Halx

10 Reasons Why "Tech Speak" Is The Best Language To Learn.
By Andrew Gonsalves "Halx" www.tfproject.org

While knowing how to speak Spanish will secure you a customer service job in Los Angeles, knowing how to speak French will make you sound sexier, and knowing how to speak Japanese will make all of your hentai games more interesting, if you know "Tech Speak," you're already 10 times more versatile than all those other bilingual show-offs. By Tech Speak, I don't mean to imply that there is some secret code that you haven't heard of before, and I certainly am not referring to any glossary of buzzwords that make you look more of a blow hard for reciting them. Tech Speak is simply the language of technology; the understanding of where the world is going and the tidbits of knowledge needed to stay adrift.

10. Confidence
     Today, I fielded a call from a young lady who was having trouble figuring out a website she had been tasked with managing. After taking a brief look at the site, I was halfway embarrassed to guide her through the steps to updating her site. She was scared of the site. She didn't want to touch anything, even if it was labeled with exactly what it would do if she touched it. A tech-savvy individual is not intimidated. Even after encouraging this woman to fiddle around and find out through trial and error, she could not bring herself to click anything without direct instruction. 10 out of 10 geeks reading this article are probably saying to themselves,
"Give me a crack at that site and I'll know how it works in 5 minutes." With that, I rest my first case.

9. Technology = Future
     Don't hit the "Back" button yet! I know it's obvious, but it has to be said; those who embrace technology will inherit the future. I'm sure Barnes and Noble feels a bit cheated when a company half as old posts twice as much revenue. That company would be Amazon.com, a company born and raised on technology. Questionable business practices aside, Amazon is a great example of old business done new.
     The number of computers-per-household is not regressing any time soon. The Internet is getting more interactive, connections are getting faster and computers are getting more accessible. The world is moving away from brick & mortar and into bits & bytes. To put it cryptically: 584e4d59c580ca10f301d53814b700da. I bet you wish you knew what I just said.

8. General Exposure to Knowledge
     When I'm asked a question I don't know the answer to, I look it up. I get the answer quickly and I look clever to the person who asked me. Everyone uses the Internet, but they don't always know how to use it to get what they want. Tech Speak includes the utilization of your best resources for know-how. I need a T-shirt that says, "Just Google It." Can someone sell one to me? I want it in black.
     We have search engines. We have wikis. We have forums. We have social networking. We have open source. Even if we don't actively search for knowledge on the Internet, we are presented with it whether we like it or not. We've all heard that knowledge is power, but I have a different view on it. Knowledge is peace. Not to turn this into an overture for my life's philosophy, but on average, the more you know about something, the less you reject it.

7. A Worldly Perspective
     In the same groove of having access to knowledge, technology gives you access to news. If you know where to get your news, you discover that there is a lot more to the world than what CNN and FOX tell you. Sure, the media giants are good for letting you know about major events in the world, but if you care about the validity of information that you digest, you can find enlightenment on the Internet. Independent news publishers, blogs, discussion forums, and open source portals give you a wide range of takes on important issues that maybe, just maybe, the media giants reported from a slightly biased viewpoint. Get the whole story and form your own opinions. Get feedback on your opinions. Grow and form new opinions. All with the help of technology.

6. Problem Solving Made Tech-y
     The goal of programming is to efficiently solve a problem. The lessons of programming can be easily ported over into real life. Rather, the concept of problem solving in programming mimics the best way to handle problems in your daily flow. It's all one big analogy, actually. With experience you begin to realize the worth of identifying problems accurately and honestly, or else your code (the fix) is dirty, nobody else can read (understand) it but you, and nobody can learn from it because it only works for the situation you used it for. Ahh, proprietary software. Inadvertently, I've just advocated for open source.
     Forgive me; that last paragraph made no sense. Don't bother reading it again for hidden messages you might have missed the first go-around. I'll explain it here. I'm using programming as a metaphor for problem solving and life in general. An ideal program is written with as little code as possible, while fulfilling all of its functional requirements and taking up only as much resources as is necessary. Likewise, a few lessons we learn in life are to be brief, be effective and do not impose. The problem-solving portion of those lessons lies in how we accomplish that.

5. Knowledge Portability
     I first picked up a computer in 1991. From that point, I taught myself all about the world of computers. I dove into networking as soon as I had the problem of connecting two computers together. My knowledge of the IT world grew and grew. Little did I realize that this was preparing me to understand the world of telecommunications. In 2001, when my lazy network operations department suddenly transformed into a telecom center, I had to adjust quickly. To my surprise, the world of servers, routers and T3 lines is not too far removed from the world of telco switches, CO's and land lines. I adjusted. As a result, I can now put expertise in two “completely different” industries on my resume.
     Telecommunications isn't the only area where computer knowledge is relative. If you know how to wire your network, you know how to wire your home entertainment system. If you know how to produce W3C standard HTML, you know how to look up and adhere to general writing standards. If you know how to hide porn on your hard drive, you know how to hide your report card from your mother. It's all related.

4. Articulation & Specification
     If you've ever been in tech support, there's a chance that you're like me in the way you prefer people to address their problem to you. “Get to the point.” In turn, you know how to communicate your own issues to your counterparts in other areas. You have a clue about what information is relevant and what information really doesn't matter. You know the worth of context and you know that the only way you're going to get your question answered is if you're honest. Likewise, you also know how to twist someone's arm, however that's covered in another article I plan to write.
     “Real world” issues work no different than technical issues, however those issues don't always have the streamlined troubleshooting processes that technical issues have, so people usually feel they need to wind up before a pitch. Experience in technology teaches you not only about structure of information, but also about formatting, which is exactly what allows you to let others know exactly what you want. It also helps you be funny, but you have to pay me for that lesson.

3. Troubleshooting
     Troubleshooting is a specific form of problem solving that is highly emphasized in the world of technology. The process of stripping an issue down to its bones and methodically reproducing it is worth more than an A+ certification, though. The management of your company uses this process (if they're smart) to find out why profits are low. Your mechanic uses this process (if he's tone deaf) to diagnose your car. Your plumber, doctor, and psychiatrist use troubleshooting, too. What's so special if everyone already does it? What do you think I'm going to say? Techies do it better.
     Most of the world revolves around theory. Doctors have to spend the better part of a decade in school, yet second opinions are par for the course. The Tech Speak road through the troubleshooting process leaves nobody satisfied until the problem is isolated. Of course, you're always more comfortable dissecting a computer than your own body, but you can recognize a thorough checkup when you experience one.

2. Code is Organized. Thoughts are Not.
     My new job often catches me wide-eyed and frozen in the face of insurmountable queues of workload. I have to organize my tasks, assign priorities, and then process them according to changing variables in my environment. Does that sound a little mechanical to you? I'm an “artist” of sorts and that statement screams, “soulless and empty.” Never the less, I wasn't hired for my creative ability. My bedroom may be organized with literally everything in it within arm's reach (visualize that for a minute), however my office and my work performance needs to be structured and respectable.
     Work is just another program I've written in my head. This program has more nested conditionals than rand()'s and it's getting me a lot farther than my previous unemployed-QBASIC-go-with-the-flow style. When I originally thought of the concept for this article, my new job was what inspired me. The ways I am applying what technology has taught me to my work habit have been surprising me. I'm 24 years old with ADD and a really weird sense of humor, but I am doing a great job at work (my opinion) in a position that seems better fit for someone with visual battle scars (read: older and wiser) than a baby-faced toothpick.

1. It's cool.
     This article has been about how technology fits into our world and how proliferated it has become. I don't REALLY need to explain all of the detailed ins and outs about why it's worth it to be a geek. The simple truth is that the world has changed, making it possible to be into computers while still being cool. Companies like Apple and Sony give consumers a way to get involved without sacrificing their sense of style. Concepts like open source, social networking and peer-to-peer give users a way to get involved without the intimidation of background checks and credit card numbers. Being involved in all this introduces you to more people than hanging out at bars ever will. Tech Speak is the way.

DIGG

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bermuDa

Great read! I hadn't really considered how being tech-savvy has affected my confidence, but I really am much more willing to dive into a rats nest of cables or fiddle with any number of machines and appliances than if I were a techno-dunce. I've found ways to apply troubleshooting to all sorts of problems, so that's definitely one of the best advantages of knowing your "tech speak."

The only downside is that everyone who isn't tech-savvy uses you as a crutch. But I suppose that's better than being one of the ignorant masses that freezes like a deer in headlights whenever confronted by a dialog box.

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pig

tech speak has always been the way. when the journeyman system was setup...those guys were speaking tech speak. when the wheel was invented, that was tech speak. dare i say it: when the first inventions of any genre were given birth: they were speaking in tech speak. we are in the afterbirth of the technological revolution, we have arrived at the advent of the so-called "Information Age." this is the new tech speak. it is the way, it has always been the way, and it shall everafter be the way.

ramen.

great writes hal. i was just thinking to myself as i read this; putting these words into action is the journey of attaining a ph.d. its not what you study; its learning how to think, how to solve a problem; it carries across genres and allows one to be effective. that has always been the essence of being a geek, regardless of what you apply it to. it is about how to navigate - applied to a new paradigm

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Astrocloud

Honestly dude,

I speak tech at a very high level. , I speak... HTML, C, C ++, C#, Basic, Visual Basic, TCL, SQL and ... At a job interview -nobody cares... unless you know someone at the company (nepotism) they are simply looking for a reason to ELIMINATE you.

After working in many high tech fields and watching the status quo -the best way to insure that you will get hired is to simply get along with the people who interview you. That's it.

Believe it or not. People who meet me don't always want to work with me.

Halx

Well Astrocloud, the point was that technology teaches you thinking strategies that apply and improve across your whole life. Your personality and individual skills are your business.

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flstf

It is not enough to just know technology but like any other tool a great deal depends on the users ability to think and solve problems in general. I remember when calculators first became widespread. I would trust a good engineer's slide rule result over a less able engineer's calculator result (although the wrong calculation was accurate to 10 digits). I suspect much of technology is the same way.

I agree with the OP that being tech savvy is very important, but not nearly as important as being able to think and problem solve in the first place. Tech can be learned, good sense not so much.

mjlazlow

Fantastic article, which encouraged me to sign up here and digg you too. I couldn't agree more, as I find many skills that Technology has taught me, to be very useful in other aspects of work/life.

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newtx

Tech-savvy is the way to go. If we aren't moving forward we are falling behind.

daveschappell

OK... I'll ask... what does '584e4d59c580ca10f301d53814b700da' stand for?

Supple Cow

I think it's 'RTFM'.

Or not.

daveschappell

heh

i tried to break it into 4 eight-character pieces and google each to get the code translation, but it didn't work for me.

but, rtfm makes sense... now, i just need to find that darn manual!

Halx

It's an md5 hash. Good luck.

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ShaniFaye

Halx I just thought I'd pass this along.....the local radio station that I listen to in the morning just read portions of this on the air, naming you as the author

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guthmund

That's pretty awesome.

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Jinn

scary


but awesome

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ubertuber

That's copyrighted material. Can they do that? Or did they contact Hal for permission?

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fitzneal

How jolly 'egotisical' of you that man.......................

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Halx

Can you give me some information on that radio station and the show that aired it, Shani?

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SecretMethod70

I'm pretty sure that, based on Shani's description, what they did falls under fair use. They only red excerpts and attributed it to Halx, for the purpose of discussing it. If they had read the whole thing, that may have been a different story. Even then, it's a bit hazy.

Pretty cool nonetheless.

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ShaniFaye

yeah, they didnt read it verbatim, just kinda hit the highlights

Halx, it was STAR 94 (if you want their website its http://www.star94.com ) It was on the Steve and Vikki morning show

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Halx

It's not copyright violation... the media does this all the time. I just want to see if I can contact them.

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ShaniFaye

Vikki is the one that was talking about it.... her email is vikki@star94.com and respectively her partners email is steve@star94.com

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foxvalleydood

Good read, I thought it was going to be a joke angle at first. The whole "just google it" is so true. It's amazing how dumbfounded people are that someone can locate information so fast. Whenever I do it the first thing I get is "man, you must have too much free time at work". Which, obviously, is the most ignorant statement in the world for soooooo many reasons.

mirevolver

I speak native english, fleuent German and techspeak, and caveman Russian. The techspeak gets me in the doors in the professional world, whereas the German and Russian are really good conversation pieces. Though I do wish it was the other way around.

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timyjl

My non tech friends just get annoyed when I do that.

ARTelevision

Just printed it out and hung it on my wall.

Great words, Hal!

Thanks,
Art

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Anxst

Well stated, Hal, and something I've been telling people for years. I've floated in and out of numerous jobs over the years based on the exact skills listed above, paired with my customer support "soft skills'. Every place I've worked has thought I was some kind of insane robot because I picked everything up so quickly and also had the ability to talk down an irate customer.

Tech speak + people skills = WIN

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Katatonic

I like to call it "1337 sp34k"

JoshuaH

Great article. Keep em' coming Halx.

Delirious

This article is a bit elitist, however just like the movie "Revenge of the Nerds" .. us nerds eventually win/get the girl.

Willravel

Actually, I see it as the girls eventually get us.

orbitrix

Dugg!

traveling

What is this? Anybody else could help?

Cynthetiq

wild to see that this has been dugg over 1800 times!!!!

http://digg.com/tech_news/10_Reasons...guage_To_Learn

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