Idiot Computer Store Employee

[ArenaBoy]

This happened to my dad yesterday. Background: My dad is a computer genius, he's often called upon in his neighborhood for computer help and could keep a computer running with duct tape, a fingernail, and a rag if he could. He also has about 5 or 6 computers running in his house for work purposes. Quite simply, he knows computers. Also my dad is 47 and he's been in the computer business since the late 70s/early 80s. Also,

My dad was at the mall with my mom and sister. On his own time, he wandered into a computer store and looked around. A clerk walks up to him. He looked to be my age or in high school as my dad put it.

Clerk: Anything I can help you find?

Dad: Yeah, I'm looking for one of the bigger laptops, I was looking at this especially. *Points to a laptop*

Clerk: Hmm, that may be a little too much machine for you, a lot of novices don't need that type of computer.

Big mistake. I should add that my dad has a short temper and when he gets mad, he gets mad. He's made Marines tremble, he can silence a room with just one shout, and I don't even dare cross him and I'm bigger than he is!

Dad: Well then, I'd still like to look at it but I have to go now, I'll do some research .

My dad was close to yelling at the clerk but thought against it and just went to another computer store.

[GolfCart34]

Your post reminds me exactly of a series of strips from the Queen of Wands webcomic. The only difference here is in stead of your dad as the main character, we have a woman.

Technical Difficulties Part One

Technical Difficulties Part Two

Technical Difficulties Part Three

[MrSunshineState]

What about your dad gave the employee that impression? Just his age?

[ArenaBoy]

What about your dad gave the employee that impression? Just his age?

Age and the fact that he doesn't look like a computer nerd. (No offense to the ones on here.)

[solemnwarning]

Age and the fact that he doesn't look like a computer nerd. (No offense to the ones on here.)

How dare you imply we have a standard look?!

*removes his brace, shaves and burns the spots off his face*

[JustADude]

Age and the fact that he doesn't look like a computer nerd. (No offense to the ones on here.)

No offense at all. Depending on how I'm dressed I either come across as a jock, a goth, a gas-monkey (i.e., in uniform), or a stoner. People don't ever think I'm into computers until I start talking about specifics in ways that tend to make the average sales-drone's brains melt out their ears.

Oh, and the proper term is "Geek". A Nerd, or Technicus Vulgaris, a sad little guy(or girl) with a pocket protector, who spends all his/her time studying to get ahead, and in most cases has absolutely no life outside of the 'typical' obsessions with D&D, comics, etc. A Geek (Technicus Noblis), on the other hand, is someone who can do everything a Nerd can do, can do it with about 10% the effort, and spends his/her spare time with various social pursuits ranging from paint-ball and rock-climbing to the 'typical' stuff.

[symposes]

I always thought a geek was some circus side show that ate chicken heads.

*shrug*

[JustADude]

I always thought a geek was some circus side show that ate chicken heads.

*shrug*

That's the original denotation of it, yes, but it then turned into slang that was practically identical to Nerd, meaning one who was labeled a freak and a "loser" because of their seemingly high and lack of conventional social skills. Specifically, it meant a specific breed of Nerd that was specifically into science, specifically computer science.

As the Information Age dawned and those who were once losers and outcasts became the lifeblood of the new world it created, often becoming quite wealthy *coughBillGatescough* in the process, "Geek" became a badge of honor. It has became a title bestowed upon those who are truly of great intellect, as well as those who have dared to decipher the Mysteries of the Boxes of Lore and bargain with the Gods of the Magic Smoke, whose vast power is the terror of the layperson. Aka, it's for really smart people and people who like to mess with tech-stuff.

These days the Nerd is a dying breed, since those who are Geeks are properly praised as such, and all that's left are the handful that cave to unreasonable parental expectations at the expense of having any sort of life, confirming the Nerd a type of invertabret, as compared to the vertabret Geek.

[Geek King]

These days the Nerd is a dying breed, since those who are Geeks are properly praised as such, and all that's left are the handful that cave to unreasonable parental expectations at the expense of having any sort of life, confirming the Nerd a type of invertabret, as compared to the vertabret Geek.

I would just add that often a Nerd will blossom into a Geek once they escape the all-too-likely teasing and hazing they are subjected to in High School.

<Nerd King has defeated High School!>
<Nerd King has evolved into Geek King!>
<PWR +2 CON +2 INT +10 DEF +8>
<Geek King has learned Punt User!>
<Geek King has learned Percussive Maintenance!>

[Broomjockey]

Geek King, I'm going to have to challenge you on the whole "evolving" thing. I think it's more gaining a prestige class as most of the class abilities improve over time, as well you don't have to lose the old abilities, because some of them improve over time as well. That and I'm not comfortable being a pokemon.

[PuckishOne]

A Nerd, or Technicus Vulgaris, a sad little guy(or girl) with a pocket protector, who spends all his/her time studying to get ahead, and in most cases has absolutely no life outside of the 'typical' obsessions with D&D, comics, etc.

Interesting hypothesis. In my world a nerd is someone who knows a little about a lot, including things that might not be so "cool" these days (like science, history, Latin), didn't have to spend any time studying at all because he or she was smarter than everyone else in school, and chooses to do whatever sort of social (or anti-social) activities that catch his/her fancy...again, regardless of popularity or image or any of that.

But what do I know? I'm just a nerd.

Arena, I'd say that employee was just carrying on the grand tradition of big-box computer-store employees everywhere in Selling to the Stereotype. Both times I went with my ex to buy computers the employees talked only to him...despite his consistently motioning to me and saying things like, "Yeah? That sounds neat, but you'll want to talk to my wife because she's the one who knows more about computers." (Of course, if it'd been my call we'd have gone to one of the small, local, geek-run shops and built our own machines from scratch.) Sometimes they just can't let go of their preconceived notions and, like with your father, sometimes that costs them a sale. So be it.

[Seshat]

Arena, I'd say that employee was just carrying on the grand tradition of big-box computer-store employees everywhere in Selling to the Stereotype. Both times I went with my ex to buy computers the employees talked only to him...despite his consistently motioning to me and saying things like, "Yeah? That sounds neat, but you'll want to talk to my wife because she's the one who knows more about computers."

That sounds like the typical car-buying experience I go through. (My husband bears the prestige class Alpha Geek, so I don't mind if he's the one who buys the gear.)

I'm the one who knows more about cars, and I'm also the one who geeks out whenever we're buying most of the equipment for the home - though he geeks the TV and the stereo. But I'm still the 'little lady' to far too many salesmen.

[Bagga]

I love the "talk to the guy about cars" syndrome.

My ex-wife had been to car maintenance classes. and I can't drive. I know absolutely NOTHING about what the various buttons and stuff on the dashboard do. To me, a car is a magic box that takes me from one place to another place.

But almost every time we went to the garage together, the mechanic would ask me all the questions. And I would parrot the questions in exactly the same words, to my wife. She would answer me, deliberately not talking to the mechanic. And I would turn to the mechanic and say (for example) "She says that the clutch is slipping when she changes into third gear".

Amazingly, some mechanics would happily continue the conversation in this way for anything up to 30 minutes....

"FFS I don't KNOW! Ask HER!!"

[Shabo]

I've done open houses where we sit in front of a sign that says something along the lines of "computers" and people come up and ask questions of us. Although, any time there's a guy there with me, they talk to the guy instead. Well, looks like I'll have fun when I get a full time job, too! (Yeah, I'm a girl, case you didn't know) I even had one *female* coworker tell me once that if she called the tech support for a computer company, and she heard my voice on the phone, she would ask for a guy because she didn't think girls could know anything about computers!

I thought about getting a job working at Yellow Tag as a computer sales rep, but I decided not to. I could do geek squad, but I fix computers in between classes already; I really don't want to do it after hours too. I'm really glad I didn't though, because no one would ever try to talk to me about computers. That would make it kind of hard to get sales...

[Acolyte]

Oh, and the proper term is "Geek". A Nerd, or Technicus Vulgaris, a sad little guy(or girl) with a pocket protector, who spends all his/her time studying to get ahead, and in most cases has absolutely no life outside of the 'typical' obsessions with D&D, comics, etc. A Geek (Technicus Noblis), on the other hand, is someone who can do everything a Nerd can do, can do it with about 10% the effort, and spends his/her spare time with various social pursuits ranging from paint-ball and rock-climbing to the 'typical' stuff.

Ha! Epic win!
Although I get some nerd points by combining computers and paintball. But still.