Ponzi says "Chris Pirillo was a smart ass."
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Wednesday, March 22nd, 2006
by ponzi
Oh boy, if you are going to write about what I think, please get it right. Context is important, especially in email. Just as important is our previous interaction on the subject at hand, Babe. Chris and I have different backgrounds when it comes to computer literacy. He has been online since the dawn of online babbling. I am fairly new to the scene, partnering with him only two and half years ago. I admit I can't always see which emails are spam , phishing or pharming ploys. If I have an email in question from my ”spam suspects” folder I'll forward it to Chris usually asking for clarification. I'm getting better at being able to detect the fakers. Still, there are a few I question. I'll frequently hear a sigh from across the room after he reads my forward. Followed by a “Babe, this looks like ass, can't you tell yet?”
This morning I sent him ”a suspect” that looked pretty real to me. It was a receipt for a payment made via PayPal. I didn't recognize the payee and clicked on the payee (I know I shouldn't click anything in the suspect folder!)who turned out to be legitimate. So, I forwarded the mail to Chris for a clarification.
His response: “Who's it from? :) C”
Just so you understand our “usual banter” his typical answer in email form is ”Spam. C” Since this response was in question form and had a smiley face I thought it was a legitimate question.
So I answered: “I don't know, do you know him?”
Then he laughs and gets up and comes to my computer and says:
” I was being Socratic, you know, answering a question with a question.”
I thought and said ”No, you're being a smart ass.”
It feels belittling to me for him to laugh or say things like “That's not even a good job, it looks like ass.” We've been over this time and time again. He says all “geeks” feel like this when they are helping people who are close to them with computer questions. Yet, it still doesn't make me confident to hear him laugh at my ignorance. Knowledge can be acquired. I'm working on it. Am I being too sensitive, after contemplation, yes – I was. Nonetheless, I think this very feeling – one of feeling ignorant – is why the majority of “ungeeks” don't ask the questions they need to ask. No one wants to feel stupid (even if they aren't) or get laughed at. All that being said, I know he wasn't maliciously trying to make fun of my ignorance. I'm just trying to get him to see things from a different perspective. Context has a lot to do with situations and thinking. For fun yaw ask him what the context of this pic is.
11 Comments
Anonymous
March 23rd, 2006
at 6:05am
You know…I really hate “tech guys” who pick on less tech saavy people, especially women. It's mostly insecurity — all of this “tech stuff” is pretty easy and they don't want anyone else to figure that out. Take that from a woman who's a software developer in the field for the last 14 years.
Just to help you out a little, if you get email that is suspicious and you don't know if it's legitate — you can always check it out over on http://www.snopes.com. It's an urban legend website that deals with crap that people send via their email. Check out the “What's New” section to see what's currently circulating.
And never, ever click a link you don't trust — sometimes a key-logger program will install on your system that records whatever information you enter such as passwords, account numbers, etc. Also, here's a good article on phishing scams if you're interested:
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-3000_7-6459186-1.html
Iggy
March 23rd, 2006
at 3:03pm
Actually many of us who consider ourselves geeks are fairly mellow with friends and family to a point. It's only after maybe the 80 millionth time we have taken our time to try and help and teach. That we normally start to snap or stop trying to help. As I mentioned previously. With some of the newer phishing emails it is getting a little harder to detect what is real and fake for most people.
Ponzi
March 23rd, 2006
at 3:09pm
True! It's hard to dechiper what's a real email from a legitmate business and which is a redirect sort of thing. I'm still learning all the ways to figure it out. Checking the sent from line is a good way. No – on behalf of… blah blah blah is ever real. Chris also taught me to hover over the link and see where it goes. It's always best to go directly to the site of the business rather than through an email. I'm making that a habit when I pay anything online or look at something secure.
Anonymous
March 24th, 2006
at 9:27am
Chris needs to find out what it's like without you. His ego is much bigger than he is. He's intelligent and I read his Lockergnome related stuff because it's useful but I don't like him or how he treats people.
Anonymous
March 24th, 2006
at 10:48am
Another wart on the picture entitled “Geeky Honey.” The smartass part of his personality (now that he's past 30) will never change. This is the voice of experience: daughter and daughter-in-law of a smartass man, long-time wife of a smartass, and mother of a smartass son. My husband's good qualities far outweigh the smartass parts, but the smartass sometimes gets the best of him. You are the one who will have to make up your mind whether the good parts of Geeky Honey outweigh the less-good parts because you love a guy who appears to be incredibly self-centered to us people in the Blogosphere, while you appear to be an absolute gem! This is especially important if you decide to have children because then you'll have to deal with the smartass as exemplar for your children's behavior. (Incidentally, my son's good qualities also far outweigh the smartass qualities, but sometimes it's a real trial). Gook luck Ponzi, you deserve the best!
Derek K. Miller
March 24th, 2006
at 1:48pm
While Chris's analogy to clothes is a good one, and I also understand how easy it is to be frustrated by other less-geeky people not spotting what seems obvious to a geek, in all aspects of life it is wise to be patient and to avoid sarcasm, especially with those who are not similarly sarcastic. It also helps to have kids — they'll put up with less B.S. and force you to be a better person with the other grownups in your life. At least that's been my experience.
Anonymous
April 29th, 2006
at 2:22pm
I am a technogeek-osaurus, but I don't flaunt my superior knowledge quite like that. I don't flaunt my knowledge, I share it.
BJ
Nolz
June 6th, 2010
at 11:22pm
I’m glad you’ve finally divorced him.
Congrats.
prowse
October 25th, 2010
at 3:23am
The point is, for me, I will help people with techy stuff no matter how many times they forget. Why? Because it reinforces my knowledge, or shows my lack of it, or polishes my ‘splainin’ skills, Lucy. My best example would be, reminding my Mom how to use the remote.
prowse
October 25th, 2010
at 3:26am
and on the same theme; Snopes.com works on a whole ‘nother level, too, Ponz; it was started and is still run by a still married couple.
prowse
October 25th, 2010
at 3:29am
And your pic has a wicketpixie called, and it dont show up. Is it a pic of a smart ass? Hope so!