My first encounter with computers was in 1971 when I decided to sign up for computer programming classes at the Electronic Computer Programming Institute (ECPI). I think that ECPI was one of the first computer training centers in the country and today ECPI University has degrees in everything from computers to nursing. From my first day at ECPI until today, I have absolutely loved computers. I spent most of the 1980’s as a Systems Engineer, traveling the world installing systems and teaching others to use them. I met my wife of more than thirty years while teaching systems operation in South Carolina in 1986.
Now that you know how much I love, and not hate computers, hopefully you will understand that my issues aren’t with computers and smart phones, but with the people who use them. You see, some of you people are making me crazy with how you use email, text messages and your cell phone. Here are just a couple of examples:
- Email Only Please – I really don’t like you people, you act as though talking is a crime or perhaps it’s like having a tooth pulled. You send everything via email because you think that it’s better to have everything in writing. Why is it that people can’t see that email in most cases is about as clear as mud! Not does email not clarify things, it often fosters misunderstandings. I’ve seen email threads that go on for days because people simply won’t either pickup or answer the phone. This despite the fact that the question or issue could have been resolved in minutes by having a verbal conversation. I think that many people like email so much because it allows them to say things that they would never say in a face to face or telephone conversation. Here’s an idea that we can all use; read your email a couple of times before pressing send, and if it’s not something that you would say to that person’s face, delete it. By doing so, you might keep a friend or better still not blow that big deal at work that you’ve been working so hard on for weeks.
- Next up are you “Reply All” people for which I am certain there’s a special place in hell. So, someone sends an email to a group of let’s say 30 people for an upcoming meeting and request that you RSVP. The appropriate response would be for everyone to reply, back to the person who sent the original email with a yes or no reply, but that almost never happens. More often than not, over half of the people to whom the email was sent will reply all. This means that the rest of the group will now get your message, as though everyone cares if you can make the meeting or not. This also means that the rest of us will get ten to twenty replies that we didn’t ask for and don’t really care about and now we have to delete. The reply all button should only be used if what you have to say is relevant to everyone listed, if that isn’t the case, then just reply, back to the originator. I once got an email from the Hispanic Agent’s Association that was sent to more than 300 people and took me 3 days before I could get myself removed. I had to delete several hundred emails because everyone kept replying to all. I know that for the most part there aren’t any rules when it comes to email, but at some point, common sense needs to prevail.
- Hang up and call back people – yes, you know who you are, and you’re going to be sharing that cell in hell with the reply all guy. I know that I can’t be the only person who hates it when someone calls my number and I’m either on the other line or busy doing something else that prevents me from answering and some idiot just hangs up and calls right back. Did it ever occur to you that there might be a good reason why I didn’t answer? The sole purpose for voice mail is so that if someone doesn’t answer you can leave a message. Sometimes the same person will hang up and call back two or three times and never leave a message. Now I know who it is because they come up on the call log, but I refuse to call them back simply because he/she is just so annoying. I know that we’re all important (at least in our own minds), but if you call someone and get their voicemail, just leave a message. If they want to talk to you, they’ll call you back and if they don’t, well hopefully you get the message the first time. By the way, if you get a busy signal, it’s ok to call back.
Like I said in the beginning, I love computers and technology in general, but technology is not a substitute for personal interaction or the use of good old, fashioned common sense. When I started this blog, my first article was about how my dad thought that TV would turn us into a nation of idiots, if only he was around to see what computers, cell phones and tablets have done to us.
I’m Just Sayin!