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Whenever some one says, "They said" or "they want" or some variation then I ask "Who is they" and watch the hilarity ensue since usually they don't know who they is and what they really meant was I.
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Another fun one is "Oh? When did they say...?"
Marc
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I always ask "And who set the deadline?"
because if it wasn't my team me, they aren't familiar enough with my team to set a good one.
(I have a supervisor that promises something in 2 days that I'll predict 5 days for, hence the strikeout)
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Indeed! One of my favorite variations on that theme is the "studies show" shibboleth.
In a discussion of public policy, whenever someone tries to bolster his argument with the "studies show" gambit, I immediately ask, "What studies, conducted how and by whom? Can you provide references?" Inasmuch as these days, for every study there's an equal but opposite study, the countermeasure is quite effective.
"They want" and "they say," and all their variations, are ways of asserting a nebulous, un-checkable authority. Like many other such phrases, they should be buried face down with stakes through their hearts -- and the way to make that happen is never to let them pass unchallenged.
(This message is programming you in ways you cannot detect. Be afraid.)
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A similar favorite of mine:
When I came to the US to a 4-child family to go to high school for a year, all the time I heard "mother" tell her childen "You ain't supposed to" do so-and-so, say so-and-so, be knowledgeable about so-and-so.
Quite often Bible Belt supposing was somewhat different from my own Norwegian supposing, so I curiouslyu interrogated: "Who is doing that supposing?" Needless to say, my questioning lead to a number of small conflicts.
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Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote: I ask "Who is they"
You know, "them" 
Psychosis at 10
Film at 11
Those who do not remember the past, are doomed to repeat it.
Those who do not remember the past, cannot build upon it.
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That always reminds me of this[^] "Far Side" cartoon.
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Does anyone have a short (ten seconds or less) WAV file of Carl Sagan speaking the phrase "Billions And Billions" ?
It would be super (though I think impossible) if I could get him saying "Billions And Billions Of
ElseIF statements"
Google, Bing, and Yahoo led me to a couple of YouTube videos; but I'm just trying to find the "billions and billions" phrase.
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Possibly, you will be unlucky: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Sagan#Phrase_.27billions_and_billions.27[^]
'Sagan stated that he never actually used the phrase in the Cosmos series.[46] The closest that he ever came was in the book Cosmos, where he talked of "billions upon billions"'
However, I do have a mp3 of him saying it, when he had a bad cold. It's difficult to tell, because he does sound quite a lot like me...in fact, more like me than him...if you want a copy, I'll record it for you see if I can find it.
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952)
Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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Okay, see if you can record find a copy of him saying "billions and billions of ElseIF clauses"
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I think that one is hiding behind my microphone...now, where did I put that?
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952)
Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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I have recently been in a discussion with an annoying fanatic here in the lounge after coming to the defence of another member decrying the idiot position of said fanatic. Said fanatic is clearly arguing for the sake of it since their position is unsupportable ("Metro is wonderful and better than anything else that ever existed on any version of Window before") and I got fed up of answering his pointless points to the point where I went back and deleted all my messages. Now they show as "Message Removed" and it occurs to me that that seems like I was flinging abuse or something (while actually they were reasoned arguments) and does not look good. Perhaps we need a "Message Withdrawn" heading?
Does anyone have any good suggestions on how to deal with annoying idiots in discussions - other than just ignoring them?
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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The the problem of teh innert00bz. Trolls have the advantage of being anonymous and untouchable.
Sadly there's really nothing to do other than ignore/block them and move on.
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Forogar wrote: Does anyone have any good suggestions on how to deal with annoying idiots in discussions - other than just ignoring them?
I would reply but I am ignoring you.
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Well, I will ignore you back! Twice!
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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Forogar wrote: Does anyone have any good suggestions on how to deal with annoying idiots in discussions - other than just ignoring them?
I thinking laughing works well.
Also I try never to take myself too seriously, so I don't expect others to take me seriously, either.
CQ de W5ALT
Walt Fair, Jr., P. E.
Comport Computing
Specializing in Technical Engineering Software
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Walt Fair, Jr. wrote: Also I try never to take myself too seriously, so I don't expect others to take me seriously, either.
Done
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No comment
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Forogar wrote: how to deal with annoying
Never, ever argue with an ID-10-TEE. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. G. Carlin.
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Don't go to the Q&A section then
(By logic we all should be very stupid  )
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Forogar wrote: other than just ignoring them?
What's wrong with that one?
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Just wave them away while saying "bah".
It's the Dogbert method that never fails
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Finally! An answer I can use!
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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