I think one of the funniest things about Fedi is that you have an above average chance of interacting with someone who's an actual expert in something. Just did an inadvertent Bensplain to someone who's clearly an expert in the field I referenced. Oh you've probably never *heard* of this thing. What's that - you *invented* it? Oh sorry.
Post
@TheBreadmonkey That's a hazard of being an elected politician in #Cambridge
Whatever you decide, on whatever subject, there's a fair chance that there's a world class expert on that topic amongst your constituents who's going to tell you how you've got it wrong.
I don't mind if someone tries to explain something I'm an expert in to me, if they do it politely. If they do it politely and correctly, I'll just tap 'favourite'. If they do it politely and incorrectly, I'll try to politely correct them.
If they do it condescendingly and correctly, I'll probably block or mute them. If they do it condescendingly and incorrectly then they get to be the outlet for any stress I've accumulated that day.
If they do it condescendingly and incorrectly citing my own work as the reason why I'm wrong, then I won't even try to be vaguely polite.
@david_chisnall @TheBreadmonkey
Many years ago I had a colleague who explained to me, incorrectly, how a certain piece of low-level driver code worked, and suggested a change that would’ve broken everything. Code that I had written years before.
When I tried to politely point out that the change wouldn’t work and why, I was told I was “mansplaining”. When I said I had written the code they got pretty mad.
It was a weird time.
@TheBreadmonkey two days ago:
Me: why is flash catching strays? I know it needed to go but it did it's job well!
Them: oh I actually had a big hand in killing flash.....sorry!
😂
@TheBreadmonkey
If you are an expert though and 100% know the answer to someone's question, they will reply with "Thanks for suggesting that you are 100% sure my photo of X is a Y, but others have made other suggestions and I am suspicious that your expertise doesn't match the confidence of your response"
At which point, it is too late to list your credentials, and in any case that would seem twattish.
@TheBreadmonkey All the experts seem to be screaming into Reddit tho
Same as it ever was
@TheBreadmonkey I recently had an English pharmacist politely kick my ass all over the place, it's bracing.
@CartyBoston @TheBreadmonkey That is surprising - I can’t get my pharmacist to do anything without a prescription.
@TheBreadmonkey like that one time (admittedly on Twitter, back in the good old days) when I recommended Simon Pegg watch the Phineas & Ferb Star Wars Special because it was really good and I thought he'd like it.
His response: "I know; I'm in it 😀"
@TheBreadmonkey @kim_harding so much so that people are demanding you do years of research before they allow you to answer their questions
@TheBreadmonkey I can assure you I'm not really an expert in burying people in fields. More of an enthusiastic amateur, really.
@amiserabilist @TheBreadmonkey I was just contemplating the fact that more people have seen this than the original joke and I'm probably on some sort of list as a result.
