Something is wrong with this statement...
"Most of the admins I've ever dealt with were kind of "difficult". They need to learn to think like the users do and speak the language the users speak, as anyone should do for their customers"
Erm, we have a contradiction here: THINK like the USERS?!?!
Users do not think.
And speak the language the users speak? I know many languages, including English, German, a bit of French, C, Perl, Java... Not once have I been interested in learning to speak Moron.
What is needed is for the users to learn a little about the equipment they are using, not use us to do their jobs for them, and not assume that the CD-ROM drive tray is a suitable storage area for their toast, with a thick coating of jam, and not bother to clean off drippings of said jam and crumbs before inserting their Britney Spears album. It was their third CD-ROM drive, I had just joined the company, and got a tirade of "These drives are obviously crap, get me a better one". When I took it apart to check, I found said jam and crumbs, along with coffee stains and a peice of months-old chicken. I had to calmly explain that placing food and beverages on the CD-ROM tray was a bad idea (yes I managed not to yell "You F**KING MORON" at him), and HE had the cheek to report ME for being disrespectful and DEMAND that I be disciplined!
Later that month, an internal investigation found large quantities of what would now be classed as "extreme porn" was found in his home directory, and his disciplinary was short and swift... Strange how fate can sometimes solve your problems for you isnt it?
Biting the hand that feeds IT
