Communications and IT people

[claidheamhmor]

Back in the days of bulletin boards, dial-up modems, SLIP/PPP, Winsock, and those things, just about anyone you chatted to online had some IT connection or involvement, and I think it became a natural thing to assume that people who were interested in IT were interested in online communications.

As connecting to the Internet became more prevalent and easier, I started noticing that the people who communicated a lot were the same people who communicated a lot in the real world: the social people. They're they ones who simply took a new medium of communication into their stride. By contrast, I'd have to say that the vast majority of those people I know (socially) who are in IT tend to be among the worst communicators around; they tend not to answer emails, don't get involved in blogging/Twitter/LJ, don't use messaging clients socially, and don't participate in web forums for non-technical reasons. All very interesting, but sad, in some ways.

What do you think?

Comments

[claidheamhmor]

Yeah, cyberspace is "real" now, in many ways.

[arthwollipot.livejournal.com]

I think that the IT people have better grammar.

[claidheamhmor]

I suspect you may well be right for a certain subset of them, but many (*looks around*) are no better than the general public.

[ubet-cha.livejournal.com]

Takes a bow. :<)

[claidheamhmor]

I was looking around at my colleagues at work, so you're safe. :)

[pcb.livejournal.com]

I'd like to reply, but I'm technical and am terrible at social stuff, online or otherwise.

Y'know, people won't believe that, will they?

There's a third group you're missing; maybe it's a bit small to note.
The people who are asocial or antisocial In Real Life, but find that they can be real' friendly in an unreal place.

[claidheamhmor]

I'll let you know when I find any of those... :)

[evildmguy.livejournal.com]

I was going to mention that. I don't think I am be the best communicator in new situations with new people. However, give me the internet and I am at least willing to try, whereas I probably wouldn't in real life. Essentially, the medium of the internet gives me the ability to think about my answer before posting it.

However, there is also the bad side of that. The people who wouldn't say what they are thinking in real live but love the anonymity and so speak their mind.

And there's also the group that anonymity lets them spew hate or rage with little or no reprisal.

I guess my point is that I think it opened up a lot more communication channels for a lot of different kinds of people in a lot of different ways. I don't know how easy it is to lump them all into groups. (This is more at claidheamhmor than you.)

edg

[claidheamhmor]

For sure, there are plenty of different types. My focus is somewhat more on the non-sociability of many IT people, specifically. And I can say anything I want because they're not reading this (and if they are, they won't reply). :)

[pcb.livejournal.com]

Well, I reckon he's found two for his list, anyway.

The ones who wouldn't or even couldn't say boo to a goose and who realise the net gives them carte blanche to be uncivilised are certainly a group I wish I knew less about, though.

[ihlanya.livejournal.com]

We need a poll to sort Claymore's friends into the different groups.

Like the Sorting Hat. Just .. not.

[pcb.livejournal.com]

I propose the following houses:
Gates (Ravenclaw) for the grey nerds
Page-Brin (Gryffindor) for the cheerful geeks
Omidyar (Slytherin) for financial wizards
Zuckerberg (Hufflepuff) for the sociables

Of course, muggles users will not understand...

[claidheamhmor]

I love it!

[windrider-09.livejournal.com]

I think the majority of deeply technical IT people communicate better online. The more popular social applications are either embraced or avoided.
Part of it, is a kind of IT snobbishness that dismisses it as something too common and silly, the other part - being shy in real social situations translates to online social situations. That's my theory anyway.

[claidheamhmor]

You may be right. As for the very technical people - I know some who don't communicate well at all, in person or by email, even in a business context.

I am leaving out the business context though, because often people are required to communicate in their job positions.

[redqueenmeg.livejournal.com]

Most IT people I know belong to several social sites like LJ or FB but don't check them... ever.

And half the time they don't respond to email.

If we want to get a message to our whole D&D group which consists of five people other than us, two of whom live in the same house, we have to post on LJ, send FB messages, send emails, and text everyone, and then we still might not get everyone because one doesn't have a cell phone so we might have to call her.

[claidheamhmor]

HahQ! We have *exactly* the same problem with D&D!

[polymale.livejournal.com]

Yahoo groups = successful d&d group management, FTW :)

[claidheamhmor]

Er...you still have to get the members to read their email.

[polymale.livejournal.com]

One would hope they're adult enough to do that, given that the game is a little bit of a commitment. I mean, would they bother not reading work emails? (not quite the same thing I know, but still, it's a matter of priorities)

[claidheamhmor]

No comment. *sigh*

[polymale.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I agree, but perhaps I do.

I've always had an IT job or a computer technical interest, yet I've been interested in (and communicated with) online media for a very long time, since my teen years. It may be that I'm an outlier though. It's not something I've really thought about.

I would say that as computers became mainstream, people who are social offline would naturally use it to be social online. Which I think you'd agree with.

[claidheamhmor]

Yeah, I'd agree with that. How social are you in real life?

[polymale.livejournal.com]

Well... social within certain constraints (I'm a strong introvert). Online I'm much more social. Usually. And online facilitates offline sometimes. Heh!

[claidheamhmor]

I'd agree with those; I'm a strong introvert too, and I hate phones, but I really like the online social environment.

[polymale.livejournal.com]

See, I don't mind phones at all. I can be quite social, and I'm very aware/sensitive to emotional complexities in a social situation and all that... but (as a classic introvert) it really energetically drains me, and so I definitely need quite a bit of alone time (but alone can mean "people in the next room that I don't have to interact with much"). My wife excepting, who I can be around 100% and that's fine.

[seawasp]

In my experience, it's the ones who WEREN'T in some comfort zone with computers that didn't communicate with them. For things like *snailmail*, yes, but that seems more a matter of convenience. I'll always respond to personal email, but physical letters? Only if it involves money, really.

[claidheamhmor]

I'm with you on the convenience factor...

[ihlanya.livejournal.com]

You mean .. people like ereneth? :D

The guy who lurks on LJ but never posts and rarely comments.

Who has Facebook but ... lurks and rarely comments.

Neglected to tell ANYONE he actually had a gmail account.

Doesn't reply to emails.

Doesn't answer his mobile phone.

Sounding familiar?

[claidheamhmor]

I have no idea what you're talking about. :)

[ubet-cha.livejournal.com]

Like you, I think that once the novelty of the experience wears off most people fall into the same communication patterns they walk around with day after day. Now there does seem to be a smaller portion of the population that for one reason or another use the ‘Net to express themselves in ways they would never dare to do were they in an actual room full of strangers.

So long as they keep this in moderation, remember to get out of the house and don’t go around bullying people I don’t see the harm in that. I wonder what the long term impact the Internet as a social medium will have on some lives and at what rate? It is an interesting line of questioning you’ve brought up.

[claidheamhmor]

I suspect you're right about people falling into their established communication patterns.

The impact of the Internet as a social medium - I think it's massive; I'd love to see some research on it.

[jonty.livejournal.com]

I started with the whole online thing way back with IRC - used to love that, I preferred the ability to chat to people and not 'show' yourself. Of course going to meets sort of forced you to see other people which made me uncomfortable at first.
I moved to LJ about 10 years ago, I liked the concept.

What I find interesting is that I've always worked in IT, but due to the nature of my job I have to interact with people who are in HR/Finance/Sales and Marketing/Ops, so it's broad-spectrum of people, that can take you out of your comfort zone as you can't hide behind a desk all day, I need to make site visits, talk to Depot Managers, District Managers - all high profile people within the business.
I'm glad I have the job that I do, as it's forced me to abandon my 'shyness' somewhat.

[claidheamhmor]

I've also found social benefits to online social networking, I must admit.

I like the interaction with other departments at work too.