Mar 18 2008

Whatever happened to initiative and common-sense?

Posted in Grumping

I love the net … but the longer I’ve been on it, the more I despair of people.

Something I’ve been aware of for a while, but which was brought home sharply to me today, is the way so many people want to be spoonfed. I’m not talking about asking for help with a program or a website or a piece of new technology when you hit a stumbling block, I’m talking about the basics. RTFM material. I’m talking about people who download a free application then ask how to use it – making it patently obvious that they haven’t even tried or looked – despite there being loads of information easily available. I’m talking about people who grumble like buggery at the lack of instant support for free applications. I’m talking about people who buy hugely complex and expensive pieces of software they don’t need because they’ve been brainwashed into thinking it’s the only app that will do the job … and then ask the most basic of questions which even a cursory glance at the manual or helpfile would have solved for them. A bit like buying a car and then asking how to turn the ignition on.

Frankly, I’m amazed that half these people can manage to put their shoes on the right feet.

Posted in Grumping

by Gill

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March 19, 2008 - 8:49 pm

ID - I don’t blame the net. Douglas Adams noted it clearly in ‘Mostly harmless’ with the character Wonko the Sane. But I’ve come across just what you’ve mentioned and felt dreadful temptation to unleash a £2 profanity string (thinking in terms of the 10p office swear-box, whose rules I always took delight in ignoring). But it would only give the blockheads another reason to dig their fat heels in and declare how unfair the world is, how they get abused for just asking a simple question. Sometimes, one feels a great deal of sympathy for Keats’ being “almost tired of men and things”. Yeah, I think that about covers it :D

March 22, 2008 - 2:56 pm

Gill - ” A £2 profanity string”? Oh, I am going to shamelessly use that one. Not that anyone at work will be surprised as I contribute 90% of the floor’s contributions to the swear box anyway! ;)

I don’t blame the net either (well, maybe a teeny bit!) but the net just gives more idiots more exposure and the constant growth of technology gives them more reasons (excuses?) to be a dimwit.

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