Email

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.