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Computer Jargon Too Difficult for Office Workers

slashflood writes "Most office workers find computer terms such as javascript and jpeg just as difficult to understand as a foreign language, according to a new survey. A poll of 1,500 staff by recruitment firm Computer People showed that three out of four wasted more than an hour every week simply finding out what some technical term meant. 'A massive 61% don't understand the difference between gigabytes, kilobytes and megabytes and as a result have sent e-mails with huge attachments that have blocked clients' systems.'"

22 of 601 comments (clear)

  1. Its not just computers. by suso · · Score: 5, Funny

    Its not just computer jargon that is confusing

    I still don't know what TPS stands for.

    1. Re:Its not just computers. by op12 · · Score: 5, Funny

      I still don't know what TPS stands for.

      Didn't you get that memo?

    2. Re:Its not just computers. by hetfield_guitar · · Score: 2, Funny

      And Uh, I'll go ahead and make sure you get another copy of that memo Mmmm, Ok?

  2. Abort mission, they have the port! by Namronorman · · Score: 5, Funny

    Has anyone else had a friend that works in an office enviroment that is extremely paranoid call you up screaming that the hackers have their port?

    --
    $fortune
    Tomorrow has been canceled due to lack of interest.
    1. Re:Abort mission, they have the port! by Rude+Turnip · · Score: 2, Funny

      I had someone get woried because they saw a vibrating banner ad that said "WARNING - Your computer is broadcasting its IP address!" My kingdom for a bottle of valium, please.

    2. Re:Abort mission, they have the port! by justforaday · · Score: 2, Funny

      I got one of those too. Thankfully the software that they sold me fixed that problem.

      --
      I'll turn into a supernova and burn up everything. Well I'll turn into a black little hole and you'll turn into string.
    3. Re:Abort mission, they have the port! by Mike+Keester · · Score: 2, Funny

      All your ports are belong to us!

  3. Have fun with it! by MudButt · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is why I like to throw in the term "flux capacitor" every once in a while when I'm explaining stuff to end users...

    1. Re:Have fun with it! by stlhawkeye · · Score: 5, Funny

      I do that, too. When there's too much technobabble jargon being bandied about in meetings, I said, "Do we have the 1.21 jigga watts for the flux capacitor?" At least one person always thinks I'm serious. I also frequently suggest that we solve any given problem by degaussing the main deflector dish or reversing the flow control to the plasma relay conduits.

      --
      "I have never won a debate with an ignorant person." -Ali ibn Abi Talib
  4. Well by Ikn · · Score: 5, Funny

    They don't seem to understand basic instructions, either. "Don't open any suspicious attachments, especially from someone you don't know." == "Open anything! It's fun! Oooh, pretty smileys!"

    --
    I know nothing
  5. Re:Article misses the point by MrAnnoyanceToYou · · Score: 2, Funny

    Erm. There were no studies cited by this article, making it even more laughable. Some guy in Wales says Office people have a hard time understanding ITSpeak. I say I have a hard time understanding a welsh accent in the FIRST place, so it's completely possible that if someone was discussing Network setup in Welsh I wouldn't even have anything to compare it to, seeing as NetworkSpeak is so foreign to even certain types of IT professionals.

    But regardless, it has no 'base' layer of knowledge, no gradation, and no real study... Now a study, I'd be quite interested in that kind of study.

  6. Jpeg png, javascript T-1 by Rinzai · · Score: 5, Funny
    GIF USB IT, Java Ethernet Perl. PHP? Jpeg bandwidth kilobyte, iPod Bluetooth nano buffer kilobyte!

    Visio, visio--powerpoint PCX GIMP tar c++ RAM. Outlook? Gigahertz!

    1. Re:Jpeg png, javascript T-1 by Mr.+Bad+Example · · Score: 4, Funny

      > Jpeg bandwidth kilobyte, iPod Bluetooth nano buffer kilobyte!

      You bastard, my mother is a saint!

  7. Re:Article misses the point by TurdTapper · · Score: 2, Funny

    Is it some UK term that I'm missing? Or is he just proving he is part of the statistics in his report?

    --
    A man with a gun is called a citizen. A man without a gun is called a subject.
  8. This'll Learn 'EM! by Legendof_Pedro · · Score: 2, Funny

    A massive 61% don't understand the difference between gigabytes, kilobytes and megabytes and as a result have sent e-mails with huge attachments that have blocked clients' systems.'

    Give 'em all 28.8k modems, that'll teach 'em!

  9. Re:Article misses the point by Soko · · Score: 2, Funny

    In a correctly managed facility, the IT guy's phone should almost never ring.

    Mine never rings. It's not because the lusers don't have problems, I've just instilled the correct level of fear in them - turned my fair share into "high protien animal feed slurry".

    Let me re-write your conclusion a bit:

    In a correctly managed facility, with correctly managed lusers, the BOFH's phone will never ring.

    Soko

    --
    "Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm." - Anonymous
  10. WTF is Excell? by razmaspaz · · Score: 4, Funny

    Excell - this helps to run programs on your PC

    What is Excell and what does this mean. I have never heard of it, but aparrently I should have it, because otherwise programs won't run on my PC.

    My favorite comment though was the PDF- a document that can be read on any PC. Oh yeah? Can it be read on the PC that doesn't have a PDF reader on it? Hmm!

    --
    I tried for 5 years to come up with a clever sig...only to realize that I am not clever.
    1. Re:WTF is Excell? by rtaylor · · Score: 3, Funny

      My favorite comment though was the PDF- a document that can be read on any PC. Oh yeah? Can it be read on the PC that doesn't have a PDF reader on it? Hmm!
      Yes, it can often be read on PCs without PDF readers. Strings is your friend.

      --
      Rod Taylor
  11. My Mother by Arandir · · Score: 2, Funny

    I was going to post about my visit with my mother and the argument we had over computers. Then I saw your post.

    My mother gives people legal advice without being a lawyer: "Save your money, here's a website that will make a durable power of attorney for you that you can print out and sign."

    My mother gives medical advice without being a physician: "Here, take these pills for your cold, they really helped my thyroid problem."

    My mother knows next to nothing about cars, but that doesn't stop her: "My check engine light came on, could you replace my alternator while you're down this weekend?"

    Building codes: "You don't need a building permit, it's just a porch!"

    My mother seems to know everything. Thanks to the wonderful technology of email forwarding, she now knows even more! "Barbara sent me this mail about how to prevent identity theft, so I scraped my signature off of all my credit cards and peeled off those magnetic strips."

    --
    A Government Is a Body of People, Usually Notably Ungoverned
  12. Re:Article misses the point by anotherone · · Score: 2, Funny

    Because they know how to use a question mark!

    --
    Username taken, please choose another one.
  13. Re:TPS Reports? by squidfood · · Score: 2, Funny
    I still don't know what TPS stands for.

    Just another Tango Lima Alpha, that's Whisky Tango Foxtrot.

  14. Changing the oil... by GungaDan · · Score: 2, Funny

    My sister's response when asked how often she had the oil changed in her car: "when it runs out."

    --
    Eloi are stupid, throw morlocks at them!