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h2odragon 5y ago
Our genuine joy and excitement about the minute details of subnetting or data compression or whatever; during those explanations often doesn't help either. I scare people when im enthused about something. Its a bitch.
karmelapple 5y ago
> Non technical people only have the patience to learn / listen to very basic concepts. I know many people who would consider themselves non-technical, yet who certainly take the time to learn complex concepts. Some of those are indeed technological concepts. > I try to give short simple examples because when I try to tell people the truth their eyes glaze over and their brain turns off while the nerd talks his techno jumble. The short simple examples you give are also truthful, correct? Perhaps the additional information you'd like to explain simply isn't needed for the other person's goal. A great way to have both technical and non-technical people's eyes glaze over is detailing all kinds of minute details before describing some of the high-level goals or giving context as to why you're getting so deep into the details. As you mention, simple examples can get a lot across, and can be a springboard to more questions being asked, to allow the other person to decide what depth of knowledge they would like to know. The non-technical person you're talking to may very well have the patience to learn the deep technical truth you'd like to explain, but they may have no reason to know it. In the scenario you're thinking of, you're doing the technical work, not them, correct? So why would they need to know deep technical details? A basic outline, with some corner cases pointed out, is likely all they need. Not because they don't have patience to learn what you're explaining, but because they have other things that are more important to their or your organization's success.
joeberon 5y ago
> Non technical people only have the patience to learn / listen to very basic concepts. What a stupidly arrogant comment. Have you not heard of philosophy, for example?
- davidivadavid 5y ago
  Or any non-STEM field...
- amusedcyclist 5y ago
  Yeah but we generally don't work with philosophers, we work with sales people and marketers. I respect their skill but they generally aren't the types to be interested in learning new things

[flagged]

Our genuine joy and excitement about the minute details of subnetting or data compression or whatever; during those explanations often doesn't help either. I scare people when im enthused about something. Its a bitch.

karmelapple 5y ago

> Non technical people only have the patience to learn / listen to very basic concepts. I know many people who would consider themselves non-technical, yet who certainly take the time to learn complex concepts. Some of those are indeed technological concepts. > I try to give short simple examples because when I try to tell people the truth their eyes glaze over and their brain turns off while the nerd talks his techno jumble. The short simple examples you give are also truthful, correct? Perhaps the additional information you'd like to explain simply isn't needed for the other person's goal. A great way to have both technical and non-technical people's eyes glaze over is detailing all kinds of minute details before describing some of the high-level goals or giving context as to why you're getting so deep into the details. As you mention, simple examples can get a lot across, and can be a springboard to more questions being asked, to allow the other person to decide what depth of knowledge they would like to know. The non-technical person you're talking to may very well have the patience to learn the deep technical truth you'd like to explain, but they may have no reason to know it. In the scenario you're thinking of, you're doing the technical work, not them, correct? So why would they need to know deep technical details? A basic outline, with some corner cases pointed out, is likely all they need. Not because they don't have patience to learn what you're explaining, but because they have other things that are more important to their or your organization's success.

joeberon 5y ago

> Non technical people only have the patience to learn / listen to very basic concepts. What a stupidly arrogant comment. Have you not heard of philosophy, for example?

davidivadavid 5y ago
Or any non-STEM field...
amusedcyclist 5y ago
Yeah but we generally don't work with philosophers, we work with sales people and marketers. I respect their skill but they generally aren't the types to be interested in learning new things