Funny personal profiles: the "information black-hole"

[jcuenca]

Hi,

I'd like to introduce a funny kind of person, just in case anybody has met one of them and have learned how to manage them.

The main characteristic of this people is that they die for information (mostly gossip-like). That is, they are always asking, trying to know everything, including very techie things (if it were just curiosity about science, it would be good). The funny side is, simply put, that they can't. For instance, they work like vendors and try to understand why you're using a particular Linux command.

Up to here they may be quite bearable. You teach them some things, then they tell you back. But then, they suddenly start to get into your personal life and your relationship with other people (both in work and outside). They ask once and again other people, and sometimes tend to modify what people thinks about you.

That's one of their shots. The other is that, as black holes, they only suck information: don't expect them to tell you anything, nor try somebody to tell you about them (as the black holes do with you).

Once in a while I find some of them, and I hate it because they are a " huge pain".

Does anybody know how to nullify them? (That is, make them suck themselves instead of others)

Thanks.

 

[jcuenca]

I forgot to mention a variation of these guys: the back-talking I.B.H. In this case, they are absolutely not interested in you or your work. This is OK if they go on their own, but when it comes to a group project...

In my case, we're developing a client-server software. I do the server side an the back-talking the client side. Obviouslly, both parts should be tighly coordinated (we thought of a communications protocol for that purposes). But it's not the case. I'm bored of speaking with this guy, but he's always doing what he thinks best (and I'm afraid he's wrong most of times).

So now, the crazy situation is like this: when something in the software doesn't work, I'm notifyed by a server-side pal who tells me that the back-talking has changed something in the client side, and so I should adapt the server code to make things work. That is, the back-talking knows everything and I don't. So, he's in the black-hole class.

Enjoyable, isn't it?

 

[Ghost]

Best to answer a question from a person like that with a question.

"That's interesting. How do you feel about that?"

"I'm not quite sure. Did you ask anyone else about this?"

"What other options do you think we can look at?"

Good luck.

Ghost

 

[JUDGE27]

I can offer you some advice, whether or not you take it
is your choice.

Pinpoint their area of expertise. Isolate a forum they can relate to, and pick one that is of great significance, preferably one that you know they would not be able to answer on the fly.

Ask them the question, make them feel inadequate, and hit them with a number of results.

This will make them feel uncomfortable around you.

Best of luck!

 

[jcuenca]

Thanks a lot for your advices. I'll try to put them in practice.

Judge27: your advice mean showing him that I know more than him in one of his areas of expertise? On the other hand, I think they feel uncomfortable about me long time ago, and still they go on absorving info.

Greetings,