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From: linscomb@ut-ngp.UTEXAS (Thomas J. Linscomb)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re: Re: Showing Off (Athletics VS Intell
Message-ID: <2030@ut-ngp.UTEXAS>
Date: Mon, 15-Jul-85 03:44:15 EDT
Article-I.D.: ut-ngp.2030
Posted: Mon Jul 15 03:44:15 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 17-Jul-85 21:00:52 EDT
References: <1030@trwatf.UUCP> <33100024@ISM780.UUCP>
Organization: UTexas Computation Center, Austin, Texas
Lines: 38



darryl@ISM780.UUCP writes:
>
>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"?
>
>(--Darryl Richman, INTERACTIVE Systems Corp.

  A few pointers that I can think of are:
	1.  Think about your explaination before you start talking;
	2.  Use words and analogies that you think the person will under-
		stand;
	3.  Break up the explanation into digestable parts;
	4.  And probably most important, read the feedback that the
		person is giving you regarding your explanation.
------
linscomb@ut-ngp aka Thomas J. Linscomb
(I must feel talkative tonight, two followups in one night!)