Comments on: Idiot users and how to deal with them http://angryaussie.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/idiot-users-and-how-to-deal-with-them/ The original Mr Angry... Finding something to be angry about every day of the year Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:44:03 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Shankar http://angryaussie.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/idiot-users-and-how-to-deal-with-them/#comment-73078 Shankar Sun, 09 Sep 2007 15:45:57 +0000 http://angryaussie.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/idiot-users-and-how-to-deal-with-them/#comment-73078 Great post. An IT worker is unfit to give a demo because he goes by rules and not polity that the application addresses. The user's level of comprehension is the limiting factor of the presentation and you can never raise that level. I have often found that the ridiculous features (spelling, some control checks, override) attracts more attention/satisfaction than complex implementations. Great post. An IT worker is unfit to give a demo because he goes by rules and not polity that the application addresses. The user’s level of comprehension is the limiting factor of the presentation and you can never raise that level. I have often found that the ridiculous features (spelling, some control checks, override) attracts more attention/satisfaction than complex implementations.

]]> By: Best of Feeds - 62 links - design, humor, funny, programming, tips, howto « //engtech - internet duct tape http://angryaussie.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/idiot-users-and-how-to-deal-with-them/#comment-42269 Best of Feeds - 62 links - design, humor, funny, programming, tips, howto « //engtech - internet duct tape Mon, 21 May 2007 23:01:50 +0000 http://angryaussie.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/idiot-users-and-how-to-deal-with-them/#comment-42269 [...] [SUPPORT] Idiot users and how to deal with them (angryaussie.wordpress.com, 3 saves) [...] [...] [SUPPORT] Idiot users and how to deal with them (angryaussie.wordpress.com, 3 saves) [...]

]]> By: Mr Angry http://angryaussie.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/idiot-users-and-how-to-deal-with-them/#comment-29295 Mr Angry Sun, 04 Mar 2007 22:21:08 +0000 http://angryaussie.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/idiot-users-and-how-to-deal-with-them/#comment-29295 Sounds like totally justifiable anger, John, and this is the place for justifiable anger. I did try to balance the books a little with a post entitled "the worst IT worker in the world" that addresses some of the very issues you raise. Also, you answered your own question with "stupid is as stupid does". Sounds like totally justifiable anger, John, and this is the place for justifiable anger. I did try to balance the books a little with a post entitled “the worst IT worker in the world” that addresses some of the very issues you raise.

Also, you answered your own question with “stupid is as stupid does”.

]]> By: John http://angryaussie.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/idiot-users-and-how-to-deal-with-them/#comment-29292 John Sun, 04 Mar 2007 22:07:54 +0000 http://angryaussie.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/idiot-users-and-how-to-deal-with-them/#comment-29292 I go to work and fit hearing aids all day. When my main program cannot access a database I am up the creek. You all have no idea how us stupid users resent so many IT's that are santimonious, holier than thou, and live in some white castle of knowledge that is so high they never come down. Tell me what button to push, do not use terms that I don't know. I have never discussed recruitment, permanent distortion due to psychoacoustic disability to access residual hearing caused by an externa media infection that was a side effect from using a headset to you. But when my computer doesn't work I am out of service. Maybe my receptionist did put a snoopy screensaver on the thing but why can't someone develope a computer that just plain works. Why do IT folks think we are stupid? Stupid is as stupid does. We are just a product of our experiences. The problem isn't always between the seat and the monitor. Sometimes the problem is the inability of the person holding the receiver to their ear diagnosing the customer instead of the computer. We sure appreciate the attitude though. I know someone that cannot even type. He cannot feed himself. He has no physical disabilities. He cannot communicate much to me with any verbal articulation. He isn't stupid, he is my 6 month grandson and I hope he never calls his bread and butter stupid. You all sound like a bunch of weenies. If you shoot fish in a barrel, you will have a holy barrel. I recommend to just use a net. I go to work and fit hearing aids all day. When my main program cannot access a database I am up the creek. You all have no idea how us stupid users resent so many IT’s that are santimonious, holier than thou, and live in some white castle of knowledge that is so high they never come down. Tell me what button to push, do not use terms that I don’t know. I have never discussed recruitment, permanent distortion due to psychoacoustic disability to access residual hearing caused by an externa media infection that was a side effect from using a headset to you. But when my computer doesn’t work I am out of service. Maybe my receptionist did put a snoopy screensaver on the thing but why can’t someone develope a computer that just plain works. Why do IT folks think we are stupid? Stupid is as stupid does. We are just a product of our experiences. The problem isn’t always between the seat and the monitor. Sometimes the problem is the inability of the person holding the receiver to their ear diagnosing the customer instead of the computer. We sure appreciate the attitude though. I know someone that cannot even type. He cannot feed himself. He has no physical disabilities. He cannot communicate much to me with any verbal articulation. He isn’t stupid, he is my 6 month grandson and I hope he never calls his bread and butter stupid. You all sound like a bunch of weenies. If you shoot fish in a barrel, you will have a holy barrel. I recommend to just use a net.

]]> By: Mr Angry http://angryaussie.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/idiot-users-and-how-to-deal-with-them/#comment-28852 Mr Angry Tue, 06 Feb 2007 21:49:32 +0000 http://angryaussie.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/idiot-users-and-how-to-deal-with-them/#comment-28852 Aphra: that's an excellent illustration of a really important issue. It's an issue I feel like a really should address (really, really bad behaviour from IT people) but I haven't figured out the right way to frame it. Plus, while I'm in the trenches I have a tendency to lash at those who make my life a misery rather than the misery my cohorts inflict on others ;) Aphra: that’s an excellent illustration of a really important issue. It’s an issue I feel like a really should address (really, really bad behaviour from IT people) but I haven’t figured out the right way to frame it. Plus, while I’m in the trenches I have a tendency to lash at those who make my life a misery rather than the misery my cohorts inflict on others ;)

]]> By: Aphra Behn http://angryaussie.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/idiot-users-and-how-to-deal-with-them/#comment-28851 Aphra Behn Tue, 06 Feb 2007 21:28:50 +0000 http://angryaussie.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/idiot-users-and-how-to-deal-with-them/#comment-28851 Well, here's an idiot tech story. I sit, as I've said before, between the world-of-tech and the world-of-business. The world-of-tech has produced a manual to explain role profiling to the business users so that they understand why it's important. This is for the people whose day jobs are to make the money that pays all our wages. The manual is appalling. It misses out information about processes so the users still won't know what to do to make changes to roles, and it has pages of information about the back end systems which the users should not have to know about. There are chunks of the manual that <i>I</i> don't understand, so what chance to the poor business users have? To top it off the whole thing is written in ungramatical jargon and tech speak. But it's not the users who'll suffer, it's the tech peeps, because it is the tech peeps who will have to deal with the problems. So, "idiot tech peeps", say I, because they wouldn't know simple, grammatical English if they were hit over their heads with a jargon-free sentence, and they think it is the users who are stupid, not them. That's not what y'all wanted to hear, is it? Tell you what - I'll get me coat. Aphra. Well, here’s an idiot tech story.

I sit, as I’ve said before, between the world-of-tech and the world-of-business. The world-of-tech has produced a manual to explain role profiling to the business users so that they understand why it’s important. This is for the people whose day jobs are to make the money that pays all our wages.

The manual is appalling. It misses out information about processes so the users still won’t know what to do to make changes to roles, and it has pages of information about the back end systems which the users should not have to know about. There are chunks of the manual that I don’t understand, so what chance to the poor business users have? To top it off the whole thing is written in ungramatical jargon and tech speak.

But it’s not the users who’ll suffer, it’s the tech peeps, because it is the tech peeps who will have to deal with the problems.

So, “idiot tech peeps”, say I, because they wouldn’t know simple, grammatical English if they were hit over their heads with a jargon-free sentence, and they think it is the users who are stupid, not them.

That’s not what y’all wanted to hear, is it?

Tell you what – I’ll get me coat.

Aphra.

]]> By: Mr Angry http://angryaussie.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/idiot-users-and-how-to-deal-with-them/#comment-28842 Mr Angry Mon, 05 Feb 2007 22:55:12 +0000 http://angryaussie.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/idiot-users-and-how-to-deal-with-them/#comment-28842 Barney: thanks for the background on fish in barrels. And the "translation" problem is very real - it's what I spend most of my life as a BA managing. Barney: thanks for the background on fish in barrels. And the “translation” problem is very real – it’s what I spend most of my life as a BA managing.

]]> By: Look Alive. Here comes a buzzard. » Blog Archiv » Idiot users? Nope. Just unfair expectations. http://angryaussie.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/idiot-users-and-how-to-deal-with-them/#comment-28838 Look Alive. Here comes a buzzard. » Blog Archiv » Idiot users? Nope. Just unfair expectations. Mon, 05 Feb 2007 05:27:44 +0000 http://angryaussie.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/idiot-users-and-how-to-deal-with-them/#comment-28838 [...] Angry over at Angry 365 Days a Year wrote a post titled Idiot users and how to deal with them. I think he starts off in a good way but I’d like to add a few comments to his overall [...] [...] Angry over at Angry 365 Days a Year wrote a post titled Idiot users and how to deal with them. I think he starts off in a good way but I’d like to add a few comments to his overall [...]

]]> By: Barney http://angryaussie.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/idiot-users-and-how-to-deal-with-them/#comment-28837 Barney Mon, 05 Feb 2007 04:08:09 +0000 http://angryaussie.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/idiot-users-and-how-to-deal-with-them/#comment-28837 FWIW, I think that the original "shooting fish in a barrel" analogy had to do with the barrels of fish taken off a fishing boat. I don't think that there was any water in those barrels and shooting into the barrel would result in a guaranteed hit. As for "stupid users", it's been my experience that they understand the words and phrases we use in a different way than techies us them. Their pardigm is different. When we use a phrase it doesn't conjure up the same image to them as it does to us. Finding out that fact and then changing it so that they think of the same thing as we do is very time consuming, but the only way to make progress. If that is not done then they throw up their hands (or just throw up) and walk out while we can't understand why they are so "stupid". Not easy... FWIW, I think that the original “shooting fish in a barrel” analogy had to do with the barrels of fish taken off a fishing boat. I don’t think that there was any water in those barrels and shooting into the barrel would result in a guaranteed hit.
As for “stupid users”, it’s been my experience that they understand the words and phrases we use in a different way than techies us them. Their pardigm is different. When we use a phrase it doesn’t conjure up the same image to them as it does to us. Finding out that fact and then changing it so that they think of the same thing as we do is very time consuming, but the only way to make progress. If that is not done then they throw up their hands (or just throw up) and walk out while we can’t understand why they are so “stupid”. Not easy…

]]> By: Idiot users? Nope. Just unfair expectations. « Look alive. Here comes a buzzard. http://angryaussie.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/idiot-users-and-how-to-deal-with-them/#comment-28828 Idiot users? Nope. Just unfair expectations. « Look alive. Here comes a buzzard. Sun, 04 Feb 2007 15:49:11 +0000 http://angryaussie.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/idiot-users-and-how-to-deal-with-them/#comment-28828 [...] 2nd, 2007 Mr. Angry over at Angry 365 Days a Year wrote a post titled Idiot users and how to deal with them. I think he starts off in a good way but I’d like to add a few comments to his overall [...] [...] 2nd, 2007 Mr. Angry over at Angry 365 Days a Year wrote a post titled Idiot users and how to deal with them. I think he starts off in a good way but I’d like to add a few comments to his overall [...]

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