Things that annoy you beyond reason...(Vol 5)

[j_4m]

Robbo 27 said:

I have known the present Mrs Punto for 20 years, in all that time she has never made a cup of tea or coffee for me, she has only made about 10 for herself.

Last weekend, she was in the kitchen, I was in the garden, I asked her to make a cup of coffee to see what she said, I was amazed that she did make one. Worst cup of coffee I have ever had, only instant and black, wtf could go wrong. Its annoying to think that she might make a bad cup of coffee on purpose so that I wouldnt ask ever again.

...and the dog's water bowl was mysteriously empty

[TameRacingDriver]

People who can't follow basic instructions (seemingly MOST people nowadays).

I work in IT, and look after an entire office on my own. As such, it helps me if some people can help themselves with some of the more basic processes. Hence, I have written instructions for them to follow...

I have a lot of experience producing instructions that are clear and concise.... if you can actually read, there's no way you could get it wrong. They have been thoroughly tested (by me and several others), step by step, plenty of white space etc.... people STILL get it wrong!!!

For fk sake. Why is it so hard for some people to comprehend the most basic of task when the instructions are in front of you and its written in a manner that could be understood by a 3 year old baby?? Or is it that they feel themselves so important that they just can't be bothered to read it properly?!

[Fastdruid]

TameRacingDriver said:

People who can't follow basic instructions (seemingly MOST people nowadays).

I work in IT, and look after an entire office on my own. As such, it helps me if some people can help themselves with some of the more basic processes. Hence, I have written instructions for them to follow...

I have a lot of experience producing instructions that are clear and concise.... if you can actually read, there's no way you could get it wrong. They have been thoroughly tested (by me and several others), step by step, plenty of white space etc.... people STILL get it wrong!!!

For fk sake. Why is it so hard for some people to comprehend the most basic of task when the instructions are in front of you and its written in a manner that could be understood by a 3 year old baby?? Or is it that they feel themselves so important that they just can't be bothered to read it properly?!

I think this quote is relevant at this point

Rice_Cook said:

Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning.

[TameRacingDriver]

Very good

[Antony Moxey]

TameRacingDriver said:

People who can't follow basic instructions (seemingly MOST people nowadays).

I work in IT, and look after an entire office on my own. As such, it helps me if some people can help themselves with some of the more basic processes. Hence, I have written instructions for them to follow...

I have a lot of experience producing instructions that are clear and concise.... if you can actually read, there's no way you could get it wrong. They have been thoroughly tested (by me and several others), step by step, plenty of white space etc.... people STILL get it wrong!!!

For fk sake. Why is it so hard for some people to comprehend the most basic of task when the instructions are in front of you and its written in a manner that could be understood by a 3 year old baby?? Or is it that they feel themselves so important that they just can't be bothered to read it properly?!

When you say 'thoroughly tested', did you mean by fellow IT bods or the end user? If I've come unstuck with instructions in the past and asked the author they've often replied: 'yes, but that's reeeeeeeely basic, surely everyone knows that'. Sadly, not everyone in your industry knows the things you take for granted.

[captain_cynic]

Antony Moxey said:

TameRacingDriver said:

People who can't follow basic instructions (seemingly MOST people nowadays).

I work in IT, and look after an entire office on my own. As such, it helps me if some people can help themselves with some of the more basic processes. Hence, I have written instructions for them to follow...

I have a lot of experience producing instructions that are clear and concise.... if you can actually read, there's no way you could get it wrong. They have been thoroughly tested (by me and several others), step by step, plenty of white space etc.... people STILL get it wrong!!!

For fk sake. Why is it so hard for some people to comprehend the most basic of task when the instructions are in front of you and its written in a manner that could be understood by a 3 year old baby?? Or is it that they feel themselves so important that they just can't be bothered to read it properly?!

When you say 'thoroughly tested', did you mean by fellow IT bods or the end user? If I've come unstuck with instructions in the past and asked the author they've often replied: 'yes, but that's reeeeeeeely basic, surely everyone knows that'. Sadly, not everyone in your industry knows the things you take for granted.

Also working in IT... You can test instructions as much as you like, but you will still have that group of special users that couldn't pour water out of a shoe with instructions on the heel.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

TameRacingDriver said:

People who can't follow basic instructions (seemingly MOST people nowadays).

I work in IT, and look after an entire office on my own. As such, it helps me if some people can help themselves with some of the more basic processes. Hence, I have written instructions for them to follow...

I have a lot of experience producing instructions that are clear and concise.... if you can actually read, there's no way you could get it wrong. They have been thoroughly tested (by me and several others), step by step, plenty of white space etc.... people STILL get it wrong!!!

For fk sake. Why is it so hard for some people to comprehend the most basic of task when the instructions are in front of you and its written in a manner that could be understood by a 3 year old baby?? Or is it that they feel themselves so important that they just can't be bothered to read it properly?!

I've been in this situation, with clear instructions written by programmers for other programmers, on how to use core code that was used throughout the multi-team project (I was in the core team).

It got to the point where the Product Manager sent out an email to all programmers asking that, rather than coming to ask members of the core team how to do these things, could people instead point out where and how the instructions were defective or unclear so that they might be improved. There was a very marked decrease in questions after that.

(It was quite the most beautifully-worded and diplomatic way of saying "RTFM" I have ever seen. Especially since English was not his native language).

Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Wednesday 12th June 16:42

[Clockwork Cupcake]

captain_cynic said:

Also working in IT... You can test instructions as much as you like, but you will still have that group of special users that couldn't pour water out of a shoe with instructions on the heel.

[Drew106]

captain_cynic said:

Also working in IT... You can test instructions as much as you like, but you will still have that group of special users that couldn't pour water out of a shoe with instructions on the heel.

Think I've found something for the favourite phrases thread

[nonsequitur]

Hackney said:

nonsequitur said:

It's June. And my Central. Heating. Is. On.

Hi June

Hi Hacko.

[TameRacingDriver]

Antony Moxey said:

When you say 'thoroughly tested', did you mean by fellow IT bods or the end user? If I've come unstuck with instructions in the past and asked the author they've often replied: 'yes, but that's reeeeeeeely basic, surely everyone knows that'. Sadly, not everyone in your industry knows the things you take for granted.

Me and several end users. It literally explains in step by step instructions what to press on. I simply cannot imagine how you could fk it up unless you are either too arrogant to think you need to read and would rather you do it for them, or a special kind of moron, which brings me onto...

captain_cynic said:

Also working in IT... You can test instructions as much as you like, but you will still have that group of special users that couldn't pour water out of a shoe with instructions on the heel.

so true! If I could ‘like’ it i would!

[kowalski655]

captain_cynic said:

Also working in IT... You can test instructions as much as you like, but you will still have that group of special users that couldn't pour water out of a shoe with instructions on the heel.

AKA "The majority"

AstonZagato said:

This. My kids are worse than the wife. Even the three-pin plugs with USB ports disappear. They then ask if I have one.

My daughter's rabbit seems to have taken a liking to her cables,3 in a week at 1 point

[talksthetorque]

Don’t your company employ idiots to test this stuff on?
I was transferred from machine maintenance to process design when I was younger. I used to spend 80% of my time fixing the machine that ‘Dave’ constantly broke or put out of alignment. With the new role I just got ‘Dave’ to test my work instructions so they were idiot proof.
Cheers Dave.

[Cotty]

TameRacingDriver said:

People who can't follow basic instructions (seemingly MOST people nowadays).

I work in IT, and look after an entire office on my own. As such, it helps me if some people can help themselves with some of the more basic processes. Hence, I have written instructions for them to follow...

I have a lot of experience producing instructions that are clear and concise.... if you can actually read, there's no way you could get it wrong. They have been thoroughly tested (by me and several others), step by step, plenty of white space etc.... people STILL get it wrong!!!

For fk sake. Why is it so hard for some people to comprehend the most basic of task when the instructions are in front of you and its written in a manner that could be understood by a 3 year old baby?? Or is it that they feel themselves so important that they just can't be bothered to read it properly?!

Ok I have a response for you. Someone created one of those idiot proof guides and before circulating it to a large group of people asked if some volunteers could test it to see if it worked, I was one of those volunteers. Someone sat with me while I followed the instructions, we got stumped trying to install a second email address on my phone as the issued company phone was so basic I could not complete the task required even with the IT person helping me.

If you issue a simple instruction like "kick the ball" perhaps check that everyone has a ball to kick first.

[SpeckledJim]

IT bods (and techies in general) are notorious for writing instructions that users can't understand.

Suspicions that they do it on purpose to give them the chance to be all superior and condescending when asked for help are rife!

[deckster]

SpeckledJim said:

IT bods (and techies in general) are notorious for writing instructions that users can't understand.

Suspicions that they do it on purpose to give them the chance to be all superior and condescending when asked for help are rife!

That's why tech writers exist. Quite why people expect somebody who is good at coding to also be good at writing is beyond me; they're totally different skillsets.

[Dibble]

People still “signing” posts (Shed Driver, Bert Bert... I’m sure there are others).

fk. RIGHT. OFF.


Cheers

The Moose

[Clockwork Cupcake]

Dibble said:

Cheers
The Moose

[carguy45]

People telling you how to do your job. Especially ones who have absolutely nothing to do with it.

As part of my IT role, I sometimes have to facilitate major presentations for a group of a few hundred people in our office. There was one this week. I sent out some emails about it, scheduled everything, got the equipment ready, tested, all good to go. Figure as per usual I'll head out about 20 mins beforehand and make sure I'm there in case of any issues or queries.

2hrs before it starts, Mr X walks into our office. He's a bit of a weirdo low down the food chain who walks very slowly for no good reason, looks sheepish all the time and is considered a bit creepy by many of his female colleagues. He also talks slowly so even an average conversation can take twice as long as it should. Stands looming over my desk as he always does until I actually raise my head and address him, which he must construe as permission to speak.

"Can I help you?"
"Hmmmm. Just down about the presentation."
"What about it?"
"You're normally .......... out there by now."
"No, I'm not. It doesn't start for 2hrs."
"To get set up, I mean."
"I've already set it up."
"Hmmmm. .................Does it not need tested?"
"I've already tested it."
"Hmmmm.............. No issues then?".
"No."

• pause*

"So it starts in 2hrs?"
"Yes. Like I said. And the time is in my email also."
"Aaaah. ..............Sounds like you have it all in hand."
"I do. That's my job."

• silence*

I continue to stare at him until he turns round and leaves and then decide he must have felt like a walk.

[talksthetorque]

carguy45 said:

People telling you how to do your job. Especially ones who have absolutely nothing to do with it.

As part of my IT role, I sometimes have to facilitate major presentations for a group of a few hundred people in our office. There was one this week. I sent out some emails about it, scheduled everything, got the equipment ready, tested, all good to go. Figure as per usual I'll head out about 20 mins beforehand and make sure I'm there in case of any issues or queries.

2hrs before it starts, Mr X walks into our office. He's a bit of a weirdo low down the food chain who walks very slowly for no good reason, looks sheepish all the time and is considered a bit creepy by many of his female colleagues. He also talks slowly so even an average conversation can take twice as long as it should. Stands looming over my desk as he always does until I actually raise my head and address him, which he must construe as permission to speak.

"Can I help you?"
"Hmmmm. Just down about the presentation."
"What about it?"
"You're normally .......... out there by now."
"No, I'm not. It doesn't start for 2hrs."
"To get set up, I mean."
"I've already set it up."
"Hmmmm. .................Does it not need tested?"
"I've already tested it."
"Hmmmm.............. No issues then?".
"No."

• pause*

"So it starts in 2hrs?"
"Yes. Like I said. And the time is in my email also."
"Aaaah. ..............Sounds like you have it all in hand."
"I do. That's my job."

• silence*

I continue to stare at him until he turns round and leaves and then decide he must have felt like a walk.

That sounds like he's bricking it about his bit of the presentation. And if the IT bod thinks you're "a bit of a weirdo".......;)