6 ms·

I've found a fairly useful analogy that helps most tech people. If you're into cars and the analogy doesn't work, just think of something you need to know about

I've found a fairly useful analogy that helps most tech people. If you're into cars and the analogy doesn't work, just think of something you need to know about at some point, but probably don't know much about at all. Mostly this helps when a customer feels guilty about needing help, or someone in IT thinks "me > all" because they can enter a command line. I think of my role like this: Your average non-tech person probably feels about their computer the same way I feel about my car. I know nothing about cars. Usually I get my oil changed, but only because I have a repeating 3 month appointment based on 10 years of not getting it changed regularly. Bt even then, I sometimes forget. I now know I need to check tire pressure, but the place I buy my tires does that for me when I check in every two months. I know NOTHING about cars. The reality is, your average person is no more stupid for not knowing "technology" than you are for not knowing automobiles, or how an airplane works, or the nuances of ASEAN trade relations. You've specialized, even if it doesn't feel like a specialization because YOU see technology all around you. Guess what: someone specializing in US/China trade relations sees the impact of RMB undervaluation all around, too. And a nutritionist sees daily health decisions all around. And so on. So don't laugh because someone clicked a link to a pop-up ad when they thought they were closing the ad. Instead, help them fix their problem and, if appropriate, give them a pointer or two so they don't make the same mistake again. And absolutely have the patience with your customers that you'd want someone else to have with you, in your area of weakness. And if you don't think you have a weakness--if you think you're infinitely adaptable--I hope people around you have god-like patience, because you're probably wrong. But regardless, don't get superior: our skills are valuable, but so are other ones. The sooner you learn that, the better off you'll be.

lancewiggs 16y ago
If you are changing your oil every three months then you are almost certainly wasting money. You should trust the integrity of the oil change shop about as much as you would trust an 'SEO expert.' There might be good ones, but most are looking to maximize profit at your expense.
- eof 16y ago
  To be fair, oil changes are basically the best deal you can buy from a 'mechanic'. Besides, he may be commuting 25 miles to and from work in a 98 civic, in which case that would be a fine schedule.
- boredguy8 16y ago
  This is just multiplying my inhibitions :) It's a '94 Mercedes 500SL, so...better safe than sorry?
  - ams6110 16y ago
    Read the owner's manual. Are you using the type and grade of oil and filter they recommend? If you're getting your oil changed at Jiffy Lube, I can assure you that you are almost certainly not.
    - archon 16y ago
      I think you're doing a good job of proving the point. Advice from the 'guy who knows cars': Read the owner's manual. Are you using the type and grade of oil and filter they recommend? Listener response: I don't care. I just want the car to run. Advice from the 'guy who knows computers': Why are you still using IE7? Make sure you upgrade regularly. Listener response: I don't care. I just want to check my email and play Farmville.
      - pyre 16y ago
        True, but if your car starts making noises and you ignore them, it may be your own fault when your car breaks down in the middle of the freeway...
        moconnor 16y ago
        Is that somehow more your own fault than when, after months of ignoring the strange popups that appear when windows starts up, your virus-ridden computer finally grinds to a halt and fails to boot?
eof 16y ago
I agree with the take away, don't get superior. However, the relevancy of being an expert in emerging technology isn't really captured by your metaphor. Also it's definitely not that you're smarter, rather you are just familiar with the technology. And of course, tech draws a lot of smart people (as it's interesting and has probably the highest potential for financial reward for the most people).
Waywocket 16y ago
Broadly speaking, I disagree somewhat. I don't think there's anything I own without a working understanding of how it functions, or at the very least the ability and willingness to attain that understanding if required. If I owned a car, I might not learn how to strip and rebuild the engine, but I would learn how to check and replace any sensibly serviceable parts, and how frequently I needed to do things like an oil change - which I would do for myself. This generalises into other skills - if it's useful to my life, I'd much rather learn to do it to a passable level rather than get somebody else to do it (unless there's a significant risk attached). The only reason I'd be happy to be completely ignorant of something is if it holds absolutely no interest to me at all - which clearly isn't the case for anything I'm actually trying to do. I'm not claiming that this makes me a better person, and I'm not claiming I'm infinitely adaptable as you put it, but I do feel that there's a very real difference that goes well beyond simply having a different area of specialisation.
- daten 16y ago
  I agree. I don't expect people to become experts in cars or computers or anything else they use in their daily life that their job or safety may depend on, but I do have more respect for people that make an effort to learn the basics or try to understand what they're dealing with. I don't assume someone is stupid for being clueless about technology. I might assume they're at least a little lazy. When I started using computers in the 1980's I sat down with a 20 minute tutorial and learned the basics about the mouse, keyboard, interface elements, command line and components of the computer. I've met people that have spent years asking others for help with things I took less than half an hour to learn up front.
- krschultz 16y ago
  I don't know, I do a lot of work on both computers and cars, and I can understand why people want nothing to do with the internals of either. I was working on changing the oxygen sensor in my car this weekend, and it started raining. It is a major pain in the but when you have the car jacked up and the hood open and parts strewn about with tools and you get a random rain storm (I guess this is why I need a garage). I didn't finish the project and my girlfriend had to drop me off and pick me up at work yesterday. It would have been a lot better if I knew nothing about cars and just had a mechanic do it (hundreds of dollars extra aside). The same goes for computers. I can reformat a hard drive and go through a Gentoo install - but I haven't done that in years. I don't have time to deal with that stuff anymore so I want it to just work. It is an inconvience to stay up on it. Likewise, I know almost nothing about accounting or law. I have to do a little bit of both now for my startup, and I want nothing to do with it. I turn to people who know what they're doing and ask for help rather than dive into it. I am perfectly capable of learning it if I wanted to, but I just don't like learning it. Those guys come to me for car help and I go to them for legal advice. Everyone has different passions, and when you get busy it is easy to just delegate/ignore the stuff you don't like.

lancewiggs 16y ago

If you are changing your oil every three months then you are almost certainly wasting money. You should trust the integrity of the oil change shop about as much as you would trust an 'SEO expert.' There might be good ones, but most are looking to maximize profit at your expense.

eof 16y ago
To be fair, oil changes are basically the best deal you can buy from a 'mechanic'. Besides, he may be commuting 25 miles to and from work in a 98 civic, in which case that would be a fine schedule.
boredguy8 16y ago
This is just multiplying my inhibitions :) It's a '94 Mercedes 500SL, so...better safe than sorry?
- ams6110 16y ago
  Read the owner's manual. Are you using the type and grade of oil and filter they recommend? If you're getting your oil changed at Jiffy Lube, I can assure you that you are almost certainly not.
  - archon 16y ago
    I think you're doing a good job of proving the point. Advice from the 'guy who knows cars': Read the owner's manual. Are you using the type and grade of oil and filter they recommend? Listener response: I don't care. I just want the car to run. Advice from the 'guy who knows computers': Why are you still using IE7? Make sure you upgrade regularly. Listener response: I don't care. I just want to check my email and play Farmville.
    - pyre 16y ago
      True, but if your car starts making noises and you ignore them, it may be your own fault when your car breaks down in the middle of the freeway...
      - moconnor 16y ago
        Is that somehow more your own fault than when, after months of ignoring the strange popups that appear when windows starts up, your virus-ridden computer finally grinds to a halt and fails to boot?

eof 16y ago

I agree with the take away, don't get superior. However, the relevancy of being an expert in emerging technology isn't really captured by your metaphor. Also it's definitely not that you're smarter, rather you are just familiar with the technology. And of course, tech draws a lot of smart people (as it's interesting and has probably the highest potential for financial reward for the most people).

Waywocket 16y ago

Broadly speaking, I disagree somewhat. I don't think there's anything I own without a working understanding of how it functions, or at the very least the ability and willingness to attain that understanding if required. If I owned a car, I might not learn how to strip and rebuild the engine, but I would learn how to check and replace any sensibly serviceable parts, and how frequently I needed to do things like an oil change - which I would do for myself. This generalises into other skills - if it's useful to my life, I'd much rather learn to do it to a passable level rather than get somebody else to do it (unless there's a significant risk attached). The only reason I'd be happy to be completely ignorant of something is if it holds absolutely no interest to me at all - which clearly isn't the case for anything I'm actually trying to do. I'm not claiming that this makes me a better person, and I'm not claiming I'm infinitely adaptable as you put it, but I do feel that there's a very real difference that goes well beyond simply having a different area of specialisation.

daten 16y ago
I agree. I don't expect people to become experts in cars or computers or anything else they use in their daily life that their job or safety may depend on, but I do have more respect for people that make an effort to learn the basics or try to understand what they're dealing with. I don't assume someone is stupid for being clueless about technology. I might assume they're at least a little lazy. When I started using computers in the 1980's I sat down with a 20 minute tutorial and learned the basics about the mouse, keyboard, interface elements, command line and components of the computer. I've met people that have spent years asking others for help with things I took less than half an hour to learn up front.
krschultz 16y ago
I don't know, I do a lot of work on both computers and cars, and I can understand why people want nothing to do with the internals of either. I was working on changing the oxygen sensor in my car this weekend, and it started raining. It is a major pain in the but when you have the car jacked up and the hood open and parts strewn about with tools and you get a random rain storm (I guess this is why I need a garage). I didn't finish the project and my girlfriend had to drop me off and pick me up at work yesterday. It would have been a lot better if I knew nothing about cars and just had a mechanic do it (hundreds of dollars extra aside). The same goes for computers. I can reformat a hard drive and go through a Gentoo install - but I haven't done that in years. I don't have time to deal with that stuff anymore so I want it to just work. It is an inconvience to stay up on it. Likewise, I know almost nothing about accounting or law. I have to do a little bit of both now for my startup, and I want nothing to do with it. I turn to people who know what they're doing and ask for help rather than dive into it. I am perfectly capable of learning it if I wanted to, but I just don't like learning it. Those guys come to me for car help and I go to them for legal advice. Everyone has different passions, and when you get busy it is easy to just delegate/ignore the stuff you don't like.