Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: $Revision: 1.6.2.16 $; site ISM780.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ucbvax!decvax!yale!ISM780!darryl From: darryl@ISM780.UUCP Newsgroups: net.singles Subject: Re: Re: Showing Off (Athletics VS Intell Message-ID: <33100024@ISM780.UUCP> Date: Tue, 9-Jul-85 09:04:00 EDT Article-I.D.: ISM780.33100024 Posted: Tue Jul 9 09:04:00 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 13-Jul-85 11:42:39 EDT References: <1030@trwatf.UUCP> Lines: 30 Nf-ID: #R:trwatf:-103000:ISM780:33100024:000:1028 Nf-From: ISM780!darryl Jul 9 09:04:00 1985 Dear Net Landers: At my job I work on C compilers, for a software company that specializes in doing Unix ports. When I meet people socially, a frequently asked question is "What do you do for a living?" How can I answer without being boorish or boring? For example "What do you do?" "I write compilers." nobody outside the industry knows what that is... -- or -- "I am a computer programmer." "Oh, what does your company do?" "We sell Unix ports to OEMs." Huh? -- or -- "I am a computer programmer." "What do you program?" "I write language translators." "Like English to Russian?" "Sea? Do you work in Atlantis?" Sigh. -- and so on... -- How can I answer this without making them feel like they are stupid, but also avoiding the path "It's a very technical job, you wouldn't understand without a longwinded and boring discussion"? --No Introduction in LA (--Darryl Richman, INTERACTIVE Systems Corp. ...!cca!ima!ism780!darryl The views expressed above are my opinions only.)