I love end-users

RightIsWrong

Diamond Member
Apr 29, 2005
5,649
0
0
Why are non-techie people in techie roles?

So I'm dealing with this company about an issue we are having with the application and I am having to go through a "liaison" to get to the developers when I get this email:

RightIsWrong,

Is this a Windows Server 2003 Vista OS?


Best Regards,
Liaison at company
Sr. Application Engineer

I respond back that it is a Windows 2003 box and then I get this reply back:

Yes but is it Vista?

Best Regards,
Liaison at company
Sr. Application Engineer

Some days I wonder why I even get out of bed.

 

UnatcoAgent

Diamond Member
Oct 25, 1999
5,462
1
0
Why not just correct him initially? There is one thing I love more than end-users, it's people who expect them to know more than they should ;)
 

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
63,084
15
81
fobot.com
apparently there are not enough geeks to fill all the technical slots in IT companies, so they have to hire the non-geeks to be project managers
 

RightIsWrong

Diamond Member
Apr 29, 2005
5,649
0
0
Originally posted by: Steve
I want to see the rest of this communication. Do you correct him?

It is a her or I probably would have been a little more blunt. ;)

My response:

No. Vista is a separate desktop operating system. Windows 2003 is a server operating system.

The exact version that we are running is Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition w/ SP2.

 

UnatcoAgent

Diamond Member
Oct 25, 1999
5,462
1
0
Originally posted by: RightIsWrong
Originally posted by: Steve
I want to see the rest of this communication. Do you correct him?

It is a her or I probably would have been a little more blunt. ;)

My response:

No. Vista is a separate desktop operating system. Windows 2003 is a server operating system.

The exact version that we are running is Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition w/ SP2.

That's more like it...
 

newb111

Diamond Member
Oct 8, 2003
6,991
1
81
Originally posted by: RightIsWrong
Originally posted by: Steve
I want to see the rest of this communication. Do you correct him?

It is a her or I probably would have been a little more blunt. ;)

My response:

No. Vista is a separate desktop operating system. Windows 2003 is a server operating system.

The exact version that we are running is Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition w/ SP2.

What is this SP2 you speak of?
 

AmpedSilence

Platinum Member
Oct 7, 2005
2,749
1
76
Originally posted by: FoBoT
apparently there are not enough geeks that have people skills to fill all the technical slots in IT companies, so they have to hire the non-geeks to be project managers

fixed for you.
 

Cheesetogo

Diamond Member
Jan 26, 2005
3,824
10
81
I'd rather talk to a knowledgeable person with poor people skills than an idiot who does.
 

AlienCraft

Lifer
Nov 23, 2002
10,539
0
0
Originally posted by: newb111
Originally posted by: RightIsWrong
Originally posted by: Steve
I want to see the rest of this communication. Do you correct him?

It is a her or I probably would have been a little more blunt. ;)

My response:

No. Vista is a separate desktop operating system. Windows 2003 is a server operating system.

The exact version that we are running is Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition w/ SP2.

What is this SP2 you speak of?
DUH, TWO SPeed ! :thumbsup: :cool:

 

ric1287

Diamond Member
Nov 29, 2005
4,845
0
0
Originally posted by: AmpedSilence
Originally posted by: FoBoT
apparently there are not enough geeks that have people skills to fill all the technical slots in IT companies, so they have to hire the non-geeks to be project managers

fixed for you.

yeah, the first thing I look for in a technical position is the ability to bs around the water cooler. All that intelligence stuff is overrated.
 

AmpedSilence

Platinum Member
Oct 7, 2005
2,749
1
76
Originally posted by: ric1287
Originally posted by: AmpedSilence
Originally posted by: FoBoT
apparently there are not enough geeks that have people skills to fill all the technical slots in IT companies, so they have to hire the non-geeks to be project managers

fixed for you.

yeah, the first thing I look for in a technical position is the ability to bs around the water cooler. All that intelligence stuff is overrated.

People skills is not limited to nor is about bs-ing around the water cooler. It's more about phrasing things in ways people understand and being able to get ideas across. I know plenty of brillant programmer, but they are not people that I would put in front of a client. They just wouldn't be able to handle, besides they probably don't want to do it either (trust me, I've asked the programmers that I work with if they want to, most of the time the answer is no).

Also, being technically brilliant does not always make you business brilliant either. The same is true the other way also. You need someone who's half good at both to be in the middle.
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: RightIsWrong
Originally posted by: Steve
I want to see the rest of this communication. Do you correct him?

It is a her or I probably would have been a little more blunt. ;)

My response:

No. Vista is a separate desktop operating system. Windows 2003 is a server operating system.

The exact version that we are running is Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition w/ SP2.

Right. But is it Vista OS - on the client.

You know, is it Vista or not because if it is then I'm blaming it.
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: AmpedSilence
Originally posted by: ric1287
Originally posted by: AmpedSilence
Originally posted by: FoBoT
apparently there are not enough geeks that have people skills to fill all the technical slots in IT companies, so they have to hire the non-geeks to be project managers

fixed for you.

yeah, the first thing I look for in a technical position is the ability to bs around the water cooler. All that intelligence stuff is overrated.

People skills is not limited to nor is about bs-ing around the water cooler. It's more about phrasing things in ways people understand and being able to get ideas across. I know plenty of brillant programmer, but they are not people that I would put in front of a client. They just wouldn't be able to handle, besides they probably don't want to do it either (trust me, I've asked the programmers that I work with if they want to, most of the time the answer is no).

Also, being technically brilliant does not always make you business brilliant either. The same is true the other way also. You need someone who's half good at both to be in the middle.

Don't you get it! The engineers aren't good with people! So I take the documents from the engineers and fax them to the client! What is wrong with you people!!!!
 

ric1287

Diamond Member
Nov 29, 2005
4,845
0
0
Originally posted by: AmpedSilence
Originally posted by: ric1287
Originally posted by: AmpedSilence
Originally posted by: FoBoT
apparently there are not enough geeks that have people skills to fill all the technical slots in IT companies, so they have to hire the non-geeks to be project managers

fixed for you.

yeah, the first thing I look for in a technical position is the ability to bs around the water cooler. All that intelligence stuff is overrated.

People skills is not limited to nor is about bs-ing around the water cooler. It's more about phrasing things in ways people understand and being able to get ideas across. I know plenty of brillant programmer, but they are not people that I would put in front of a client. They just wouldn't be able to handle, besides they probably don't want to do it either (trust me, I've asked the programmers that I work with if they want to, most of the time the answer is no).

Also, being technically brilliant does not always make you business brilliant either. The same is true the other way also. You need someone who's half good at both to be in the middle.

But how do you "phrase things in ways people understand" if you don't know what the fuck you're talking about in the first place?
 

SSSnail

Lifer
Nov 29, 2006
17,458
83
86
Originally posted by: FoBoT
apparently there are not enough geeks to fill all the technical slots in IT companies, so they have to hire the non-geeks to be project managers

I recently turned down a 100K + bonus offer for a PM job.