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How Much Respect Do You Get?
droidlev asks: "In our continually fluctuating economy I have seen a drastic change in the level of respect that I receive. As a technician I've grown accustomed to a heightened level of respect when I walk into a client's office. Not to say that I have a God complex, however, it feels good to walk into a room and be appreciated. I'm passionate for the computer work that I do; I'm 'GEEK' for it. People know that I'm there to help and solve their problems. There is good amount of value in this extra level of appreciation and respect. This is especially true when you are developing business relationships (and of course it never hurts to be liked). In recent times, however, I've been cast in a different light; actually more like a darkened shadow. I am now seen as a necessary evil instead of the 'all powerful technician.' So I ask what your experiences have been, either as a computer technician or another professional? Have you seen a change in the level of respect that you receive?"
"Businesses are trying to save every penny they have. Unless something significant goes wrong, they handle a situation themselves. This only compounds the severity of a problem. By the time I get there, everything has gone to hell and I get a look (the it's-all-your-fault look) from every cubicle and every office. In the past, exceptionally dedicated service translated to loyal clients that didn't mind paying a little bit more. Once I was the problem solver, now it seems I am yet another flame to burn their money."
How much do respect do you get OUTSIDE the office?
The sad thing is, you can save the day, but in the end, you're still a 'computer geek'
When the IT staff starts nailing hot secretaries and interns, instead of goldchain wearing middle managers, you'll impress us.
I found I get more respect when I loudly shout "frist psot" as soon as I enter the room
Or, at the very least, mod points.
I can hear the standup routine now:
"The other day I was compiling a program. The compiler said there were 2 errors, 16 warnings, and 1 moron behind the keyboard. T'm telling you, I don't get no respect."
RIP Mr. Dangerfield.
Fascism trolls keeping me up every night. When I starts a preachin', he HITS ME WITH HIS REICH!
I've noticed one big difference. When a geek asks me what I do, I've been able to give the same answer since 1998: "I work full time for a company maintaining their sites with ASP and SQL Server." Here's a chronology of the responses:
.NET these days. Besides, you'll be laid off in a week just like me. And Oracle's the bomb, it's worth every penny."
1998: "What's ASP?"
1999: "ASP sucks, man. It's too hard."
2000: "Wow, can I learn ASP? How hard is it? Because I've never done computer work, but I hear it makes a lot of money."
2001: "Ha! ASP? You suck, that's so old-school. You won't have a job in a couple of years. I got a job at Pets.com making twice your salary, and I'm just a receptionist."
2002: "ASP sucks, man. It's all about
2003: "ASP sucks, man. It's all about PHP these days. And MySQL's the bomb. It'll have stored procedures any day now." (Sorry, just had to throw that one in.)
2004: "ASP sucks, man. It's all about J2EE these days."
2005: "Wow, you have a full time job? Because I'm a programmer and I can't find a job to save my ass."
What's your damage, Heather?
Being tall helps, too.
Seriously... I'm 6'5", which means that I'm taller than a good 95% of the people that I meet. I think that something in the reptilian part of the brain tells people to be cautious of people/animals bigger than themselves. As much as I hate to admit it, it's a cultural advantage that I was born with.
But, if this alone doesn't get your respect, you can also hold tree branches above your head to appear taller to predators. This works great in an office setting, and most clients never expect it!
"Quoting famous computer scientists out of context is the root of all evil (or at least most of it) in programming." - K
I also find that banging pots together and lighting fires will usually keep fellow office workers at bay as well. I'm just getting tired of having to tie my lunch to really high trees to keep them from bothering me in the first place.
The are no more Priests of the Temples of Syrinx (obscure Rush reference).
That's not obscure. If you called us all Narpets, or said that Rocinante finally made it through the other side, THOSE are obscure Rush references.
sorry for the nitpick, please carry on...
1980s--> Ridiculed Computer Nerd
/. love to romanticize about our geekiness, only us geeks appreciate it. Nobody else gives a shit about you or me except you or me.
1995 --> Socially Defunct Internet Junkie
1998 --> All-Powerful, Universally Loved and Admired Icon of Intellectual Prowess and Thinkgeek Humour
1999 --> Profit!!!
2000s--> Returning to Ridiculed Computer Nerd / Socially Defunct Internet Junkie
Sorry man... as much as we all here on
do() || do_not();
In the words of johnathan frakes: "Good god it's JUST A SHOW!"
Read jack phelps dot net
....one of my friends Dad said, "You can go anywhere in this world with a wave and a clipboard".
I was trying to imagine surfing a wave on a clipboard to get from point A to point B and thinking your friends dad was a total stoner, then _I_ stopped smoking the bong for a minute and realized that it is I that is the total stoner. Carry on.
music lover since 1969
My Grandma told me something similar. "You can go anywhere with a white shirt and a smile." Shortly after I followed that advice, I learned that "pants" should definitely be added to that list.
Be forewarned.
What we have here is a model of authority that is culturally implanted in each of us.
That's why I wear black SWAT BDU's, combat boots, and mirror sunglasses to work.
"I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
-Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)