from Paul Graham's essay "Design and Research" at
http://www.paulgraham.com/desres.html
"Visitors to this country are often surprised to find that Americans
like to begin a conversation by asking "what do you do?" I've never
liked this question. I've rarely had a neat answer to it. But I think I
have finally solved the problem. Now, when someone asks me what I do, I
look them straight in the eye and say "I'm designing a new dialect of
Lisp." I recommend this answer to anyone who doesn't like being asked
what they do. The conversation will turn immediately to other topics."
I think Graham is talking about Arc http://www.paulgraham.com/arc.html
, a language he is working on.
·········@aol.com wrote:
> from Paul Graham's essay "Design and Research" at
> http://www.paulgraham.com/desres.html
>
> "Visitors to this country are often surprised to find that Americans
> like to begin a conversation by asking "what do you do?" I've never
> liked this question. I've rarely had a neat answer to it. But I think I
> have finally solved the problem. Now, when someone asks me what I do, I
> look them straight in the eye and say "I'm designing a new dialect of
> Lisp." I recommend this answer to anyone who doesn't like being asked
> what they do. The conversation will turn immediately to other topics."
Harhar, I bet it does :)
I can picture people giving me faces on this one...
--
Don't let school interfere with your education. -- Mark Twain
When I was at Oxford, we had the usual sherry party affairs
for post-graduates of different disciplines. One of the things
we learnt was never to ask what people did. At one party
I singled out an attractive woman and asked her "What are
you studying". "Late eighteenth century German romantic
poetry" she replied. The conversation rather dried up after that.
Mark
Mark Tarver wrote:
> When I was at Oxford, we had the usual sherry party affairs
> for post-graduates of different disciplines. One of the things
> we learnt was never to ask what people did. At one party
> I singled out an attractive woman and asked her "What are
> you studying". "Late eighteenth century German romantic
> poetry" she replied. The conversation rather dried up after that.
>
> Mark
Attractive women at Oxford?!
Mark Tarver wrote:
> When I was at Oxford, we had the usual sherry party affairs
> for post-graduates of different disciplines. One of the things
> we learnt was never to ask what people did. At one party
> I singled out an attractive woman and asked her "What are
> you studying". "Late eighteenth century German romantic
> poetry" she replied. The conversation rather dried up after that.
There's nothing wrong with German romantic poetry... You don't
happen to have her phone number? ;)
--
Don't let school interfere with your education. -- Mark Twain
"Mark Tarver" <··········@ukonline.co.uk> wrote in
·····························@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
> When I was at Oxford, we had the usual sherry party affairs
> for post-graduates of different disciplines. One of the things
> we learnt was never to ask what people did. At one party
> I singled out an attractive woman and asked her "What are
> you studying". "Late eighteenth century German romantic
> poetry" she replied. The conversation rather dried up after that.
>
> Mark
>
Did you offer to show her your Longfellow?
(apologies to Rodney Dangerfield...)
P.
·········@aol.com wrote:
> from Paul Graham's essay "Design and Research" at
> http://www.paulgraham.com/desres.html
>
> "Visitors to this country are often surprised to find that Americans
> like to begin a conversation by asking "what do you do?" I've never
> liked this question. I've rarely had a neat answer to it. But I think
I
> have finally solved the problem. Now, when someone asks me what I do,
I
> look them straight in the eye and say "I'm designing a new dialect of
> Lisp." I recommend this answer to anyone who doesn't like being asked
> what they do. The conversation will turn immediately to other
topics."
they're too embarassed to ask him what's taking so long ;-)
> "Visitors to this country are often surprised to find that Americans
> like to begin a conversation by asking "what do you do?" I've never
> liked this question. I've rarely had a neat answer to it....
"I collect garbage" usually works for me.
Will
> "I collect garbage" usually works for me.
It seems that this problem is not unique to our profession.
When I moved to a new house, I asked my neighbour this same question.
He answered "I take out the garbage".
Weeks later, I finally found out that he was a judge in criminal court.
On Wed, 18 May 2005 06:34:41 -0700, beliavsky wrote:
> "Visitors to this country are often surprised to find that Americans like
> to begin a conversation by asking "what do you do?" I've never liked this
> question. I've rarely had a neat answer to it. But I think I have finally
> solved the problem. Now, when someone asks me what I do, I look them
> straight in the eye and say "I'm designing a new dialect of Lisp." I
> recommend this answer to anyone who doesn't like being asked what they do.
> The conversation will turn immediately to other topics."
We get asked that question a lot in Australia too. Giving
deliberately obscure answers doesn't seem to work here though. I've
tried the following:
me: "I'm a computer guy"
other: "Really? I have a problem with (windows | my computer) hardware
maybe you can help me with"
me: "I'm a systems administrator and programmer"
other: "What does that involve" (no matter how bewildering the answer is
to them they still want more details. Hence the lisp answer won't work
here)
me: give an honest but intentionally bewildering answer
other: "Oh I see" *pause* "Say, I have a problem with (windows | my
computer hardware) maybe you can help me with"
me: "I'm a hacker"
other: "Really? C4n y0u 734c|-| m3 l337 $k|LLz?"
me: "That's not what a hacker really is..." *attempt an explanation*
other: *raises eyebrow doubtfully* "Maybe you can help me. I have a
problem with (windows | my computer hardware | my ex who I'd like to get
revenge on via a computer) that maybe you can help me with.
Sometimes I find it's better to get away with it by intentionally
misinterpreting the question. "What do you do?" can be answered by just
listing off your hobbies for example. Or reply with something
otherwise insignificant which would sound crazy as a response like "I
light fires". That sometimes works. But any mention of computers is almost
always followed by a plea for help and any response intended to be obscure
is almost always followed by a request for more information inevitably
leading to a plea for help.
> We get asked that question a lot in Australia too. Giving
> deliberately obscure answers doesn't seem to work here though. I've
> tried the following:
The producers of one movie I like recommend the following:
Them: "What do you do?"
You: "I'm into leather."
joelh
JH> The producers of one movie I like recommend the following:
JH> Them: "What do you do?"
JH> You: "I'm into leather."
Or, when talking to 'market researchers' in the street:
Them: "What do you do?"
Me: "Everything. *sniff* *roll eyes crazily*
Them: ....
Works for me.
Robert Marlow <··········@bobturf.org> writes:
> On Wed, 18 May 2005 06:34:41 -0700, beliavsky wrote:
>
>> "Visitors to this country are often surprised to find that Americans like
>> to begin a conversation by asking "what do you do?" I've never liked this
>> question. I've rarely had a neat answer to it. But I think I have finally
>> solved the problem. Now, when someone asks me what I do, I look them
>> straight in the eye and say "I'm designing a new dialect of Lisp." I
>> recommend this answer to anyone who doesn't like being asked what they do.
>> The conversation will turn immediately to other topics."
>
> We get asked that question a lot in Australia too. Giving
> deliberately obscure answers doesn't seem to work here though. I've
> tried the following:
>
> me: "I'm a computer guy"
> other: "Really? I have a problem with (windows | my computer) hardware
> maybe you can help me with"
>
> me: "I'm a systems administrator and programmer"
> other: "What does that involve" (no matter how bewildering the answer is
> to them they still want more details. Hence the lisp answer won't work
> here)
> me: give an honest but intentionally bewildering answer
> other: "Oh I see" *pause* "Say, I have a problem with (windows | my
> computer hardware) maybe you can help me with"
>
> me: "I'm a hacker"
> other: "Really? C4n y0u 734c|-| m3 l337 $k|LLz?"
> me: "That's not what a hacker really is..." *attempt an explanation*
> other: *raises eyebrow doubtfully* "Maybe you can help me. I have a
> problem with (windows | my computer hardware | my ex who I'd like to get
> revenge on via a computer) that maybe you can help me with.
>
> Sometimes I find it's better to get away with it by intentionally
> misinterpreting the question. "What do you do?" can be answered by just
> listing off your hobbies for example. Or reply with something
> otherwise insignificant which would sound crazy as a response like "I
> light fires". That sometimes works. But any mention of computers is almost
> always followed by a plea for help and any response intended to be obscure
> is almost always followed by a request for more information inevitably
> leading to a plea for help.
We need more Australians! :-)
--
__Pascal Bourguignon__ http://www.informatimago.com/
The rule for today:
Touch my tail, I shred your hand.
New rule tomorrow.
I can relate. Typically when I am asked what I do for work,
I reply "I work with computers". Generally this will be the end of
the conversation but those persistent people will ask "What do
you do with computers?". To this I reply "I am a UNIX admin".
99% of the time that is the end of the topic. On the rare occasion
that some asks "What is UNIX?" I reply "It's a type of operating
system". Nobody has ever gone past this point unless that know
what UNIX is.
"bruce" <··············@gmail.com> writes:
> I can relate. Typically when I am asked what I do for work, I reply
> "I work with computers". Generally this will be the end of the
> conversation but those persistent people will ask "What do you do
> with computers?". To this I reply "I am a UNIX admin". 99% of the
> time that is the end of the topic. On the rare occasion that some
> asks "What is UNIX?" I reply "It's a type of operating
> system". Nobody has ever gone past this point unless that know what
> UNIX is.
I work for a small company, so my role involves running a product
development team, pre-sales, marketing, collateral generation,
post-sales delivery, and anything else that comes up. Rather than
trying to summarize that in a sound bite, my response is "Larry Niven
wrote a story that included a character whose name was derived from
his job: Speaker To Animals. That's what I do."
Of course, the developers, salespeople, and customers all have
their own views on which of the others constitute "animals".
Regards,
Patrick
From: Marcin 'Qrczak' Kowalczyk
Subject: Re: explaining your job (Lisp humor)
Date:
Message-ID: <87sm0fmqxa.fsf@qrnik.zagroda>
"bruce" <··············@gmail.com> writes:
> those persistent people will ask "What do you do with computers?".
> To this I reply "I am a UNIX admin".
A eunuch's admin?
--
__("< Marcin Kowalczyk
\__/ ······@knm.org.pl
^^ http://qrnik.knm.org.pl/~qrczak/
On Sun, 22 May 2005 13:38:25 +0200, <······@knm.org.pl> wrote:
> "bruce" <··············@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> those persistent people will ask "What do you do with computers?".
>> To this I reply "I am a UNIX admin".
>
> A eunuch's admin?
Unix: you can't beat it.
--
With sufficient thrust, pigs fly fine.