The Difference Between Reading

It’s been said by a lot of very smart professional people that there is a clear and definable difference between hearing and listening.  I agree.  Hearing is just the ability to notice and quantify sound.  Listening is the ability to remember and do something meaningful with those sounds.  Using that principle shouldn’t the same hold true for Reading?

I always feel like I have to keep re-explaining things to people.  I make a labor to be thorough the first time around to give everyone a good point of reference for later and so I don’t have to go through it again.  An example of something recent. 

I need a certain FTP client because it was integral to the piece of software I was supporting and making changes to.  If I had a longer deadline I would have probably talked with my boss along the vein of “I don’t really like using third-party fo thing like this.  Can we take the time to maybe find something that doesn’t cost and achieves the same results?”, in this case it would be the ability to SFTP.  As it stands this project has already slipped by 2 weeks from where I Originally thought it would be.  I wrote an email out to procure the needed license because mine’s gone wonky.  This is an edited version of what was written.

Hello, I had a licensed copy of <FTP Software> on my box to work the {Current Project} and the {Past Project I used it for}.  I’ve been using it for the last year or so and haven’t had much need to in the last month and now it’s claiming that I installed an evaluation copy on 3/21/2010 which makes no sense because I installed it a long time ago.  Just started today.  I can’t test this service fully without this piece. 

Also when the service is done it will need to be moved from where it currently resides,{Old Server}, and put onto {New Server} with the rest of the newer Services.  It will need a license as well.

Ceric

So I send that over.  I get a call asking whether this need to be on the server or my local box.  I thought it was pretty obvious from the sentence “I had a licensed copy of on my box to work the {Current Project} and the {Past Project I used it for}.”   I had the copy on my local box and it’s not working is the problem so, yeah my local box.  I get another call and ask what I’m using it for.  From above I’m using as pieces for the two projects.  This is a mild example to say the least but I get this one the other day.

A colleague of mine had a bit of work in something she didn’t know sprung on her.  Finding out that I knew a few things about it I was asked to help.  After a bit we established that we didn’t have the information to do the task.  This email was sent to the ones who should have that knowledge.

Guys,

 I just sat with Ceric for a while and apparently the parts in double brackets need to be translated or set as static before we can proceed with a test mailing. We need to know the actual links that are represented. Perhaps Ceric can state this better for me if I’m confusing anyone. Basically, my understanding is we either need to set the double bracket items as static or else give them the proper nomenclature.

 {Tag for the Page here}

I need to try to place a test order today. Can you guys please look into this asap and help me out? I have attached the zip file for the template, however I do not currently have a test list.

 Thanks!

 {Other Employee}

There we go to the point for the most part.  The response.

Your variable insert fields in HTML ex: {Vendor Nomenclature} need to map to fields in your data file, etc as we discussed before. {eMail Vendor} doesn’t understand {Nomenclature we were given in the file}.

{Fellow Employee}

For starters we got this straight from the client who is supposed to be sending us templates ready to go and it was {Fellow Employee} ‘s team that was working with them.  On to the point of this.  In the originating e-Mail the first sentence is, “I just sat with Ceric for a while and apparently the parts in double brackets need to be translated or set as static before we can proceed with a test mailing.”  If you were doing the reading equivalent of listening right there would have told you that, “Hey I’ve got a lot of Variables that are in a different form then I was expecting.” Next sentence is, “We need to know the actual links that are represented.”  so you could read that as “Is this something you guys discussed with them that we were doing different then what I expected?  If so can you translate them or send me the translation?”  Maybe I’m in the Minority but I thought it was fairly obvious that we knew that was wrong and we needed to know what was being discussed with the client.  Neither my coworker or I had been part of the design or actual implementation of this project.

In the end I think that people should really read items for comprehension.  It might be just the line of work I’m in but, every phrase matters and is a wealth of information.

Tags: Rant, Work Weirdness