Things you shouldn't have to tell people

[queen of the caramels]

Originally Posted by zman977

Another driving relate one, If you are following a line of several slow moving vehicles, tailgating the car at the end of the line and honking your horn will not get the line moving faster.

Especially as there's a passing lane less than 500 metres ahead.

[Christie]

Another car related one : if we have stopped in the middle of the road there is a better than even chance it is because WE can see something you, as the driver of the car behind us, cannot. Like a little old lady jaywalking across the road. Honking at us will not make us move forward and kill the little old lady I can assure you. How about instead of assuming the car in front of you has stopped just to annoy you, you might want to wait all of 5 seconds or so and see if there is a reason.

[JoeBentley]

Continuing the driving theme.

Listen I understand that some turns and intersections in this city have crappy visibility. And apparently the guy who does turning lanes was sleeping with the city designer of Norfolk's wife, because we don't have many of those either. I fully admit there are several intersection in this city where pulling out into them is like the "Leap of Faith" scene from the last good Indiana Jones movie.

However if you've already inched the hood of your car 3 or 4 feet into the intersection or road you're trying to turn onto... just go ahead and go. You're already blocking the opposing lane. I'm already either going to have to slam on my breaks or swerve quickly into the inner lane to avoid the half car length you've already taken of the turn.

There's one bad (and again to be fair really badly designed) stretch of road on my way home from work that driving in the right hand lane is like watching a videogame cinematic with Quick Time Events where at moments notice a message could pop up telling you to "Swerve Left to Not Die."

[JoeBentley]

OS Fanboys.

When someone goes to an open technical support forum and posts a question like:

"I'm having trouble doing/installing/configuring something in Windows/Mac/Linux."

It is not funny, cute, nor most of all useful to post:

"Uninstall Windows/Mac/Linux and install (insert fanboy's preferred OS here)."

[Ms. K]

Originally Posted by JoeBentley

OS Fanboys.

When someone goes to an open technical support forum and posts a question like:

"I'm having trouble doing/installing/configuring something in Windows/Mac/Linux."

It is not funny, cute, nor most of all useful to post:

"Uninstall Windows/Mac/Linux and install (insert fanboy's preferred OS here)."

In fact, it makes me want to reach through the screen and punch you, the OS fanboy, in the throat.

I get it, you don't like the particular OS I'm using. Then STFU, and let somebody who knows what they're talking about help me.

[Spamamander]

If I am walking to the back of the store with no name tag on, my purse in one hand and a packaged meatball sub in the other, I'm probably not working at that moment.

If I am wearing a hairnet and an apron that is covered in colored icing, I probably am not working in the accessories department.

[Ramblin' Dave]

Originally Posted by Christie

Another car related one : if we have stopped in the middle of the road there is a better than even chance it is because WE can see something you, as the driver of the car behind us, cannot. Like a little old lady jaywalking across the road.

I once had a friend who got hit by a car in just such a situation. She had right of way, the first driver in line at the red light stopped to let her cross, and the guy behind him pulled around and landed my friend in a wheelchair for a month six months of therapy before she could walk normally again. I never miss a chance to tell drivers that when they get antsy about a car stopped in front of them.

[Lainie]

When I am driving 48MPH in the right lane of the 3-lane interstate with my blinkers on, there's probably a reason for it*. Since there are two other lanes available to you, passing me would be a better solution than tailgating me.

*For example, perhaps one of my tires dissolved into shreds while I was driving down said interstate, and I am now driving on my "donut" temporary spare. In which case, the experience of the blowout, and having to call for help, and get the tire changed on the side of the interstate, and having to drive the remaining 100 miles home veeeery slooooowly, are probably causing me enough stress [never mind that I'm returning from a trip made necessary because of a family health scare], without you crawling up my bumper.

[zman977]

Originally Posted by JoeBentley

OS Fanboys.

When someone goes to an open technical support forum and posts a question like:

"I'm having trouble doing/installing/configuring something in Windows/Mac/Linux."

It is not funny, cute, nor most of all useful to post:

"Uninstall Windows/Mac/Linux and install (insert fanboy's preferred OS here)."

Another message board one, If I post a question on a message board, I'm talking about a certain radio board here. The propper responce is not to say, "who cares?" Obviously I care or I would not have asked the question. If you don't have an answer or know the answer than don't post a responce.

[DoubleNaughtSaleen]

A donut spare is just that--a spare to get you to a safer place & get a new tire. NOT a tire to drive on and on and on, passing me like I'm sitting still. Looks pretty funny when your spare goes flat.

[ganzfeld]

Originally Posted by JoeBentley

OS Fanboys.

I hear you on this. And the same for those OS fanboys who think it's funny when there's a problem with a machine during a presentation or at work: "That's what you get for using _______!" Prick.

[Salamander]

Originally Posted by JoeBentley

OS Fanboys.

That's all you needed to say really.

Having used 3 major type of OSs (Windows, Mac and a couple of Linux distros) I can state for the record that they've all got their strengths and weaknesses.

[JoeBentley]

And you know what's the worst part of it? Right now the big three OSes are probably at their best. Windows 7, Ubuntu Linux, and Mac OS X Snow Leopard are probably amongst the best system their respective companies (or organization in Linux's case) have ever put out and probably rate as amongst the best home operating systems ever developed. Yes they all have some annoying quirks but they are all stellar OSes. They have at times been periods where one OS was the clear winner but currently any of the 3 major operating systems will suit most users for most tasks.

But right now with Snow Leopard less then a month old, Windows 7 only a week away, and the newest version of Ubuntu less then 2 weeks away, all the OS Fanboys seem to be at their most Trollish and annoying. Sadly this is also time when, for the same reason, a lot of users are genuinely seeking help working out all the bugs and kinks that exist in any new OS.

[A Turtle Named Mack]

Originally Posted by DoubleNaughtSaleen

A donut spare is just that--a spare to get you to a safer place & get a new tire. NOT a tire to drive on and on and on, passing me like I'm sitting still. Looks pretty funny when your spare goes flat.

Yes, people should have learned by now, since the donut 'spare tires' started becoming so common in the late 70s. But we older folk - from mid 40s and older, I guess - remember when a spare tire was a real tire, just like the ones usually under your car. And when you rotated your tires, it was not just side to side, but a five way switch around all the different positions. If you got a flat, you could put that full-size spare on and go driving away at full speed - er, if you had not neglected your spare so that it was low on air.

[ganzfeld]

If you talk about people behind their backs, even the people you don't insult that way will assume you do. So it's not exactly the best way to win friends and influence people. (That's something my mom said that I've always remembered and should have always followed. She never cursed but I think if she had the week I've had, she'd probably say, "I'm so tired of rumors that I could just spit!")

[ganzfeld]

Originally Posted by Salamander

Having used 3 major type of OSs (Windows, Mac and a couple of Linux distros) I can state for the record that they've all got their strengths and weaknesses.

Exactly. I use all three major platforms most days and, as Joe said, they're all getting much better but they're also slowly getting more like each other.

[Christie]

Originally Posted by ganzfeld

If you talk about people behind their backs, even the people you don't insult that way will assume you do. So it's not exactly the best way to win friends and influence people. (That's something my mom said that I've always remembered and should have always followed. She never cursed but I think if she had the week I've had, she'd probably say, "I'm so tired of rumors that I could just spit!")

There's a wonderful old saying that covers this "a dog that will fetch a bone, will carry a bone". We tried to teach our kids this lesson but it does seem to be a hard one to learn.

I remember being on a bus once with a group of school girls (maybe aged 15-16) as soon as one of them got off the bus the others immediately started tearing into her. Of course as soon as the next one got off the bus the others did the same thing to her. It made me wonder if the girls realised that ALL of them were fair game for criticism and nasty innuendos or if they were all too thick to put two and two together.

[DemonWolf]

Originally Posted by JoeBentley

OS Fanboys.

When someone goes to an open technical support forum and posts a question like:

"I'm having trouble doing/installing/configuring something in Windows/Mac/Linux."

It is not funny, cute, nor most of all useful to post:

"Uninstall Windows/Mac/Linux and install (insert fanboy's preferred OS here)."

OTOH, he is actually doing you a favor. He has just bumped the thread up where someone could may see it and allowed you to wait a while and respond back, thus bumping the thread twice without falling afoul any "anti-bumping" policies.

[Insensible Crier]

Originally Posted by ganzfeld

If you talk about people behind their backs, even the people you don't insult that way will assume you do. So it's not exactly the best way to win friends and influence people. (That's something my mom said that I've always remembered and should have always followed. She never cursed but I think if she had the week I've had, she'd probably say, "I'm so tired of rumors that I could just spit!")

You be amazed at how strong denial can be. I had a couple of friends that used to bad mouth everyone whenever they weren't around. It bugged the hell out of me but I didn't say anything. It never once occurred to me that they did they same with me when I wasn't there. We then had a huge falling out and it then I started hearing that I was a target when I wasn't around. I was surprised but also not surprised.

[Lainie]

When we have scheduled time and a meeting room in which to conduct software testing that you asked me to participate in, you should either come to that meeting room at the designated time, or email me to indicate that plans have changed. I should not have to send you an email to find out why you didn't show up.

Originally Posted by DoubleNaughtSaleen

A donut spare is just that--a spare to get you to a safer place & get a new tire. NOT a tire to drive on and on and on, passing me like I'm sitting still. Looks pretty funny when your spare goes flat.

I did drive a long way on my donut, but that was because it was Sunday night and I wanted to get home to my local Goodyear store. But yeah, I see people just driving around on them, I guess because they're too broke to replace the tire.