In technical communications (but it applies to all communications, really), we’re taught to always consider three things: audience, purpose, and context.
Here’s a great example of the difference context and audience can make in communication. Only between a developer and a tester in a software development and testing department (audience) would one, like I did today, overhear the following conversation outside the men’s room (context), and not raise an eyebrow:
Man 1: Did you take a dump?
Man 2: No, not yet.
The only thing that could have been worse, I guess, would have been had the conversation taken place inside the men’s room in front of a stall.
I had another whacko busy day at work today. I’d rather be busy than not, though.
There was a calamity of errors about a couple of meetings this afternoon.
I was invited to Henry’s 3:00 – 4:00 meeting, but he never put me on the invitation list — he had just forwarded me a copy of the meeting notice, and I had created a manual invitation for it on my calendar.
He was invited to my 4:00 – 4:30 meeting by meeting invitation.
At 3:00, I called in for his 3:00 – 4:00 meeting, which was a conference call. I waited on the line, alone, for 13 minutes, and then decided the meeting must have been canceled or postponed, and since I wasn’t on the official calendar invitation list, I didn’t get notified. I sent Henry a note asking him if that’s what happened, and asked him to add me to the official calendar invitation for the rescheduled meeting, and in case there are any further changes.
In the evening, from home, I checked my work e-mail and I had this from Henry in response to my note:
Talk about a comedy. I went to the conference room for your meeting at 4:00, and realized you must have rescheduled. I can’t find a rescheduled invitation, but when I opened the current meeting invitation on my calendar, it informed me that it had been rescheduled. Whatever.
Gotta love technology.
I stopped by Just Tires after work, and got my tires rotated on their 6,000-mile schedule. On Saturday, I must get my oil changed. It’s way overdue.
At home, I had cucumbers, tomatoes and mozzarella, all with some balsamic vinegar sprinkled on them, along with three slices of toasted kalamata olive bread. Yum.
I ran to Target, where I returned a car mat I bought weeks ago, and bought index tabs for my project notebook for my usability job, two batteries for the tape recorder I’m going to use during the testing, a two-fold picture frame, some gum, and four CPK pizzas at $4.94 a piece. They’re $6.25 a piece at the grocery stores.
I met Joe at Helios, and we hung out there until about 11:15.
At home, I did the online USA Today Crossword Puzzle.