The following doesn’t apply to everybody in technology, but it applies to enough of them: At some point STEM education was the only thing the Olds cared about because of something something Asia, and now we have a couple of generations that are highly educated on paper and comically unaware of the complexity of the world outside of WordPress plugins.
I was going to say it’s not just technology executives. I’m glad the author addressed this too. It’s the whole industry.
People do this to ourselves too. How often do people see a tech nerd and think they’re some sort of all knowing demigod.
“You’re a tech guy. Here fix my thing.”
“Tell me about such and such complex topic complete outside of your niche professional expertise but you’re of the All Knowing so opine me your All Knowing wisdom.”
The number of times I’ve seen eyes glaze over after someone asked a question they shouldn’t have and didn’t want the answer to, is too damned high.
Also, sometimes, I’ll go into a ridiculous level of detail just to intellectually beat someone over the head with how much I know so they’ll stop asking questions. They seem to think they’re being clever and trying to “prove” that tech guys don’t know much more than the rest of the “tech literate”.
I’ll tell you, the amount of information in my brain from working IT support for a decade would make most people’s head spin for hours. And that’s not including the countless years of time in college, and doing personal/independent research, simply because a fancy new technology captured my ADHD hyperfocus.
I’ve gone from being a novice with a technology, discussing it with someone who seems to know a lot about the topic, to researching everything about it, and the next time I meet them, they don’t have half of the knowledge of the subject that I do by that point. It happens… A lot.
If you don’t want a lecture, and just want things to work stop asking questions, just tell me what you expect as the outcome and I’ll figure out everything in-between.
I was going to say it’s not just technology executives. I’m glad the author addressed this too. It’s the whole industry.
People do this to ourselves too. How often do people see a tech nerd and think they’re some sort of all knowing demigod.
“You’re a tech guy. Here fix my thing.”
“Tell me about such and such complex topic complete outside of your niche professional expertise but you’re of the All Knowing so opine me your All Knowing wisdom.”
Everybody just fucking stop already.
Well, let’s circle back on this idea and run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes it, because that idea sounds actionable.
Wanna have fun with a CEO? Play dumb and ask them to explain one of their acronyms. I had a guy near tears by the third acronym.
Why are you describing me so well?
The number of times I’ve seen eyes glaze over after someone asked a question they shouldn’t have and didn’t want the answer to, is too damned high.
Also, sometimes, I’ll go into a ridiculous level of detail just to intellectually beat someone over the head with how much I know so they’ll stop asking questions. They seem to think they’re being clever and trying to “prove” that tech guys don’t know much more than the rest of the “tech literate”.
I’ll tell you, the amount of information in my brain from working IT support for a decade would make most people’s head spin for hours. And that’s not including the countless years of time in college, and doing personal/independent research, simply because a fancy new technology captured my ADHD hyperfocus.
I’ve gone from being a novice with a technology, discussing it with someone who seems to know a lot about the topic, to researching everything about it, and the next time I meet them, they don’t have half of the knowledge of the subject that I do by that point. It happens… A lot.
If you don’t want a lecture, and just want things to work stop asking questions, just tell me what you expect as the outcome and I’ll figure out everything in-between.
But this kind of sounds exactly like the rationale these tech bros use to claim they know more than everyone and “these plebs just don’t understand”