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July 21, 2004
So ... yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Super-cool! LOL!
There are four communication quirks I've noticed that are very common to Microsoft peole. They're kind of funny.
- First, if you ask someone a question that requires any level of explanation (e.g., a what or how question), they will begin that explanation with the word, "so" followed by a one second pause. The "o" may be stretched to cover the second.
EXAMPLE:
Q: "What are you doing this weekend?"
A: "So ... we have plans to go to the San Juans and hang out with family."
Q: "How does LiveMeeting's pricing work?"
A: "So ... we're currently selling it on a services model instead of a straight shinkwrapped technology play." - Second, if you're explaining something to someone, 50% of the time that person will begin rapid-firing the word "yeah" at you. The frequency is about once every two seconds. On the one hand, it's a Good Thing because it conveys interest in what you're saying (the other person is clearly responding to you). On the other hand, it's a little disconcerting because the word "yeah" and its delivery convey the impression that the person has either a) digested everything you have said and is completely bored by it, or b) has already learned everything you're telling them from some other source, and is waiting for you to get to the damn point, already. It tends to hurry conversations, to say the least.
- Any given word can be souped up with the word "super." EVERYBODY uses "super" for EVERYTHING. It never stands alone, either - things are super-good, super-friendly, super-discoverable, etc.
- Acronyms abound. If you can express something in an acronym, it's expressed in an acronym. In fact, there are so many acronyms that there's a lookup tool on the company intranet to help newbies understand what the heck everyone else is talking about. I am not making this up.
Posted by Gavin Shearer at July 21, 2004 11:13 AM. Posted to MSFT.
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