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   Paul Cantrell (inthehands@hachyderm.io)'s status on Thursday, 29-Aug-2024 12:08:19 JST Paul Cantrell

   “Can’t you just…” is an idiom that means “I don’t understand the work you do at all”

   • Embed this notice
     Dale Hagglund (dalehagglund@hachyderm.io)'s status on Thursday, 29-Aug-2024 12:42:54 JST Dale Hagglund

     in reply to

     @inthehands I know it took me a while (too long, I'm sure) to realize this, but after I did I would consciously try to convert these "can't you just X" questions into something like "Can you help me understand why X is hard or inappropriate?"

     I also started saying "You know, 'Just' is a four letter word" when others would use it in the dismissive sense.

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     Paul Cantrell (inthehands@hachyderm.io)'s status on Friday, 30-Aug-2024 01:30:19 JST Paul Cantrell

     in reply to

     • Tyler Cohen

     @tylerzonia
     I had one particularly difficult client who gave us half our recommended budget for an already-small software project. We said “well, we can build •something• in that budget, but we really think [X, Y, Z].” They did it anyway. They got a huge bang for their limited buck, far more than they knew. Then…

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     Tyler Cohen (tylerzonia@zirk.us)'s status on Friday, 30-Aug-2024 01:30:21 JST Tyler Cohen

     in reply to

     @inthehands I cannot count how many times a graphic design or illustration client has assumed the work can be done in an unreasonably short amount of time, as though all it takes is one press of a magic button

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     Paul Cantrell (inthehands@hachyderm.io)'s status on Friday, 30-Aug-2024 01:31:08 JST Paul Cantrell

     in reply to

     • Tyler Cohen

     @tylerzonia …a year later, we’re called back: “Software is working but has pain points. Now we’d like [X, Y, Z].” [pause] “So basically we’re asking for everything you recommended in the first place.”

     And it was all I could do not to yell “FINALLY, SOMEBODY ADMITS IT” in that meeting.

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     Paul Cantrell (inthehands@hachyderm.io)'s status on Friday, 30-Aug-2024 01:35:35 JST Paul Cantrell

     in reply to

     • Tyler Cohen

     @tylerzonia
     I think I said something bland like “I appreciate that,” and truly, it was a personal triumph.

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     Tyler Cohen (tylerzonia@zirk.us)'s status on Friday, 30-Aug-2024 01:35:37 JST Tyler Cohen

     in reply to

     @inthehands I respect your self-control

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     Paul Cantrell (inthehands@hachyderm.io)'s status on Friday, 30-Aug-2024 08:32:08 JST Paul Cantrell

     in reply to

     • psu_13

     @psu_13
     Yup. And not only software. (I’d even venture that we software folks are among the worst offenders for “can’t you just”ing things outside our field.)

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     psu_13 (psu_13@pgh.social)'s status on Friday, 30-Aug-2024 08:32:09 JST psu_13

     in reply to

     @inthehands

     https://mutable-states.com/why-dont-they-just.html

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     Paul Cantrell (inthehands@hachyderm.io)'s status on Friday, 30-Aug-2024 08:36:21 JST Paul Cantrell

     in reply to

     • psu_13

     @psu_13
     Same. Try and often fail.

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     psu_13 (psu_13@pgh.social)'s status on Friday, 30-Aug-2024 08:36:22 JST psu_13

     in reply to

     @inthehands yeah no doubt. i keep a sharp eye on myself to try and not do this. 🙂