Dealing with geeks must be hell for most normal people, particularly geeks who are also computer programmers. These folks lives are dominated by precision and a desire to eliminate ambiguity yet they often lack the social skills flexibility to be able to switch into the normal fuzzy, egocentric, ambiguous imprecise communication mode that most non-geeks are comfortable with. I sometimes think that anyone observing a typical geek conversation would think it torturous, strained and mostly unnecessary or not to the point.
To illustrate what I mean, here is an imagined conversation between a geek boy and a non-geek girl he wants to ask out for a date (it would be initiated by the girl obviously)
-Girl: so why should I go out with you?
-Geek: because I think I might like you and you might like me
-Girl: you don't seem too sure, let me ask you some questions..
-Geek: ok
-Girl: do you own a BMW?
-Geek: no
-Girl: do you have your own flat?
-Geek: no
-Girl: do you have a good salary?
-Geek: no
-Girl: ok, let me think about it, see you later.
-Geek: great, email me
Conversation ends..
Later the geek thinks to himself,
- I don't understand why she wouldn't go out with me, I own a software company worth 50 million, a house in the London, a house in France and a house in California, I pay myself £250,000 a year through dividends and I don't see why the hell I need a BMW since I already have 2 Mercedes, 2 motor bikes, a speedboat and a jeep for weekends?
It's all about the detail..
No comments:
Post a Comment