Friday, January 29, 2010

Cybergrievances - Guest Post from Absolutgator


My kids, who are in elementary school, have teacher assistants that are parents of a couple of other kids in class. Their job, which they volunteer to do, is simply to help the teachers with special projects and to keep all the parents informed about things going on in the classroom/special events. On Wednesday, we received an e-mail notification that there was a case of head lice in my son’s class; no it wasn’t him. The e-mail had a Word document attached that came from the school nurse about how to check your kids and what to do if you found lice. Good job keeping parents informed, right?

Well not for one parent. To protect the assholishness identity of this person, I’ll call him Mr. Jobs. It appears that Mr. Jobs is not a fan of Windows-based computers and really is annoyed by the attachment:




I appreciate your e-mails, but can I ask... why would this come as an attachment? I'm not a MS Word user (it's one of the worst written programs ever), but I was able to open it in other programs (like Pages and Staroffice). There's NOTHING in that document that would require it to be in a word document. No special formatting, pictures, etc. This is a REALLY big pet peeve of mine.

1. For all the windows users, you are risking them getting a virus (I use a Mac, so that's not a concern of mine). Microsoft Office documents are the petri dish of the Internet.


2. You expect everyone to have a $200 word processing software just to read an e-mail.


3. It makes me have to open another application to read something that's just plain text anyway.

So... in the future, I'd like to ask that if you are going to send us e-mails that are simple plain text, that you send them as e-mails. Not word attachments. IF, you have a highly formatted document with pictures, your fonts, etc., then I suggest you export those as a PDF, which everyone can freely read.

Just as an example (and to help anyone out that got this e-mail and doesn't have the ability to open the latest word documents), here's how the e-mail should have been:


Mr. Jobs then goes on to take the text from the attachment and put it at the bottom of the e-mail.

This really got under my skin for a couple of reasons. First, he clicked Reply All. Did he really have to let it be known to everyone how unhappy he was that she forwarded what was sent to her? Second, she is a volunteer! She is not getting paid to help the teacher that this guy’s kid is taught by and shouldn’t catch flack from some coffeehouse Mac lover (what a pretentious ass!).

So, it got me thinking. With all the ways we communicate electronically today, what are your greatest annoyances? (If you missed it, mine is when people use Reply All when they really need reply to only one person.)


-AbsolutGator
UPDATE: The dumbass did it again! The teacher assistant forwarded an e-mail attachement from the principal this time. He replied all what it 'should have looked like' and said 'your welcome' at the end of his e-mail. This makes me think of an SNL skit..."This guy needs a beatin'!"

19 comments:

Doc said...

Yeah, I bet that "Mr. Jobs" doesn't like Microsoft products... HA!

Dude, I HATE the Reply all feature as well. You hit it on the head. I also can't stand having to page thorugh 5800 other e-mail address just to get to the body of the email I want to read... And the prayer chain e-mails too... I pray often and I do not need an e-mail to tell me to pray.

Unknown said...

Reply All should be deleted. I mean really, how often do you really need to reply to EVERYONE? Usually, never.

Forwarded on and on and on chain emails...any kind...but especially the "do this in the next five minutes and forward to this many people or your children will suffer horrible plagues." Really? Do you really have nothing at all better to do??

The AbsolutGator said...

Ah, the e-mails that say, "Send this back to let me know you are really my friend" eat at me too. If you were my friend, you'd know I don't respond to those and wouldn't have included me. So who is not the real friend now!?!?!?

Ken said...

A funny pic here, a funny story there sent from friends is OK. A good news story even if political is OK too, But DAMN it don't send me prayers, keep them to yourself, I can appreciate them from here without reading them ha ha ha. We recently got most family to stop sending all that *send this back to me if you really care* crap.

Schmoop said...

I hate it when some chick emails me and doesn't include a picture of herself naked. That really torques me. Oh, and Mac-Man? He's an ass. Cheers Gator!!

Anonymous said...

Well first what bugs the crap out of me is when I am trying to read this blog and my blasted computer locks up...its like my coffee in the morning...got have it!

Gator....Mr. Jobs...what an ASS...just check your damn kid for lice.

Doc....I concur about the prayer chains with the creepy pictures and sparkles.Delete..Delete...Delete!

Anonymous said...

I hate chain emails and forwards. And I REALLY hate when my email address and name are on the infinite list of suckers who were sent the stupid forward.

As for Mr. Jobs, I'd just "forget" to notify him of ANYTHING from then on. Jackass.

Karen said...

You should "reply all" and tell everyone what douche Mr. Jobs is.

To be honest, I don't really have a huge pet peeve. Nothing really bothers me that much.

Dianne said...

what an ass this guy is

I think he should receive snail mail with little lice eggs in the glue of the envelope - now that's a virus!!

I hate most e-mail unless it an actual message from a real person who is truly saying something

Christine said...

Oops..since I only use word, I would be on Mr Jobs shit list as well. Although I would reply all that Mr Jobs should kiss my lily white ass.

I am trying to think about what annoys me about computers. Besides friends and families that send me every damn joke, "warning" and junk they have received, I got nuttin',

The AbsolutGator said...

If there was no way my kids would get caught in the middle, I'd have written this guy something very sarcastic back. As it was, it was still tough for me not to do so.

Doc said...

You could always accidently post his e-mail address and others could send him wonderful word documents full of praises!

Evil Twin's Wife said...

My peeve is snobby Mac users. Let's face it, someday Macs will go the way of dinosaurs. I've worked on both platforms and prefer Microsoft (PC). And, my husband - who is a graphic designer and spends his day on a computer uses a PC at work and at home.

rxBambi said...

Hmmm, my pet peeve would have to be when Doc (whom I adore) links up to play Happy Hour Friday but then doesn't really play... Not nice Doc. Not nice at all. Next round will have to be on you.

Doc said...

@ RXBambi? HUH? what did I do?

Doc said...

Whoops.. I figured it out. Sorry but Absolut has his guest post up today. I will make it up to you Bambi...

Kat said...

Oh my word! What a gigantic arsehole! Yikes! He must have a very difficult life. I mean, he must make his life very difficult.

Anyway, I really can't stand those emails that tell me I have to pass it on in 10 minutes or something bad will happen to me. WTH?

terri said...

What a complete jerk! I hate arrogant people.

Pet peeves? I'd have to agree with those who mentioned the email chain letters.

Dana said...

My pet peeve? People who haven't figured out how to use BCC and pollute every email with 5 inches of email addresses.