65 lines
2.9 KiB
JSON
65 lines
2.9 KiB
JSON
From: anand@qualix.com (Vinay Anand)
|
|
Subject: Technical Harrasment.
|
|
|
|
Here is something interesting I got from my friend
|
|
Rick Fadler at USWest NewVector Group.
|
|
|
|
-----------
|
|
|
|
|
|
What is
|
|
|
|
Technical Harassment
|
|
|
|
In our complex technical environment there are many opportunities for a
|
|
competent technical individual to be the subject of technical harassment.
|
|
Sometimes it can be so subtle that you may not even be aware you are being
|
|
harassed. Worse yet, you may inadvertently technically harass another person
|
|
by accident.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Following are some guidelines to help you determine if you are being
|
|
technically harassed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you are repeatedly asked the same technical question you may be the
|
|
victim of technical harassment. While it is most common to be asked the
|
|
question repeatedly within the same conversation, some instances have been
|
|
identified of habitual technical harassment. Habitual technical harassment
|
|
is not uncommon and has been known to exhibit group tendencies where members
|
|
of a group may ask the same question repeatedly. Untreated, these instances
|
|
of group technical harassment can continue for years.
|
|
|
|
If you are asked a technical question by a non-technical person and they do
|
|
not write your answer down it is likely the question is frivolous. Most
|
|
non-technical people are not capable of remembering a true technical answer
|
|
for more than 30 seconds.
|
|
|
|
If you are forced into a discussion where a person uses more than three
|
|
(3) buzzwords in one sentence the person is most likely a fake and you are
|
|
the unwitting victim of technical harassment. One note of caution, competent
|
|
technical people have been known to inadvertently use buzzwords after
|
|
reading mindless drivel like PC Week or LAN Times. If the person has been
|
|
known to use more common technical terms in the past such as "stuff" and
|
|
"things", they are most likely victim of computer magazine brainwashing.
|
|
|
|
If during a troubleshooting session a person uses the term "trick". For
|
|
example "maybe we could trick the database into thinking it has been
|
|
updated". This is a sure sign of technical harassment.
|
|
|
|
If a person explains that a needed feature will be provided by a vendor and
|
|
that person is nontechnical then you are at risk of being technically
|
|
harassed. If you believe that person you have definitely been technically
|
|
harassed, if you don't believe them you have only been technically annoyed.
|
|
|
|
If when trying to resolve a technical problem with a product from a vendor
|
|
and you are instructed to call the salesman that sold us the product you
|
|
are being set up for technical harassment. It is a common reaction for a
|
|
non-technical person when they have purchased technical equipment to call
|
|
another non-technical person. The dialogue between two nontechnical people
|
|
usually provides some sense of comfort that they aren't the only ones who
|
|
are confused.
|
|
|