Dude...Like...Totally!



  • Had yet another candidate interview yesterday. Yet another frustration.

    The guy's resume was short. Barely a page with large font. That's ok though, since we're also looking to fill some Jr. programmer positions in the near future. If this guy knows his stuff, then cool. A resume is just a piece of paper anyways.

    Well, that's what I get for trying to rely on his communication skills.

    Every other word was "Dude...like...dude...like...dude...like..."

    This was mind-numbing. I don't recall anything he said beyond "dude" and "like". I couldn't tell you what languages he's programmed in, what any of his skills are...just that he's mastered the usage of these two words.

    Finally, I had to cut the interview short because we weren't getting anywhere. If this is how he is during the interview process, what is he like on a daily basis?!?

    Tell me, am I being to harsh? Is it too much to ask to communicate with complete sentences?
     



  • @CPound said:

    Had yet another candidate interview yesterday. Yet another frustration.

    The guy's resume was short. Barely a page with large font. That's ok though, since we're also looking to fill some Jr. programmer positions in the near future. If this guy knows his stuff, then cool. A resume is just a piece of paper anyways.

    Well, that's what I get for trying to rely on his communication skills.

    Every other word was "Dude...like...dude...like...dude...like..."

    This was mind-numbing. I don't recall anything he said beyond "dude" and "like". I couldn't tell you what languages he's programmed in, what any of his skills are...just that he's mastered the usage of these two words.

    Finally, I had to cut the interview short because we weren't getting anywhere. If this is how he is during the interview process, what is he like on a daily basis?!?

    Tell me, am I being to harsh? Is it too much to ask to communicate with complete sentences?
     

    Dude, like this story is like funny, dude.  



  • Dude that's like binary language...You know? like the Morse dude! 



  • @CPound said:

    I couldn't tell you what languages he's programmed in, what any of his skills are... 

    It sounds like you're interviewing for social skills and footwear and not for skills or potential.  If you can't tell what his skills are, then you're not doing a very good job as an interviewer...ok, he's annoying...and you let that get in the way of doing your job? 

    One of these days you're going to get someone truly spectacular through the door and you're going to be so focused on his septum piercing that you won't recognize it...or he'll be an old fuddy duddy...or she'll speak with a nasal twang that makes your hair curl...or >gasp< there'll be sandals involved.  You seem to have some preconceived notions of what a good dev should look/act like that doesn't seem to have much to do with their actual programming background/skills.

    -cw

     



  • @CPound said:

    Tell me, am I being to harsh? Is it too much to ask to communicate with complete sentences?

    Go and watch idiocracy.

    "Water? You mean like, from the toilet?"

     



  • @CPound said:

    The guy's resume was short. Barely a page with large font.

    Does this mean you like multi-page resumes?  Most of the resume advice I've seen says to avoid going over a page unless you have 10+ years of experience and moved around a lot.



  • @CodeWhisperer said:

    @CPound said:

    I couldn't tell you what languages he's programmed in, what any of his skills are... 

    It sounds like you're interviewing for social skills and footwear and not for skills or potential.  If you can't tell what his skills are, then you're not doing a very good job as an interviewer...ok, he's annoying...and you let that get in the way of doing your job? 

    One of these days you're going to get someone truly spectacular through the door and you're going to be so focused on his septum piercing that you won't recognize it...or he'll be an old fuddy duddy...or she'll speak with a nasal twang that makes your hair curl...or >gasp< there'll be sandals involved.  You seem to have some preconceived notions of what a good dev should look/act like that doesn't seem to have much to do with their actual programming background/skills.

    -cw

     

    "Should we host our application on an open-source platform like Tomcat or should we get a commercial product?"

    "Dude, like, web hosting, dude, like platform, like, dude!"

    "Yes, but should we go open-source or commercial?"

    "I told you!  Dude, like, web hosting, dude, like platform, like, dude!"

    Sometimes communication skills are important.

     



  • @newfweiler said:

    @CodeWhisperer said:

    @CPound said:

    I couldn't tell you what languages he's programmed in, what any of his skills are... 

    It sounds like you're interviewing for social skills and footwear and not for skills or potential.  If you can't tell what his skills are, then you're not doing a very good job as an interviewer...ok, he's annoying...and you let that get in the way of doing your job? 

    One of these days you're going to get someone truly spectacular through the door and you're going to be so focused on his septum piercing that you won't recognize it...or he'll be an old fuddy duddy...or she'll speak with a nasal twang that makes your hair curl...or >gasp< there'll be sandals involved.  You seem to have some preconceived notions of what a good dev should look/act like that doesn't seem to have much to do with their actual programming background/skills.

    -cw

    "Should we host our application on an open-source platform like Tomcat or should we get a commercial product?"

    "Dude, like, web hosting, dude, like platform, like, dude!"

    "Yes, but should we go open-source or commercial?"

    "I told you!  Dude, like, web hosting, dude, like platform, like, dude!"

    Sometimes communication skills are important.

    But you're still assuming he has no technical skills. What if it's this conversation instead?

    "Should we host our application on an open-source platform like Tomcat or should we get a commercial product?"

    "Dude, I like totally used Tomcat on my last project.  I was like, the admin dude for the Tomcat server and like, I like was in charge of like all of the xml configuration files.  Dude, Tomcat is like so awesome, it like totally compiles your JSP files into servlets on the fly Dude."

    "Okay, but are any commercial options better?"

    "Dude, like yeah there are some things that like Tomcat isn't good at..."

    I would pick him over someone who would reply "Tomcat? What pray tell is this 'Tomcat' you speak of?"



  • @burnmp3s said:

    Does this mean you like multi-page resumes?  Most of the resume advice I've seen says to avoid going over a page unless you have 10+ years of experience and moved around a lot.

    I think this is generally bad advice.  You want to be careful to not overwhelm the reader with useless info, but if you've done something interesting, by all means describe it in sufficient detail; don't go cutting things out just because you want to get under one page. 

    -cw



  • @burnmp3s said:

    I would pick him over someone who would reply "Tomcat? What pray tell is this 'Tomcat' you speak of?"

     Exactly my point.  If the guy doesn't know anything, then he doesn't know anything, move on.  But if he knows his stuff and you're just getting tripped up on him saying 'dude' a lot (or stuttering, for that matter), then you're doing him and your company a disservice.

    -cw



  • @CodeWhisperer said:

    It sounds like you're interviewing for social skills and footwear and not for skills or potential.  If you can't tell what his skills are, then you're not doing a very good job as an interviewer...ok, he's annoying...and you let that get in the way of doing your job?

    I'm not doing a good job as an interviewer? It's the candidates responsibility to communicate to me why our company should hire him. If you can't convey that information, it doesn't matter how "cool" you look with your birkenstocks or whatever the hell sandals kids are wearing these days. 

    @CodeWhisperer said:

    One of these days you're going to get someone truly spectacular through the door and you're going to be so focused on his septum piercing that you won't recognize it...or he'll be an old fuddy duddy...or she'll speak with a nasal twang that makes your hair curl...or >gasp< there'll be sandals involved.  You seem to have some preconceived notions of what a good dev should look/act like that doesn't seem to have much to do with their actual programming background/skills.

    I just have to ask. Why are people still doing the piercing thing? Wasn't that cool a decade ago? Shouldn't we be on to something new by now? I hate to break it to you CW, but the shock value of piercings was lost many years back. As a matter of fact, it's sad because these guys that come in have had these piercings and tattoos for so long that now they're older and their skin is all saggy and trust me, it doesn't look cool at all.

    @burnmp3s said:
    But you're still assuming he has no technical skills. What if it's this conversation instead?

    "Should we host our application on an open-source platform like Tomcat or should we get a commercial product?"

    "Dude, I like totally used Tomcat on my last project.  I was like, the admin dude for the Tomcat server and like, I like was in charge of like all of the xml configuration files.  Dude, Tomcat is like so awesome, it like totally compiles your JSP files into servlets on the fly Dude."

    "Okay, but are any commercial options better?"

    "Dude, like yeah there are some things that like Tomcat isn't good at..."

    I would pick him over someone who would reply "Tomcat? What pray tell is this 'Tomcat' you speak of?"

    If this candidate could even formulate some of the example sentences you gave, then yes, I would have entertained him longer. But this guy was cracked out for sure. The far off gaze in his eyes should have been my first red flag. 



  • @fatdog said:

    Dude that's like binary language...You know? like the Morse dude! 

     

    A dude like
    B like dude dude dude
    C like dude like dude
    D like dude dude
    E dude
    F dude dude like dude
    G like like dude
    H dude dude dude dude
    I dude dude
    J dude like like like like
    K like dude like
    L dude like dude dude
    M like like
    N like dude
    O like like like
    P dude like like dude
    Q like like dude like
    R dude like dude
    S dude dude dude
    T like
    U dude dude like
    V dude dude dude like
    W dude like like
    X like dude dude like
    Y like dude like like
    Z like like dude dude
    0 like like like like like
    1 dude like like like like
    2 dude dude like like like
    3 dude dude dude like like
    4 dude dude dude dude like
    5 dude dude dude dude dude
    6 like dude dude dude dude
    7 like like dude dude dude
    8 like like like dude dude
    9 like like like like dude
    . dude like dude like dude like
    , like like dude dude like like
    ? dude dude like like dude dude
    ! dude dude like like dude
    : like like like dude dude dude
    " dude like dude dude like dude
    ' dude like like like like dude
    = like dude dude dude like


  • @CPound said:

    It's the candidates responsibility to communicate to me why our company should hire him.

    Traditionally geeks aren't the best communicators, so it is the interviewer's job to look past the social ineptness and look for skill, knowledge & potential.  Yes, they should be doing their best to communicate that to you, but it isn't always going to happen.  Would you rather have a sandle-wearing dude-speaker who knows his stuff or someone who talks a good game, but doesn't actually know how to put all those smooth words into practice?

    @CPound said:

    Why are people still doing the piercing thing?

    Don't ask me...whenever I see a tattoo or a piercing I tend to think "Oh, how rebellious...in a conformist kind of way".

    -cw



  • @asuffield said:

    @CPound said:

    Tell me, am I being to harsh? Is it too much to ask to communicate with complete sentences?

    Go and watch idiocracy.

    "Water? You mean like, from the toilet?"

     

     did his resume say he got his degree from costco?
     



  • @CPound said:

    I'm not doing a good job as an interviewer? It's the candidates responsibility to communicate to me why our company should hire him. If you can't convey that information, it doesn't matter how "cool" you look with your birkenstocks or whatever the hell sandals kids are wearing these days. 

    On the other hand, it's your job to find the best possible person for the job. And then you have to convince them to work for your company instead of the competition. Most of your candidates probably have interviews with other possible employers, too. Of course, if the job requires good communication skills, you should not hire someone who is unable to communicate. Of course you would not want to hire someone who does not at all fit into your team. But if you act too smugly, you'll have difficulties to fill the job at all. Which means you might be unable to do your job. What will you tell your boss if a guy you've rejected because of his tattoo and his sandals starts his career at a competitor and creates a product so excellent that it puts a lot of pressure to your company? "It's his fault, he didn't meet my standards" might be a weak excuse then...




  • @Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? Over. said:

    @fatdog said:

    Dude that's like binary language...You know? like the Morse dude! 

     

    A dude like
    ... ...
    = like dude dude dude like

    dude like dude dude   like like like   dude like dude dude



  • @ammoQ said:

    What will you tell your boss if a guy you've rejected because of his tattoo and his sandals starts his career at a competitor and creates a product so excellent that it puts a lot of pressure to your company? "It's his fault, he didn't meet my standards" might be a weak excuse then...

    I say more power to the competition then. If they can clean up this guy, make him productive, and tolerate his incoherent babbling, then good for them. I just know I'm not putting up with it. I don't have time for that.



  • @Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? Over. said:

    @fatdog said:

    Dude that's like binary language...You know? like the Morse dude! 

     

    A dude like
    B like dude dude dude
    C like dude like dude
    D like dude dude
    E dude
    F dude dude like dude
    G like like dude
    H dude dude dude dude
    I dude dude
    J dude like like like like
    K like dude like
    L dude like dude dude
    M like like
    N like dude
    O like like like
    P dude like like dude
    Q like like dude like
    R dude like dude
    S dude dude dude
    T like
    U dude dude like
    V dude dude dude like
    W dude like like
    X like dude dude like
    Y like dude like like
    Z like like dude dude
    0 like like like like like
    1 dude like like like like
    2 dude dude like like like
    3 dude dude dude like like
    4 dude dude dude dude like
    5 dude dude dude dude dude
    6 like dude dude dude dude
    7 like like dude dude dude
    8 like like like dude dude
    9 like like like like dude
    . dude like dude like dude like
    , like like dude dude like like
    ? dude dude like like dude dude
    ! dude dude like like dude
    : like like like dude dude dude
    " dude like dude dude like dude
    ' dude like like like like dude
    = like dude dude dude like

    Please tell me you used Find and Replace to do this... that you don't have so much free time you wrote it out from memory...



  • oops



  • @GeneWitch said:

    Please tell me you used Find and Replace to do this... that you don't have so much free time you wrote it out from memory...

    Yes... find/replace was very useful. :D



  • @CPound said:

    I say more power to the competition then. If they can clean up this guy, make him productive, and tolerate his incoherent babbling, then good for them. I just know I'm not putting up with it. I don't have time for that.

    ... dude

     

    Don't be that guy.



  • @CPound said:

    I just have to ask. Why are people still doing the piercing thing? Wasn't that cool a decade ago? Shouldn't we be on to something new by now? I hate to break it to you CW, but the shock value of piercings was lost many years back. As a matter of fact, it's sad because these guys that come in have had these piercings and tattoos for so long that now they're older and their skin is all saggy and trust me, it doesn't look cool at all.

     

    News flash dumb ass, people don't get piercings for shock value, because as you commented they are pretty passe, they get them because they like them.  I know someone as obviously socially conservative as you might find this difficult to understand but not everyone is the same as you. 

    I'd like you to post up a picture of yourself and we'll all just do a critique of your style. 

     Also i have to ask why are people doing the whole suit thing? wasn't that cool 50 years ago?  Shouldn't we be on to something new by now?  and trust me, it doesn't look cool at all.
     



  • Dude, are you both, like, twelve?

    @element[0] said:

    @CPound said:

    I just have to ask. Why are people still doing the piercing thing? Wasn't that cool a decade ago? Shouldn't we be on to something new by now? I hate to break it to you CW, but the shock value of piercings was lost many years back. As a matter of fact, it's sad because these guys that come in have had these piercings and tattoos for so long that now they're older and their skin is all saggy and trust me, it doesn't look cool at all.

     

    News flash dumb ass, people don't get piercings for shock value, because as you commented they are pretty passe, they get them because they like them.  I know someone as obviously socially conservative as you might find this difficult to understand but not everyone is the same as you. 

    I'd like you to post up a picture of yourself and we'll all just do a critique of your style. 

     Also i have to ask why are people doing the whole suit thing? wasn't that cool 50 years ago?  Shouldn't we be on to something new by now?  and trust me, it doesn't look cool at all.
     



  • @Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? Over. said:

    Dude, are you both, like, twelve?

    @element[0] said:

    @CPound said:

    I just have to ask. Why are people still doing the piercing thing? Wasn't that cool a decade ago? Shouldn't we be on to something new by now? I hate to break it to you CW, but the shock value of piercings was lost many years back. As a matter of fact, it's sad because these guys that come in have had these piercings and tattoos for so long that now they're older and their skin is all saggy and trust me, it doesn't look cool at all.

     

    News flash dumb ass, people don't get piercings for shock value, because as you commented they are pretty passe, they get them because they like them.  I know someone as obviously socially conservative as you might find this difficult to understand but not everyone is the same as you. 

    I'd like you to post up a picture of yourself and we'll all just do a critique of your style. 

     Also i have to ask why are people doing the whole suit thing? wasn't that cool 50 years ago?  Shouldn't we be on to something new by now?  and trust me, it doesn't look cool at all.
     

    I haven't laughed that hard since i listened to dr. drew making fun of adam corolla 12 hours ago. Hat Hat Hat!



  • @CPound said:

     just have to ask. Why are people still doing the piercing thing? Wasn't that cool a decade ago? Shouldn't we be on to something new by now? I hate to break it to you CW, but the shock value of piercings was lost many years back. As a matter of fact, it's sad because these guys that come in have had these piercings and tattoos for so long that now they're older and their skin is all saggy and trust me, it doesn't look cool at all.

    So what would you expect the new trend to be? Plastic surgery until you look like a klingon? having a pigs ear grafted to you cheek? or could something else be more shocking to you?



  • @Hitsuji said:

    So what would you expect the new trend to be? Plastic surgery until you look like a klingon? having a pigs ear grafted to you cheek? or could something else be more shocking to you?

    I thought it was going to come full-circle and then conservative would be the new shocker.

    "Look at him, he doesn't have any piercings! Whoa, that's weeeeird dude..."



  • @CPound said:

    Had yet another candidate interview yesterday. ... Every other word was "Dude...like...dude...like...dude...like..."

    <time_warp> 

    If this candidate could even formulate some of the example sentences
    you gave, then yes, I would have entertained him longer. But this guy
    was cracked out for sure. The far off gaze in his eyes should have been
    my first red flag. 

    </time_warp>

    Finally, I had to cut the interview short because we weren't getting anywhere. If this is how he is during the interview process, what is he like on a daily basis?!?

    Tell me, am I being to harsh? Is it too much to ask to communicate with complete sentences?

    Whoa, man, you so flunked that one. You failed to realise that you were meeting a Legendary Master of Communication, a One who has Transcended Mundane Communication, the Ultimate Technical Communicator. He has successfully reduced spoken language into an ultra-compact high-information-density quantum language! The "far out gaze" was in fact him communicating on a higher plane with What Really Matters. Having come from a Californian background he employed the expression "dude" as a Derridaian simile of "entity", and "like" means "the underlying similarity of all forms of existence which I can command for ultimate efficiency and aesthetics".

    Now do you see the errors of your ways?

     

    PS. I look ravishing in a suit. I have several. Tailored to fit.



  • @element[0] said:

    @CPound said:

    I just have to ask. Why are people still doing the piercing thing? Wasn't that cool a decade ago? Shouldn't we be on to something new by now? I hate to break it to you CW, but the shock value of piercings was lost many years back. As a matter of fact, it's sad because these guys that come in have had these piercings and tattoos for so long that now they're older and their skin is all saggy and trust me, it doesn't look cool at all.

     

    News flash dumb ass, people don't get piercings for shock value, because as you commented they are pretty passe, they get them because they like them.  I know someone as obviously socially conservative as you might find this difficult to understand but not everyone is the same as you. 

    I'd like you to post up a picture of yourself and we'll all just do a critique of your style. 

     Also i have to ask why are people doing the whole suit thing? wasn't that cool 50 years ago?  Shouldn't we be on to something new by now?  and trust me, it doesn't look cool at all.
     

     

    You are wrong there, suits were never cool, they were not meant to be 'cool'. They are what is call professional... hence business suit!



  • @malfist said:

    You are wrong there, suits were never cool, they were not meant to be 'cool'. They are what is call professional... hence business suit!

    Wearing a suit is just like wearing a tattoo. It's an expressiong of an attitude. The tattoo says "I'm a rebel" and the suit says "I'm a part of the system. I observe the rules.". 



  • @ammoQ said:

    @malfist said:

    You are wrong there, suits were never cool, they were not meant to be 'cool'. They are what is call professional... hence business suit!

    Wearing a suit is just like wearing a tattoo. It's an expressiong of an attitude. The tattoo says "I'm a rebel" and the suit says "I'm a part of the system. I observe the rules.". 

     

    Not necessarily.   If you wear a suit to high school (I know a couple guys that used to do that sometimes) it pretty much says "I'm a rebel."



  • True...but we are talking about a differant situation, wearing a suit to this situation that is being descussed would definatly not be seen as 'nonconfomist'.

     

    Besides (on topic), if a persons communication skills ar lacking how much would you bet their comments are lacking too? 



  • @tster said:

    Not necessarily.   If you wear a suit to high school (I know a couple guys that used to do that sometimes) it pretty much says "I'm a rebel."

    You are right, it depends on the situation.  



  • @malfist said:

    Besides (on topic), if a persons communication skills ar lacking how much would you bet their comments are lacking too? 

    Not necessarily. Some people do (much!) better in writing than in speaking. 



  • @ammoQ said:

    @malfist said:

    You are wrong there, suits were never cool, they were not meant to be 'cool'. They are what is call professional... hence business suit!

    Wearing a suit is just like wearing a tattoo. It's an expressiong of an attitude. The tattoo says "I'm a rebel" and the suit says "I'm a part of the system. I observe the rules.". 

    And I would just like to point out that being "a professional" and "a part of the system" merely puts you on the same level as a prostitute. These things aren't exactly high praise, it just means you're one step up from being a hobo.



  • @CodeWhisperer said:

    @burnmp3s said:

    Does this mean you like multi-page resumes?  Most of the resume advice I've seen says to avoid going over a page unless you have 10+ years of experience and moved around a lot.

    I think this is generally bad advice.  You want to be careful to not overwhelm the reader with useless info, but if you've done something interesting, by all means describe it in sufficient detail; don't go cutting things out just because you want to get under one page. 

    -cw

    I've had some excellent response to my resume. It's three pages long but the first page, essentially, is my life at a glance. It covers my attitude, my experience, my background and my publications. The next two pages cover the standard work experience details and then there's a little section at the end covering my education.



  • @webzter said:

    I've had some excellent response to my resume. It's three pages long but the first page, essentially, is my life at a glance. It covers my attitude, my experience, my background and my publications. The next two pages cover the standard work experience details and then there's a little section at the end covering my education.

    That seems reasonable.  

    It's much like mine, my first page is a "Professional Summary" that captures why I think I'm awesome :) and a skills section, the next bunch of pages are all work experience.  After 20 years I am having trouble keeping my resume under 7 pages...but I'm still pretty proud of some of the things I did early in my career and don't want to drop them just because they're getting old now, so I organize them a little different (Architecture & Management experience vs. Engineering experience).

    -cw



  • @asuffield said:

    And I would just like to point out that being "a professional" and "a part of the system" merely puts you on the same level as a prostitute. These things aren't exactly high praise, it just means you're one step up from being a hobo.

    I fully admit that I whore my mind out for money. I'd whore my body, but nobody would have it. :D



  • I'd just like to add comment that I think you're all missing.

    1. In an interview, you are trying to sell yourself to the company

    2. In an interview, the company is trying to sell themselves to you

    Getting a job is a mutual contract.

    As far as dressing nice, maybe some of you have only ever had one job and think every other job is as laid back as that one, but let me sum it up by saying one word: old-timers.  

    Believe it or not, sometimes....yes sometimes there happens to be people (at that company) maybe over a certain age that are a bit old-school.  The job might not even be working with them directly, but they might be in the interview and they might have pull when it comes to decision making.  Some of those old-schoolers do look at manners, appearance, shabbyness, etc.  Wouldn't you feel like a dumbass if you knew that you were inline with 3-4 other candidates, and when it came down to a vote you lost because you look like a slob? 

    And to the "dude" thing.  No one wants someone like that on their team.  It just reflects bad on the whole team.  That guy needs to seriously step back and find a way to un-condition his speech problem.  Babbling like that might be great in his circle of friends, but if he plans on working in a semi-corporate world he needs to learn how to communicate with them.  If he doesn't feel like learning to communicate in that aspect then there's TONS of jobs and careers out there in which communication is minimal. 



  • @Hellz99 said:

    I'd just like to add comment that I think you're all missing.

    1. In an interview, you are trying to sell yourself to the company

    2. In an interview, the company is trying to sell themselves to you

    Getting a job is a mutual contract.

    As far as dressing nice, maybe some of you have only ever had one job and think every other job is as laid back as that one, but let me sum it up by saying one word: old-timers.  

    Actually, the 'what to wear' discussion has been cycled so many times that I think it's safe to call it the WTF version of the religion flame war. Java versus etc would be the political equivalent. Although, it is nice to hear that at least one other person considers CPound to be an old-timer ;-)



  • Did you tell him before ending the interview (or as a follow up) that he should work on his communication skills? Might help him on the next interview.



  • @ammoQ said:

    Wearing a suit is just like wearing a tattoo. It's an expressiong of an attitude. The tattoo says "I'm a rebel" and the suit says "I'm a part of the system. I observe the rules.". 

    While mostly true, I think that's a bit superficial. A tattoo can be a symbolise belong to a group as much as being a rebel. As for suits, they are part of "the system" as much as tattoos are. They also have a different purpose, to create a standardized language which can be manipulated to create various false peronalities. It's really about politics.

    For example, if you want to enrol people in a radical political idea, you will have more success wearing a classic cut grey suit with a boring shirt and tie than if you where a loud green suit with a flashy shirt and tie. In this case the suit is there to make people feel comfortable, and will be much more successful than tattoos.

    Tattoos may attract certain people to an idea, and there are others who will overlook the tattoos and take the idea on it's merits. Tattoos will repel conservatives. A suit in combination with a radical idea may appeal to the tattoo crowd because they may hear the idea and say "Hey, he's pretty cool for a suit," while the more conservative crowd will see the grey suit and say, "My he looks nice, predicatable, respectable and very safe," and of course conservative people tend not to think very deeply so you'll get your idea through.

     So obviously, the way to impress drones like CPound is to wear a grey suit if you're young and a bit hip. Whatever you do, don't say, like, "dude like," dude. At least until you get the job.......



  • @Some Idiot said:

    and of course conservative people tend not to think very deeply

    excuse me? 



  • @tster said:

    @Some Idiot said:

    and of course conservative people tend not to think very deeply

    excuse me? 

    Sorry, I thought that was clear. Conservatism as a political philosophy favors traditional values and customs, or to put it another way, existing patterns.

    Thinking, that is real thinking as distinct from re-running existing thoughts repeatedly, requires a willingness to follow new patterns, or a certain level of abandonment of some traditional thought processes. This is incompatible with conservative political philosophy. Conservative political philosophy is for people who don't want to have to think for themselves. I thought everyone knew that.



  • @Some Idiot said:

    @tster said:
    @Some Idiot said:

    and of course conservative people tend not to think very deeply

    excuse me? 

    Sorry, I thought that was clear. Conservatism as a political philosophy favors traditional values and customs, or to put it another way, existing patterns.

    Thinking, that is real thinking as distinct from re-running existing thoughts repeatedly, requires a willingness to follow new patterns, or a certain level of abandonment of some traditional thought processes. This is incompatible with conservative political philosophy. Conservative political philosophy is for people who don't want to have to think for themselves. I thought everyone knew that.

    Did you ever consider the notion that someone with conservative viewpoints might have actually thought about the issues and decided that the current way (or the way 50 years ago but long dismissed) is the best way (or at least better than the other ways that are being touted as progressive)?  It's pretty arogant of you to think that everyone that disagrees with you must not "think very deeply."  I'd wager that I think more about politics and issues than 99% of the population, and I happen to be extremely conservative on most issues (the important ones at least).  Next time your thinking deeply why don't you stop to consider the notion that someone might actually consider the same things as you and come up with a very different conclusion.  I thought everyone knew that.
     



  • @tster said:

    It's pretty arogant of you to think that everyone that disagrees with you must not "think very deeply."  I'd wager that I think more about politics and issues than 99% of the population, and I happen to be extremely conservative on most issues (the important ones at least).  Next time your thinking deeply why don't you stop to consider the notion that someone might actually consider the same things as you and come up with a very different conclusion.  I thought everyone knew that.

    Did you know that 93% of all statistics is pulled out of the ass? 



  • Yeah, really...sheesh, 89% of all people know that.



  • 99% of all people are not me.  This has a margin of error of 1%.



  • @tster said:

    @Some Idiot said:
    @tster said:
    @Some Idiot said:

    and of course conservative people tend not to think very deeply

    excuse me? 

    Sorry, I thought that was clear. Conservatism as a political philosophy favors traditional values and customs, or to put it another way, existing patterns.

    Thinking, that is real thinking as distinct from re-running existing thoughts repeatedly, requires a willingness to follow new patterns, or a certain level of abandonment of some traditional thought processes. This is incompatible with conservative political philosophy. Conservative political philosophy is for people who don't want to have to think for themselves. I thought everyone knew that.

    Did you ever consider the notion that someone with conservative viewpoints might have actually thought about the issues and decided that the current way (or the way 50 years ago but long dismissed) is the best way (or at least better than the other ways that are being touted as progressive)?  It's pretty arogant of you to think that everyone that disagrees with you must not "think very deeply."  I'd wager that I think more about politics and issues than 99% of the population, and I happen to be extremely conservative on most issues (the important ones at least).  Next time your thinking deeply why don't you stop to consider the notion that someone might actually consider the same things as you and come up with a very different conclusion.  I thought everyone knew that.
     

    The people who really, really grunt and strain hard, actually come up with the opposite conclusion to the one you, an ignorant conservative, have reached.  You see, if you think hard enough, which you obviously don't as an ignorant conservative, you reach the correct conclusion, along with all of your enlightened buddies.  Sadly, once all your buddies think the same way you do, you find that if you think just a little bit harder...



  • Liberals

    It's interesting to note how liberal many self-identified "Conservatives" really are.

    When I say "liberal" I mean in the true, historic sense as the term has been used for the last few hundred years.

    Liberals believe that:

      -- all people are equal (conservatives believe that the royal family is inherently more fit to rule than any commoners)

      -- rulers should be chosen by ability to rule, not by birth

      -- people, not God, should elect rulers (though I refer to my leader as "George W. Bush, by the Grace of God President of the United States")

      -- slavery is immoral

      -- all people inherently have a right to life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness (yes, pro-life is a liberal position and so is pro-choice)

      -- all people should have freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of the press

      -- government should allow private enterprise (yes, "Big Business" is liberal -- the conservative view is that the king must approve all businesses and supervise all aspects of it)

    Dude, like, you're totally liberal.

     



  • Conservative doesn't mean you want things to be like they were 300 years ago.  Strictly, conservative is wanting the maintain the status quo.  Most "Conservatives" would probably rather maintain the status quo of the 80s than today, so they want to go back 20-50 years (from my experience).

    Personally I'm more a libertarian, so I don't care if someone thinks I'm liberal or not.  I think gay marriage is fine and I wouldn't care if they legalized marijuana (although I still wouldn't use it).   But I don't really care about those issues because there are more important things to worry about.

     

    I noticed that you labeled pro-life and anti-life (you can call it pro-choice and anti-choice if you want :-) ) both liberal philosophies.  Perhaps by defining it widely enough we can decide that everything from Nazism to Democracy to Communism is liberal!

     

    PS.   Thanks Oscar for opening my eyes.  I just though deeply for the first time.  It hurt my brain, but after the asperin kicked in I punched myself repeatedly for voting for Emperor Bush. 


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