Educating Annoying Ignorances

[Talshere]

Climate Change.

I do a course which focuses quite heavily on climate change and the stupidity of people astounds me.

I know that there is ignorance on both sides of the debate, but I am curious if any particular ignorance annoys you more.

The attitude of we are all going to die for one. It'll be AT LEAST 100 years before we see any significant sea level rise assuming we get any and we are looking at 1000+ years for the dissolution of the relevant ice masses. Most of THAT rise will actually come from thermal expansion, not melt water. Figures of 100m are bull. IF the FULL East Antarctic Ice sheet melts we will see a maximum of 60 metres ignoring thermal expansion. And people who saying the Arctic ice sheet melting will cause flooding just need to be shot for the good of the human race. Basic physics people, ice displaces its mass when in water....

I hate the media for never correctly reading articals before publishing retarded stories. I hate the general public for swallowing it whole than THEN complaining about renewable energy near their homes.

And I also hate scientists who tout climate change, at least he global warming part, as science fact, the media and politicians do this too. Its not, the error bars on most of our models are huge to the point many scientific fields would just laugh away the results and our understanding of the system is shaky at best. You will see hundreds of graphs that show since 1850 the CO2 ppm has increase ten fold but noone every shows you a graph going back, 1000, 2000, 10000, or 70 million years into the past. We have those. They show unequivocally that a world with ANY icecaps is a rare occurrence and that TWO! at the same TIME is basically unheard of.

At best we can say we as a species have increase CO2 among other green house gasses and that it is likely that this is or will begin to affect our climate. Any more at this stage is a complete misrepresentation of the data.


Every year we fail to return to an ice age (cos that is what we are due. YAY go 2000m think 13million km^2 ice sheet over the entire USA!) increases the likelihood that we are affecting the climate. And despite this rant Im actually pro preventative measures. At worst our worries are completely unfounded and we get cleaner air. Just look at the number of smog days LA and London used to get. London never gets them now and LA rarely does. This can only be a good thing. Worst case scenario we were right and we will be ready. BUT STOP WITH THE BLOODY PROPAGANDA! Present the TRUTH!

 

[Queen Michael]

My mom once said "Try highlighting on it." It concerned computers.
She meant "clicking on it." She's the kind of person who thinks that she can just make up any computer phrase and people will automatically know what it means. She's stopped doing that now, though, God bless her.

 

[Hal10k]

And people who saying the Arctic ice sheet melting will cause flooding just need to be shot for the good of the human race. Basic physics people, ice displaces its mass when in water....

I think people who talk about that are referring to the glaciers covering areas like Greenland.

 

[Aurora Firestorm]

There does seem to be a much larger variety in American cartoon styles than Japanese manga character styles. Hm.

It bugs the hell out of me when people don't know the difference between "electrician" and "electrical engineer." As an EE major, I can't wire your house up, because I don't know all the complex rules for doing so. I can, however, design all kinds of fancy electronics. These are completely different things, even if their core theory is the same.

"Pokey-man" is not the way to say it. I swear, this phenomenon has been around for about 14-ish years now. (In 3 or so years, college freshmen can in theory be younger than Pokemon.) So say it with me: "Poh-kay-mon." What part of "O" don't people understand?

 

[VladG]

That all manga characters have big eyes or that it's strange that Japanese people, with their eyes shaped the way they are, would create characters who look like that. First of all, no person of any race looks even remotely like a big-eyed manga character. Secondly, you know Timmy from Fairly Odd Parents? Or Bart Simpson? They don't look a bit like human beings, but that's not considered strange. So why would Japanese people stick to the photorealistic look all the time?

I remember reading an article about something like that, why Asian cartoon characters don't look Asian to Western audiences.

A basic smiley face is "default male", a female or foreigner is that modified to show non-defaultness. Because Asian stuff about Asians targeted at Asians treat Asians as the default, they don't stick any Asian markers on top.

They worded it rather better than me.

They copied the whole big-eyed thing from Disney. It makes characters look cuter. So yeah, probable one of the most recognizable anime staples has nothing to do with anime.

OT
There are a things that piss me off to no end simply because people take them for granted without even thinking for a second.

Like most Apple fans. Plenty of reasons posted on this thread, no need for more, they are just stupid, ignorant consumers.

"Drinking beer with a straw will get you drunker, faster" No. No it won't. It can't. You drink it slower with a straw so your kidneys can actually process more of the alcohol and not let it seep into your bloodstream. Why people believe this is beyond me, but it's VERY popular.

People using "as if" instead of "as". "As if prime minister, I promise to..." instead of "As prime minister I promise to..". It's something that happens in my language, not English, but the translation is quite accurate. It's normally used as a very cheap way to avoid cacophony when people are too stupid to substitute with a synonym that wouldn't cause a cacophony and now, due to quite illiterate people on TV (mostly pop "stars" and politicians) it's become so bloody common that a lot of people use it all the time, even when there's no chance of making a cacophony, making it even more infuriating.

As an engineering student I have a VERY large number of classmates who believe studying Language and Literature in high-school is stupid since they specialize in Maths and Physics. Pretty much all of those people are half-illiterate, can barely communicate and couldn't write their way around a library application form. These people piss me off SO much I feel like beating them over the head with a dictionary. A THICK dictionary.

 

[Talshere]

And people who saying the Arctic ice sheet melting will cause flooding just need to be shot for the good of the human race. Basic physics people, ice displaces its mass when in water....

I think people who talk about that are referring to the glaciers covering areas like Greenland.

They really arnt. Not in the least because that is the Greenland Ice Sheet, not the Arctic Ice Sheet. If they cannot recognise the difference, they need to be shot for stupidity.

 

[OniaPL]

Snip

Oh, wow; what age is your auntie? I was always under the impression that Finland was always generally very accepting towards the fairer sex from what I've read. Would love to visit some day.

She is 52... You can't use her to make general assumptions about our population since in my opinion she is a narcisissistic, ignorant idiot.

Finland, overall, has been and still is very accepting towards women. Equality is somewhat omnipresent in our society, although during the recent years some ugly xenophobia has lifted it's head. However, even if we have been very accepting towards women during the last century when equality did not have as strong of a footing as nowadays, we still had our share of problems which includes a very high rate of domestic violence.

In Finland you will not find sunny beaches or massive tourist locations, but we do have our own attractions. If you can appreciate silly, small things like the beauty of nature, you may find the experience to be rewarding.
And for lolz:

 

[Viirin]

Ignorance that bugs me: I was playing Mass Effect 2 as fem Shep, and dropped the controller when I got up to get the front door. The camera moved to look up Shep's coctail dress, showing that there was no model within, legs just stopped and it was black emptiness, since games do that to cut down on unnecessary polygons. My mom said it was perverted, and I tried to explain, but she did the 'my argument is louder than yours' routine.

Another bit of ignorance that pisses me off is when people demand they live in what I call 'should' land. "Oh no one CAN do that because it is illegal", "No the company you work for did NOT give you a 36 hour work shift because the law says you can't work for more than 12 hours."

Another one- a family member constantly shows they have no insight (I say something is too heavy or not positioned properly on the place they are setting an item, they yell at me because they are 'busy', then it breaks whatever they put it on or it falls over then I get blamed), incapacity to comprehend pronouns (I was walking down the street with my friend Jon. He found a dollar- wait a minute, who is "he"? You? Someone else?), but especially when this person gets looks of being an idiot- then has to yell at everyone about how "smart" they are.

Yes. Intelligence is measured by lack of brain power and yelling. I'm so proud of you.

 

[TheEndlessGrey]

Like the misconception of the term "iPod." I work retail and I swear every single customer either believes iPods are different then MP3 players, or don't even know there's an electronic device called an MP3 player. And even MP3 player is slang! Or really just an obsolete description. Now it's Digital Media Player. An iPod is a brand of MP3 player, just like how Kleenex is a brand of facial tissue and Q-Tip is a brand cotton swab and Coke is a brand of soda. But every day I will get customers asking for "Sony iPods" or "generic iPods." Every single time.

Not everyone lives in your store, not everyone knows the distinction between these things. If someone asked for generic Kleenex or generic Q-Tips I'd be pleased enough at them recognizing that those are brands rather than classes of product, that I'd overlook the fact that to be perfectly accurate they should have asked for generic tissues or cotton swabs.

I work in tech support for a mobile phone carrier. I never talk to anyone unless they have a problem. There are three types of people with problems. 1) The ones who are reasonable and intelligent, but this just isn't their thing. They listen, they learn as we go, and I'd happily work with them all day long. 2) The ones who don't know and never will. They're frustrating to work with, but eventually you can get through it if you provide very clear instructions using whatever vocabulary they do have. 3) The ones who think they know and therefore don't listen. They misuse the vocabulary, they try to correct your vocabulary, they do things on their own even when you're trying to lead them through a very specific set of instructions, and they tend to complain the most if it takes more than 5 minutes to fix something. Something they broke by dicking around with the settings, and something that only takes more than 5 minutes to fix because they won't stop dicking around with it while you're trying to help. These people are impossible and can die of gonorrhea.

So, misusing vocabulary or using the wrong vocabulary is just a sign that they need help. It's pretty clear within the first minute which of the three groups someone falls into, and that's what you should base your contempt upon, not the words they use at the beginning. "Generic iPod" may not be the way you'd describe it, but it does indicate exactly what they're looking for. A music player that isn't an iPod, but does the same things. Someone asks for a "Sony iPod", ask them if they'd like to look at Digital Media Players from Sony. If you can't ignore their ignorance, teach them how to talk to you. You're the expert, they'll imitate the words you use. They'll probably turn around and misuse them the next day, but it should stick long enough to get you through the sale. If they keep calling it a Sony iPod after you've called it a Digital Media Player five or more times, then I'd agree to hate them.

I have no problem with ignorance. It's the people who refuse to correct themselves, when presented with an opportunity to learn, which annoy me.

 

[Marcus Kehoe]

Whenever someone says chiropractors aren't doctors. Yes they don't have PHD's but they are just as much a doctor as a dentist or physical therapist.

Whenever people have yard sales and either have nothing but garbage or overprice everything. Give the stuff to salvation army and lower the price or don't have a yard-sale. Also people who have a yard-sale every week, throw the stuff away or donate it, I'm pretty sure their is a law about it.

Those who think Jehovah Witnesses are a cult and don't believe in Jesus. I am not a witness but I study with many and go to their churches and they are very religiously sound and are some of the kindest people I know. Yes they don't believe in the trinity and they don't believe in a pain eternal ridden hell but they believe in Jesus and the fact that he died for our sins. They do in fact use their own bible, but it was one where they translated it into real English and it's not translation not a different kind of bible. Thats why it says new world "Translations" on it not King James version. They don't alter the bible in any way just translated it the best they could over many years.

Why is it that any girl that doesn't have gigantic knockers in manga or anime basically considered loli.

Flat feet are the cause of me not being able to run no longer. Because of them I have stress fracture's and I can never join the military. If I can't keep up with you it's because I don't want my legs to swell up so shut the hell up. Oh you have flat feet too well you only weigh 90 lbs, double your weight then trying running a mile then see how your legs feel.

 

[FernandoV]

Everyone is ignorant when it comes to certain things. Take for example me when it comes to vehicles. I have little idea what car is what when it drives by me on the street. And even less of a clue what I'm looking at once a hood has been popped. So a lot of people's ignorance can be taken lightly. But then there's the stuff that's just extremely annoying...

Like the misconception of the term "iPod." I work retail and I swear every single customer either believes iPods are different then MP3 players, or don't even know there's an electronic device called an MP3 player. And even MP3 player is slang! Or really just an obsolete description. Now it's Digital Media Player. An iPod is a brand of MP3 player, just like how Kleenex is a brand of facial tissue and Q-Tip is a brand cotton swab and Coke is a brand of soda. But every day I will get customers asking for "Sony iPods" or "generic iPods." Every single time.

And another annoyance, and the reason I thought to make this thread, is the misconception of what a hamper is. My roommate just asked me if I wanted a hamper and I replied that I did. So I cleaned out a spot in my bathroom to put it just for him to bring me an old laundry basket. And this isn't the first time someone has done the exact same thing to me. I already have laundry baskets. Really nice ones too. But what I could use is a hamper. NOT another basket! And for those who don't know the difference, a hamper is a container used to hold dirty clothes out of sight. Usually it's a semi-decorative plastic or wicker container with a lid. A laundry basket on the other hand is a container for carrying clothes, usually to and fro the washer/ dryer or outside clothes-line. Now I know a lot of people use laundry baskets as hampers, just like I've been doing for awhile now since I'm too cheap to buy a real hamper, but there still remains a difference.

So what ignorances do you find frustrating?

So basically you're peeved at convenient colloquialisms? Probably should work on that because in your line of work you're setting yourself up to be annoyed on the daily.

 

[kickyourass]

I don't know exactly how common either of these are anymore, but just a few years ago I couldn't seem to escape them.
*A-chem*
British is NOT shorthand for English, there are three whole other countries in there.

On a similar note, for the love of God DO NOT make the mistake of thinking the WHOLE of Ireland is part of Britain, ESPESSIALLY if you are talking to someone actually from Ireland.

 

[Evil Alpaca]

The use of the word "literally"

I work with youth (15-18) and hearing one of them say "Did you see ___? He literally exploded from eating too much food!" makes me want to smack them.

Literally does not mean hyperbole.

 

[Queen Michael]

There does seem to be a much larger variety in American cartoon styles than Japanese manga character styles. Hm.

That's just because the manga with the more innovative art is rarely translated. Western manga fans are usually very specific in what kind of manga they want. There's some pretty original manga out there. Just look at Junko Mizuno, Ai Yazawa, Ryoichi Ikegami and Naoto Yamakawa. (Although Yamakawa has never been translated into English, either by fans or officially...)

 

[Queen Michael]

Whenever people have yard sales and either have nothing but garbage or overprice everything. Give the stuff to salvation army and lower the price or don't have a yard-sale. Also people who have a yard-sale every week, throw the stuff away or donate it, I'm pretty sure their is a law about it.

I'd say this is more "annoying" than "ignorant."

 

[BonGookKumBop]

Every year we fail to return to an ice age (cos that is what we are due. YAY go 2000m think 13million km^2 ice sheet over the entire USA!) increases the likelihood that we are affecting the climate. And despite this rant Im actually pro preventative measures. At worst our worries are completely unfounded and we get cleaner air. Just look at the number of smog days LA and London used to get. London never gets them now and LA rarely does. This can only be a good thing. Worst case scenario we were right and we will be ready. BUT STOP WITH THE BLOODY PROPAGANDA! Present the TRUTH!

I'm all for clean air, but I cringe every time some one calls carbon dioxide a pollutant. I know that I'm in the minority since the EPA declared CO2 a pollutant so that they could regulate it. I just have this sinking feeling that the whole anti-carbon dioxide movement is fueled on ignorance. Consider the fact that most combustion gives off two principle products. Both of these products are green house gases and both of these products end up, for the most part, in our oceans. The weaker green house gas is carbon dioxide which people are already afraid of because it can cause suffocate you. While this gas gets all the attention, the other, stronger green house gas that also "suffocates" hundreds of people every year gets ignored because it is water and no one is going to be afraid of it. I understand the differences between water and CO2 and I'll even put on my tinfoil hat before saying this, but a small section at the back of my mind started to wonder: "If I wanted to control all of the industry in the world, could I take a process central to everything, say combustion, and take a little understood part of that process, like carbon dioxide, and make everyone so afraid of it that they ask me to control it for them?"

Anyway, clean air is great. I hate smog; I don't want to breath nitrates or sulfates and I can barely tolerate being around smokers. I want clean water. Carbon dioxide, however, is an essential part of life and industry and it makes soda-pop great.

 

[theheroofaction]

First ones a biggie... People who use threads like these to get some big highly controversial objective through by offending everyone of a certain group. It's not convincing anyone, and it's not even offensive, it's just annoying, and it's kinda missing the point.

Okay that was a bit meta, and a tad hypocritical, so I'm going to get back to what this is actually about.

"I could care less" Seriously, I'm all up for linguistic evolution, but make sure that, with the exception of sarcasm, you aren't actually saying the opposite of what you mean.

Just because you were alive when a machine was invented doesn't mean you know more about it then that 22 year old technician who was actually educated about it.

"laws are the same everywhere" Seriously, when somebody of some different nationality or principality or whatever is doing something and the first thing that pops into someone's head is "isn't that illegal" they can't comprehend that "illegal" is subjective.

Literal is the opposite of hyperbole, same problem as "I could care less"

"The internet is down", especially coming from people incapable of comprehending a loose cable. I personally blame the people who install routers, not bad people at all, but their presence as "the internet fairies" perpetuate this particular thing.

"Genre" and "medium" are about as interchangable as rock and frog. "anime"isn't a genre and "action" certainly isn't a medium.

The fact that there are regional variations in spelling seems to elude way more people than it should.

I could go on, but I won't

 

[requisitename]

People who call video game controllers "remotes". While it does work remotely (sometimes), it's not a fucking remote!

Tech support people who firmly believe no.. *gasp*.. consumer knows as much as they do. When I call tech support for ANYTHING, it's a very specific problem. Most of them below "Tier 2" are just reading from a script. When I call, I succinctly state my problem - in specific terms - and tell them what I've already done (and how many times I've done it!) to try to remedy it. But, they never want to listen. They always want to start back at 1. I'm *trying* to save us both time. I know what I'm doing when it comes to the electronics I own, damnit. I am that asshole who actually reads the manual that came with it. Also, I know how to use Google to try to solve my problem by looking for people who've had the same issue. By the time I call tech support, I've exhausted every possible "easy" fix. If you don't know, please get me to someone who does.

On a related note, when I call for website/software support and they don't fathom that I have a Mac, not a PC. I'm not saying "Mac" to hear myself talk and honestly, "Clicking start" isn't going to do shit for me because I don't have a freaking "start" button! I fully understand that a lot of companies don't train everyone on their support staff on how to deal with issues specific to non-PCs. At least, they used to didn't. They might now, though I doubt it because I still have this problem. Again, if you don't know, get me to someone who does.

People who classify "anyone who buys anything Apple related, ever" as "fanboys/girls". Maybe I just prefer it. Did you ever think about that? I couldn't care less what you prefer, for I'm not you. I like what I like, you like what you like. Hurling childish insults at me just makes you look petty and jealous. (I realize that's not necessarily the case - that's why I said "look".) I don't tell you that you're stupid for not wanting Apple products and I don't go into a tizzy when someone insults Apple and I don't try to convert people.

People who type "use to" instead of "used to". Ugh. It was trending on twitter last night - "#Iusetothink".

And the above "intensive purposes". And "case and point" instead of "case IN point". I see that one a LOT over in R&P.

 

[Marcus Kehoe]

Whenever people have yard sales and either have nothing but garbage or overprice everything. Give the stuff to salvation army and lower the price or don't have a yard-sale. Also people who have a yard-sale every week, throw the stuff away or donate it, I'm pretty sure their is a law about it.

I'd say this is more "annoying" than "ignorant."

Well in some places it's illegal, like mine evidently. So it's ignorance of law, and I don't see how they do it sometimes. Their is kinda a unwritten handbook of yard-sailing but most people ignore it.