With kindness and sincerity, this video made me feel great empathy towards my nation's food service workers, and also gave me a rising sense of anxiety edging into the threshold of an outright terror of a flavor I have never tasted before. "Easy.” https://mastodon.social/@hotdogsladies/112254463591200744
@jmac I had a teacher for Assembly at college that would introduce a concept and then smugly conclude with "easy stuff." I'm like dude, I'm taking your class for the fourth time. It ain't that easy.
(He would have been a great co-worker and I wasn't the best student but that momentary bubble of rage when someone tells you something is easy was something.)
@icecreamjonsey@jmac l knew a guy who would nod while explaining math. I don't think it was deliberate, I think it was a subconscious thing he picked up as a way to get the listener to nod in response, presumably because nodding signals understanding and therefore a successful explanation. Later I found out that the whole math department at UCSD did that.
My employer's documentation style guide includes guidance against calling anything "easy" or "simple", including phrases like "To [make something happen], simply [take this action]".
It's simple for you, the expert writing the docs, perhaps! But this doesn't help the person trying to follow your directions, and risks making them feel frustrated or even defeated if they run into trouble while following "simple" instructions on very challenging topics.
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