Tenchusatsu,<<<Regardless, shouldn't the "soothing voice" be the voice of Regis Philbin, asking "Is that your final answer?" Gotta use phrases that every American will understand, you know. <VBG> >>>
A lot of engineers (including those at Intel), a lot of macho type guys, SC Justice O'Connor, and other self absorbed types think lowly of people who may not understand what the self absorbed types view as easily understood.
This type of thinking is the cause of a lot of misery in this world. Let me give you just a few examples:
1.) Road signs that is obvious to those that travel the same road over and over again, but for those coming upon the sign for the first time there is enough ambiguity to cause the driver to pause or to miss a turn.
2.) Consumer products that seem obvious to put together by the engineers who designed the product, but require a Phd engineer (like Paul Engel) with a life time of engineering experience at an advanced engineering company (Intel) weeks to put together a small LAN for the home, a product put out by Intel engineers (actually I'm making a lot of assumptions on this example - but I'm not far off in principle).
3.) Confusing voting machines and ballots designed by idiots - but if you went to Stanford Law School and spent years on SCOTUS and you think you would have no problem understanding the instructions and wonder why anyone else who may be disoriented (voting for the first time perhaps), perhaps not paying too much attention, could possibly make a mistake and therefore deserve to lose their right to make their vote count.
4.) People who run airports who think that it is sufficient to tell every pilot that a certain runway is not be used, and by using it may cause death to hundreds of passengers, and to cite pilot error as the cause of those deaths - instead of putting up barriers so that that runway could not possibly be used.
My point is, if you are in a position to put signage on highways, manage airports, design consumer products, design voting booths and publish instructions on anything, when people, pilots, consumers, and other users make a mistake don't tell me it is user, consumer, voter, pilot, driver error - when you haven't done your job and eliminated all possiblities for error.
In the business world Intel and Microsoft are the worst offenders of this self absorbed engineering bs that I constantly run into.
As an example, when comparing MSN network software to AOL software:
I have installed and help to install Aol software for friends, neighbors, and relatives (I don't know how many times) - I have never encountered any problems.
But, with MSN software, I don't know how many times I have tried (maybe 6 to 10 times), I have always had trouble - with some kind of hardware/software conflict.
The same is true with email. I have stalled eudora, netscape, and one or two others (including shareware) and never had trouble - but MSFT Outlook, Exchange, or whatever they call their bs - there is always some problem.
The same is true with Intel - any time you have something to do with Intel software or have to install some consumer type hardware - it never works.
In contrast, 3COM products always works without a hitch - with Intel - you shouldn't even try if you don't have a phd in EE from MIT or Stanford. Even then, I don't think it would help much.
This has nothing to do with the election. George W. Bush is my President. I congratulate him, wish him luck, and will do everything I can to ensure he has a good Presidency.
My problem is with the self absorbed individuals who think that anyone else that ever makes a mistake with something they themselves (for whatever reason) have no problems with, that thos individuals are to be blamed, ridiculed, and should some how be penalized.
I am also not trying to imply that these self absorbed types are in any way more intelligent and are more competent than those they want to diminish - These types make all kinds of silly mistakes themselves - but when the shoe is on the other foot - they just don't see things the same way.
Mary |
