justifying their purchase of a car with automatic transmission because they're "easier to use" than synchromesh.
posted by turgid dahlia at 7:29 PM on February 16, 2009 [1 favorite]
"Easier to use" would include maintenance, would it not?
OS X requires no maintenance from me, and has not for the past three years.
I do not believe the same could be said of any Microsoft OS.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:51 PM on February 16, 2009
OS X requires no maintenance from me, and has not for the past three years.
I do not believe the same could be said of any Microsoft OS.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:51 PM on February 16, 2009
The...it's...gnnnn!
posted by turgid dahlia at 8:11 PM on February 16, 2009
posted by turgid dahlia at 8:11 PM on February 16, 2009
I do not believe the same could be said of any Microsoft OS.
I can say the same thing of every Windows installation I've had since '98.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:42 PM on February 16, 2009
I can say the same thing of every Windows installation I've had since '98.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:42 PM on February 16, 2009
Thing is, it's only bad design if you're used to one thing and not the other.
Not so sure that I agree with you there. I'm a died-in-the-wool PC user, but I still despair at the difficulty in doing some simple tasks, when I'm sure there could be an easier way, even if it meant not having eleventy-twelve different ways to arrange your menus. I don't use Macs much (or at all, in any meaningful way), but I'm constantly impressed by the way things just work. This is more the result, I think, of an environment that doesn't encourage every half-arsed developer to write software that sorta kinda works - Windows' biggest flaw, in my opinion, is the continuing pandering to millions of software developers who have got used to being able to launch crappy software then expect Microsoft to make an OS that will work around its shortcomings. It seems like a pretty clear upside to the lower popularity of Macs that pretty much any software you buy for it (because, of course, everyone's brother's mate doesn't have a burned copy of whatever application you want) will work and be seamlessly integrated. Maybe there is plenty of crappy Mac software too and I just haven't seen it ...
Plus, you know, that incredibly sexy hardware. it's a shame it's so expensive, because I wouldn't have anything else otherwise.
But you know what - I'm sitting here constantly battling pop-up windows spawning like crazed teenagers on ecstasy, all because I left an IE window open when I went out to dinner and left my connection active. I've got no Internet access when I connect to the wired network in my office (have to undock and connect to everything remotely if I want anything outside the building) and all sorts of weird shit is happening that IT can't figure out. Apple may have done some bad things, but they never created anything as bad as Internet Explorer - a bad thing that Microsoft is either unwilling or unable to fix. That alone is almost enough to make me turn.
posted by dg at 12:48 AM on February 17, 2009
Not so sure that I agree with you there. I'm a died-in-the-wool PC user, but I still despair at the difficulty in doing some simple tasks, when I'm sure there could be an easier way, even if it meant not having eleventy-twelve different ways to arrange your menus. I don't use Macs much (or at all, in any meaningful way), but I'm constantly impressed by the way things just work. This is more the result, I think, of an environment that doesn't encourage every half-arsed developer to write software that sorta kinda works - Windows' biggest flaw, in my opinion, is the continuing pandering to millions of software developers who have got used to being able to launch crappy software then expect Microsoft to make an OS that will work around its shortcomings. It seems like a pretty clear upside to the lower popularity of Macs that pretty much any software you buy for it (because, of course, everyone's brother's mate doesn't have a burned copy of whatever application you want) will work and be seamlessly integrated. Maybe there is plenty of crappy Mac software too and I just haven't seen it ...
Plus, you know, that incredibly sexy hardware. it's a shame it's so expensive, because I wouldn't have anything else otherwise.
But you know what - I'm sitting here constantly battling pop-up windows spawning like crazed teenagers on ecstasy, all because I left an IE window open when I went out to dinner and left my connection active. I've got no Internet access when I connect to the wired network in my office (have to undock and connect to everything remotely if I want anything outside the building) and all sorts of weird shit is happening that IT can't figure out. Apple may have done some bad things, but they never created anything as bad as Internet Explorer - a bad thing that Microsoft is either unwilling or unable to fix. That alone is almost enough to make me turn.
posted by dg at 12:48 AM on February 17, 2009
I've been doin' stuff....
Well, that's no excuse for being away so long, but I'll forgive you. This time ...
posted by dg at 12:52 AM on February 17, 2009
Well, that's no excuse for being away so long, but I'll forgive you. This time ...
posted by dg at 12:52 AM on February 17, 2009
Macs are clean, simple, and efficient. This makes for a great user experience, but can often prove cripplingly inflexible and prohibitively expensive.
Microsoft is just the opposite: Jumbled, cluttered, complicated. Lots of little, unseen nooks and crannies for the mice to hide until finally pooping that Hanta down your snoring gullet. Pro: You can do anything with your PC. Con: So can anyone else.
As far as design, the Mac has been the clear winner from the very beginning. I just wish there were more choice--and I don't mean colours.
posted by Sys Rq at 4:42 PM on February 17, 2009
Microsoft is just the opposite: Jumbled, cluttered, complicated. Lots of little, unseen nooks and crannies for the mice to hide until finally pooping that Hanta down your snoring gullet. Pro: You can do anything with your PC. Con: So can anyone else.
As far as design, the Mac has been the clear winner from the very beginning. I just wish there were more choice--and I don't mean colours.
posted by Sys Rq at 4:42 PM on February 17, 2009
Bambi fans note how well designed deer are with the big eyes and being cute and yiffable and Fibonacci compliant and deer are the Special Creature of The and Me and how that makes me special.
Godzilla stomps.
Evolution FTW.
posted by vapidave at 10:53 PM on February 18, 2009
Godzilla stomps.
Evolution FTW.
posted by vapidave at 10:53 PM on February 18, 2009
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Another ridiculous M$ idea: yes
posted by SteveTheRed at 9:58 PM on February 13, 2009