Pet Peeve of the day

[HCHTech]

Should I / Is it / Will they something something "or Nah"?

It pains me to see all of the bad grammar so rampant on the internet, forums, knowledgebases, etc that I have to read every day, but this particular phrase for some reason makes me crazy. Not quite as bad as the untethered misuse of the word "loose", but that's another story. Man - is it Friday yet?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

When client says..."Quick question". I'm already rolling my eyes inside...because, in IT, there is NEVER....just a "quick question".

Or client says...."I want to get a laptop"...referring to personal/home. First...laptops are like...choosing a car/truck for someone, or choosing a pair of sneakers, etc..as far as "style"..for home users. Of course an IT guy knows there are ultrabooks, smaller/slim laptops, medium, medium large, large, full blown workstation grade, etc. Colors! Style! So the barrage of question I have for them...for which they'd prefer...yeah, so much for the "quick question".

Another PP... when IT guys called a NIC a "NIC Card". Makes me say "That's redundant!" NIC = Network Interface Card. Saying "NIC Card" is the same as saying "Network Interface Card Card".

 

[Sky-Knight]

Online grammar being a mess bugs me... but nowhere near as much as IT "professionals" that use the term VLAN to refer to an IP network.

VLAN is layer 2, IP network is layer 3! COME ONE PEOPLE!

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Go to a new client....touring the place, "Where is your server?" I'll ask....
Client says..."Server?"
Me "Yeah, the server..." <and I'll lead into a layman description...
...client...."Oh, the CPU.....that's over in the closet".

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Got another client where I have 3x Untangle units running at their different offices. The IT guy over there, for over 15 years, has insisted on calling it "Untangled". Be it via email to me, or on the phone.

Another client...they're in a 3x story old brick schoolhouse building, the "boss" lady over there insists on calling their wireless hardware "Ubiquitus". Couple of months ago she calls and tells me "We need to add more Ubiquitus up on the third floor". That day my tolerance of mis-spelling/pronunciation was low..so I said "Ubiquiti...the brand is UBIQUITI...with an "i" at the end. She says "whatever..."

 

[Sky-Knight]

Untangled is an autocorrect mess that sort of sticks. I had to train myself to laugh at it.

But yeah, we live in a very detail oriented world, and most people just don't care about that sort of detail no matter how silly it makes them look.

 

[Markverhyden]

I gave up a long time ago trying to use correct terminology with customers. All I usually get is the blank stare like they're in some kind of coma. On a side not it's my opinion that the Internet and computers have made massive contributions to these grammar failures. Heck, even autocorrect since many times it doesn't understand context.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Lol yeah, go ask Siri / Google about they're, their, and there... see how well it does.

 

[Markverhyden]

I install closed captioning phones for a company, which of course requires some training. When I'm demo'ing I'll use four, fore, and for as an example. A bit easier to use gestures to help explain.

 

[timeshifter]

I gave up a long time ago trying to use correct terminology with customers.

I need to also. One in particular drive me crazy referring to folders as files, try repeatedly to correct that.

 

[TazUk]

I've noticed recently that people confuse their Wi-Fi signal/speed with their internet speed. They will phone up saying they are working from home and it's really slow so you ask what's their internet connection is like and they will reply it's really good I've got 5 bars! I think this is down to the way ISP's advertise their products in the UK now. They've gone from saying they have the fastest/most reliable broadband to having the fastest/most reliable Wi-Fi. Inferring that if your home Wi-Fi is poor then it's down to your ISP and changing to them will solve the problem.

BT are advertising their "Unbreakable Wi-Fi" which shows a woman watching a video that starts buffering, she then exclaims "The Wi-Fi's down" and starts attacking her router! Their solution to this problem is a 5G modem that attaches to the router, which of course has nothing to do with the Wi-Fi

 

[Markverhyden]

I've noticed recently that people confuse their Wi-Fi signal/speed with their internet speed. They will phone up saying they are working from home and it's really slow so you ask what's their internet connection is like and they will reply it's really good I've got 5 bars! I think this is down to the way ISP's advertise their products in the UK now. They've gone from saying they have the fastest/most reliable broadband to having the fastest/most reliable Wi-Fi. Inferring that if your home Wi-Fi is poor then it's down to your ISP and changing to them will solve the problem.

BT are advertising their "Unbreakable Wi-Fi" which shows a woman watching a video that starts buffering, she then exclaims "The Wi-Fi's down" and starts attacking her router! Their solution to this problem is a 5G modem that attaches to the router, which of course has nothing to do with the Wi-Fi

This stuff has been going on for years. I remember back in the dialup days when 24.4k was the standard. Then came 33.6k and 56k not long after. Of course all the companies were spouting about fast 56k was/is going to be. Buried down in the small print, like all internet speed claims "up to 56k".

 

[HCHTech]

Buried down in the small print, like all internet speed claims "up to 56k".

Ha - or interest rate advertisements "as low as X%". I took a couple of marketing / advertising classes in college. I took the second one because the professor was just a joy to be in the same room with, but the topic really made me want to take a shower afterwards. Psychological manipulation on a grand scale. I started life as a skeptic, I guess but those classes really solidified that mindset.

 

[NviGate Systems]

I ocasionally hang out in the r/computersupport on reddit, and you would be amazed at the level of tech savvy ness (NOT!!!) of people asking for help. When you ask them for more info, they don't give you full details.

You also find people doing what should be IT work and they hired someone who sorta knows tech. One guy was having an issue getting a webcam to be recognized after running the USB cable 40 feet. He got it working once I explained USB just can't work that far way, and told him to get a proper StarTech USB/Ethernet set.

We used to have a sign at work. You can pick any two of the follwing: Cheap, Fast, Good.

If it's Cheap & Fast, It Won't Be Good

If it's Cheap & Good, It Won't Be Fast

If it's Fast & Good, It Won't Be Cheap.

 

[Markverhyden]

Ha - or interest rate advertisements "as low as X%". I took a couple of marketing / advertising classes in college. I took the second one because the professor was just a joy to be in the same room with, but the topic really made me want to take a shower afterwards. Psychological manipulation on a grand scale. I started life as a skeptic, I guess but those classes really solidified that mindset.

I know what you mean. Prior to getting my MBA I took everything with a grain of salt. Now it's a giant bolder of salt. LOL

 

[Blues]

You also find people doing what should be IT work and they hired someone who sorta knows tech. One guy was having an issue getting a webcam to be recognized after running the USB cable 40 feet. He got it working once I explained USB just can't work that far way, and told him to get a proper StarTech USB/Ethernet set.

I will say as a fledgling support person I might have tried a long extension cable particularly if someone makes one for something like that and been scratching my head for a moment. Particularly if you can find a single USB extension that has the length you need the brains says if they make them this long you can run it this distance.