So, blogs are supposed to be cathartic, like laxatives (literally), so I figure I should vent every once in a while about things that bug the crap (figuratively) out of me. Feel free to let me know if I’m looking at any of these things incorrectly or if you have a better viewpoint as to why they shouldn’t be as irksome.

1. Evite Non-replyers
I’ve always disliked Evites, even though I use them frequently. The concept of an evite is actually quite smart, though I think the execution leaves much to be desired. Regardless, the real issue I have with them is that they let hosts snoop on when people viewed the evite and let you know of their reply status. As an administrator for an event, you can see when users have viewed the evite in the list of “Not responded.”
If you’ve ever used evite.com before, you probably noticed that people receive an email that informs them of an event and the person that is hosting the event. If this is unsolicited or something in which a user is disinterested, the user can delete the email. If the user would like to learn more, they can click the link in the email to be brought to a page to learn more about the event and RSVP “Yes”, “No” or “Maybe.”

If a person doesn’t want to go to the event, they should RSVP “No.” If the person is unsure of their availability, they should RSVP “Maybe.” There is no feasible reason a person should close the evite without replying.

I think there should be additional RSVP options beyond the existing three that let the user fill in their own reason for not responding. For example:

1. I choose not to respond to this event because I want to make it difficult for my friends to plan for the number of attendees.

2. I choose not to respond to this event because I reject the tenets of this institution as it is another form of “the man” and it is oppressing me.

3. I choose not to respond to this event simply because I know it will piss Don off.

2. The “I Mean” and “You Know” Epidemic

I used to be in theatre, have taken a number of classes in public speaking and have a Bachelors in (Visual) Communication. In all of these instances the main issue that was drilled into me over and over is that killer-filler (verbal ticks such as “like,” “you know,” “i mean”, etc.) is addictive and improper. I believe it diminishes credibility in debates, destroys confidence in education and (above all) is damn annoying. Take these instances as an example:

1. “Sir, um, the results of your blood test are, like, in. And, uhhh, I don’t know how to, like, say this, but, you know, I mean, you have Lupus.”

Result: Second opinion.

2. “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. My client, you know, is obviously, like, innocent. I mean, you know?”

Result: Hung Jury.

3. “Senator Kerry, you know, I mean, what about Poland? Like, don’t denegrate our coalition.”

Result: Well, I think W’s killer-filler wasn’t the main problem with his debating skills, so I’ll let this one slide.

The main point is that no matter what position you’re in, or how accurate your argument, you cannot possibly communicate succinctly and credibly when you lace the statements with verbal ticks. You could be the most intelligent person in the world, but it’s impossible to relay your argument without the skills of articulating it properly.

These verbal ticks are normally replacements for pauses (to allow the brain to catch up with the tongue) or self-segue techniques. They’re the sign of someone who prefers speaking to communicating. We respect Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw because they speak clean, quality English. We find movies like “Clueless” and “Legally Blonde” funny because they
portray verbally-challenged people in glamorous positions. Dennis Leary and Dennis Miller can’t say a joke without following it up with “Okay?”. Robin Williams’s old stand-up was laiden with “YES!” Chris Rock and Dave Chapelle…well, we both know which word they use as killer-filler.

Don’t think you employ killer-filler in your everyday life? Have a friend notify you when you use one. Listen for it in others to see how addictive it is.

      
3. Adulthood

So, yea, I’m not really gonna comment on this one because I’m sure your expenses look quite similar…but…yea…

 

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Ok, I know this list is going to grow extensively in the next few months…I’d love to hear your feedback one any of these things. Challenge my thinking, make me a better person, tell me I’m full of shitake, give me examples to support or counter my thinking. Rant. Rave.