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Ask HN: Trivial etiquette question - can he touch my laptop screen?

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Re: Ask HN: Trivial etiquette question - can he touch my laptop screen?

#71

Post by olliesaunders »

codyrobbins wrote: post #41
olliesaunders wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is almost making me angry. Someone would fire someone else for that? Please tell me you're not saying that.

The company shouldn't fire someone for not knowing their place in front of a vice president and making a snide remark? I think that's absolutely acceptable. If the vice president wants to touch your screen, you're not really in a place to chew him out about it. I would venture to guess that doing so was most likely indicative of broader issues with the employee in this case, i.e., if she doesn't know her place in fro…

This is hacker news dude! We hate authoritarians throwing their weight around.

Re: Ask HN: Trivial etiquette question - can he touch my laptop screen?

#72

Post by codyrobbins »

olliesaunders wrote: post #71
codyrobbins wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The company shouldn't fire someone for not knowing their place in front of a vice president and making a snide remark? I think that's absolutely acceptable. If the vice president wants to touch your screen, you're not really in a place to chew him out about it. I would venture to guess that doing so was most likely indicative of broader issues with the employee in this case, i.e., if she doesn't know her place in fro…

This is hacker news dude! We hate authoritarians throwing their weight around.

I stand by what I said. Just because I'm a hacker I don't have to have a misplaced sense of my own self-importance in front of someone like a vice president.

Re: Ask HN: Trivial etiquette question - can he touch my laptop screen?

#73

Post by cognominal »

With thé upcoming generalisation of touch screens it will be difficult people not to touch the screen. On the other hand a pal upgrading from the iPhone 3G to 3GS told me that his preferred feature was the oleophobic screen. So touching other screen may not be an étiquette problem anymore but a normal way of interaction.

Re: Ask HN: Trivial etiquette question - can he touch my laptop screen?

#74

Post by ryanwaggoner »

IsaacSchlueter wrote: post #56
tsally wrote: post #15

Wow I'm hearing tons of complicated ways to avoid direct conversation. If you pay several thousand dollars for a machine, I'm pretty sure you get to decide to gets to do what with it. If it is your companies screen, you are still responsible for it, so the same thing applies. Next time it happens, just politely explain how you feel. There's no need for the passive aggressive solutions that a few people are suggesting…

Yes, exactly. "Please don't touch my screen" has always worked fine for me. Especially if you get it out quick before they actually make contact, always say it politely, and make sure that you repeat the warning 100% of the time that there's a finger heading towards the screen. "Hey, you see that thing right--" "Please don't touch my screen." "I didn't touch it, though." "I know. Thank you. Please keep it that way."…

We clearly have very different ideas of what "polite" means. Your little exchange makes you come off sounding like a prized asshole.

And, seriously, what kind of unevolved cretin can't communicate without pointing anyway?

This is ridiculous. Pointing serves a very useful purpose in communication, and is often far more efficient than verbal cues. Have you really never pointed at anything while trying to communicate something to someone? If not, you should really try it. You'll be amazed at how easy and effective it is :)

Re: Ask HN: Trivial etiquette question - can he touch my laptop screen?

#76

Post by chrischen »

drobilla wrote: post #52
pistoriusp wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate that. It's the same as people starting a sentence with "I'm sorry, but..." And then saying something that they're not really sorry about. It's not silly to not want someone to touch your screen. I think you should just come out and say it. "Please don't touch my monitor."

This is what I do, and it's never a problem. The reasons why you wouldn't want somebody touching your scren are pretty obvious. I'm not apologizing to someone else for /them/ smudging their filthy hand marks all over /my/ screen! There's a "please", it's not like it's rude...

I would drop the please and just say "Oh, could you not touch the screen" and then explain why.

Re: Ask HN: Trivial etiquette question - can he touch my laptop screen?

#78

Post by quellhorst »

nailer wrote: post #37
cschep wrote: post #16

I always start the sentence with... "I know this is weird, but..." It helps me get to the actual point of direct confrontation, but by blaming it on myself it helps absorb some of the awkward. Truly though, I hate it when people touch my laptop's screen!

It's etiquette that a lot of people don't know. For example, most people who don't work in technology (and a few who do) don't see a need to look away when you're typing a password - just as most people who don't work in (insert profession here) don't know about (insert profession based behavior expectation here).

I type dvorak on qwerty keyboards, I don't care if they are looking.

Re: Ask HN: Trivial etiquette question - can he touch my laptop screen?

#80

Post by olliesaunders »

codyrobbins wrote: post #72
olliesaunders wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is hacker news dude! We hate authoritarians throwing their weight around.

I stand by what I said. Just because I'm a hacker I don't have to have a misplaced sense of my own self-importance in front of someone like a vice president.

I wouldn't do what this person did in front of a VP either but being fired for it is not something I approve of. Although, as another commenter mentioned, if it was delivered in a significantly snotty way being fired becomes quite predictable. Authority believes it has earned the right not be spoken down to but real winners won't care, much.
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