Was workin' away, saw an IM window had opened underneath some of my other windows, it was from some co-worker or other I don't know face to face, said, "Hi Don, can I call you?"
We've corresponded briefly in the past. He had a question, I provided an answer. I might have questions for him too at some point. Apparently he wants something now.
But when I saw the message, at least ten minutes had passed. Meanwhile, no more IMs, no email, no call. What, is he waiting for an engraved fucking invitation?
When we have an internal IM service, internal email, and oh by the way I'm in an easily found cubicle too, it makes NO FUCKING SENSE to ask to use the telephone. Telephones are the WORST forms of communication known to man outside of smoke signals and out-of-context body language. If this person wants something, he can fucking well just go ahead and send a message or stop by, or just fucking call. That he IM'd for permission to call and is now sitting on his ass waiting for me to say okay just pisses me off. Fuck 'im.
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No, really. Telephones suck. I have to concentrate extra-hard to make sure I get what I'm being told, because speech is harder to follow than writing when the matter is at all technical. Especially true if disembodied (no facial movement etc). Especially true doubled if the disembodied voice has a foreign accent. Why even bother? Why waste the time? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?! WHY DON'T YOU USE THE TOOLS?!
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5 comments:
Silly man. He asked because if he wants to use the phone, it's probably a bit involved and could take some time and he didn't want to interrupt you if you didn't have the time right now. Quickly IM, get a yes or no in return. Plan accordingly. He doesn't know you're phonaphobic. That may be his preferred method of communication.
what AJ said, but also what D said, especially the have to concentrate extra hard, yadda.
Today I was on the second in a series of day long telecons. I am the only one on the phone; everyone else is in a conference room. You know how that can be. So I have to concentrate extra extra hard, especially when one guy starts up a side conversation with another guy and they're close to the phone while the main discussion is continuing and is further away and you have to go "Could the two of you talking about boats please take that outside of the room so I can hear what the other people are still saying, kthx."
So one guy wanted me to do something. I said, simply, "you'll put that into an e-mail, yes?"
"Well, what we're talking about is blah blah and we're referencing diagram zippety zigzagzow on the frommitzkablam."
Really, that's honest to god what he said.
I repeated, "Great, and you're going to write all that down, including the link to the diagram, and put that in an e-mail or document and send it to me, right?"
I could hear frustration in the guy's voice, "Uhhh, all we're talking about is giggety jibberjabber and we're using the diagram supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!"
"Yes, and that's what you're going to PUT INTO AN E-MAIL AND SEND TO ME BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL I CAN PROCESS WHAT YOU JUST SAID AND ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU NEED ME TO DO SO IF YOU'LL JUST FRICKIN' WRITE IT DOWN? THANK YOU!!!"
I may have been a bit sweeter in my request than that, but, trust me, that's what my mind was screaming.
Oh yes, done the very same. All those guys in a room in Austin or Tampere and I am NOT there and I have had to request email follow-up several times just so I can hear someone say yeah they'll do it. If it ain't written down it might not have been said at all.
Stuff like this reminds me why I like working for lawyers. Communication is always intelligent and efficient with the least disruption possible. I would go absolutely poastal if I had to deal with someone pestering me over IM asking if he could call.
I think he was just trying to be polite and asking if it was a good time to talk. I hate the phone too, but I think everyone's being kind of harsh on the poor guy. He meant well.
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