You hit all the referents, but don't draw the conclusion

Post #80,685 by tseliot 2/10/03 4:52:12 PM Reply	You hit all the referents, but don't draw the conclusion the questions I asked them were so far below where they were, that it ANNOYED them to have to answer them...innate frustration of people who work in IT when it comes to trying to communicate a concept to someone who isn't at the level where they can UNDERSTAND said concept...so many people in IT suffer from such severe functional fixedness... So, what is your conclusion anyway? Sounds to me like, "I understand it, but I can't understand it." Okay, so you ostensibly started this post because you want to correct the "End Users Are Stupid" concept...then went on to document exactly why it existed. In my experience, if you want to correct the EUAS syndrome, you need to have a clear understanding between the parties involved that 1) some things are better left commanded than explained, and 2) don't take it personally when this happens to you. Unfortunately for sharp techies, they're usually on the sending end of this conversation, and get put in a bad light; equally unfortunately, they are on the sending end so often they have no ability to be on the receiving end. But IMO you don't correct the problem by changing #1--this leads to Dilbertian-scale operational collapse; instead you educate people (both techies and end-users) on #2. Sure, you can spend vast amounts of money, time and labor on helping salve the harsh realities of command-style communication, but it only goes so far before the return diminishes rapidly. Many fears are born of stupidity and ignorance - Which you should be feeding with rumour and generalisation. BOfH, 2002 "Episode" 10
Post #80,698 by cwbrenn 2/10/03 5:22:00 PM Reply	I understand the frustration... not the conclusion The conclusion being, "these end users are a pack of idiots." There is a difference between feeling frustration because your level of understanding is much higher than the people who are asking you for information, and reaching the conclusion that therefore, the people asking you for information have the collective brainpower of charred toast. One does not follow the other, the frustration involved has nothing to do with the fact that the end users are STUPID, it has to do with them not being where the the IT people are in terms of experience. "We are all born originals -- why is it so many of us die copies?" - Edward Young
Post #80,707 by boxley 2/10/03 5:43:32 PM Reply	well I have been accused of when asked the time I explain how to build a sundial. What I always ask (if I have time) probing questions to establish what they do know and always preface with If you know this please interupt and I will move on. thanx, bill will work for cash and other incentives [link\|http://home.tampabay.rr.com/boxley/resume/Resume.html\|skill set] questions, help? [link\|mailto:pappas@catholic.org\|email pappas at catholic.org]
Post #80,737 by tseliot 2/10/03 6:25:09 PM Reply	Ah, I get it now. And mostly agree. I would simply add the caveat that it's often unintentional from the perspective of the techie; the user perceives they're being talked down to and treated like a child. User: It's broken in this way. Tech: Fix it like this. User: Why? Tech: That would take hours to explain. User: So you think I'm stupid? It's even worse when the User hangs up (or walks away, etc) without saying the last line, just assuming it. Which is why I said what I did about education. The techs need to understand they're being perceived this way, and the users need to know it's par for the course and not personal. Some techs, unfortunately, are so tired of addressing this issue they've simply turned up their filtering system a notch or two to actively discourage addressing it. The easy way to do this is: yes, you are stupid, go away and stop bothering me. Then most businesses decide to put non-techs in between the two groups, and we approach Helldesk. Obviously, there are many variations on this answer. Many fears are born of stupidity and ignorance - Which you should be feeding with rumour and generalisation. BOfH, 2002 "Episode" 10
Post #80,782 by Silverlock 2/10/03 9:27:09 PM Reply	I've done help desk for years. The only way to stay sane is to think of yourself as a teacher of the uninitiated. And there are always more uniniiated. So you always get to be the teacher. How many lives per gallon? --Sign outside of various churches

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