Professional communication standards

[stephbg]

This evening attended an ACS professional development session on the subject of "Carbon Neutral Computing".



Somehow I managed to introduce myself to the respected senior professional and academic doing the presentation (Fellow this, Professor that, Chair this, Advisor that etc) as "Miss July".

i.e. I'm doing the branch presentations in July.

Somewhere amongst my tongue-tripping he managed to squeeze in a "can we start again?" My answer? "No, I don't think so."

I suppose I should feel ashamed, but no, I don't really care what he thought. Not at the time at any rate. As the hours creep by the memory is starting to itch. A facepalm is in the making. I don't believe I did that. Oh no, calendars were mentioned. Yep, here it comes:

*facepalm*

There was context, kinda, but now those words are just ringing in my shell-like ears.

"...Miss July. Actually, it's Mrs July."

Thank god I managed to ask some (hopefully) intelligent questions about aircon usage in server rooms, and measuring the wattage used by manufacturing process control systems. Later I mentioned some modelling software he might find interesting. Too late. All too late. Fingers crossed I didn't make an impression of any kind.

What is it about a room full of silver-haired alpha male types in suits that makes me want to poke them (metaphorically), grin, and then ask difficult and/or politically incorrect questions? I'm like those mice with the parasitic infection that makes them unafraid of cats.

There's a Women in IT networking event next month. I think I should stay away as a bad influence. I'm pretty sure I've disqualified myself for femmeconne too.

The good news is I have more energy these days. The bad news is I think it makes me drunk.

And that July presentation I'm going to do? Something about business and technical communication. Ha!

Comments

[emma-in-oz.livejournal.com]

Oh. My. God.

No, really, I'm sure it's fine.

[http://users.livejournal.com/doctor_k_/]

There must have been something in the air or water in Wembley Downs, something that leads us both to walking right up to a given situation and opening our mouths and letting the dumb fall out.
Any time I feel vaguely safe or reassured in what was previously an unnerving situation, I open my mouth and the words just fall out! Why?! Why do I do this to myself?

[callistra.livejournal.com]

ROFL That sounds like something I'd do! I am worried I'm going to stand in front of 30 plus international feminists and say "Um, I love Gor" or something and watch the steam come out of their ears!!

LOL

I am going to have my speech so nailed down I won't even need to look up. EVERY SINGLE WORD will be pre-planned. My only other problem is going to be question time.
:-)

Anyway Mrs July, you're always welcome at Femmeconne. If we needed to flash our feminist cred, then I'd stop running it immediately. (Well, depending on how much of the deposit I'd get back that is...)

:-)

I need an icon with all my Gor books and the text "Feminist Cred = 0"
Hee hee hee

[cricketk.livejournal.com]

ROFL!

[writerjo.livejournal.com]

"I'm like those mice with the parasitic infection that makes them unafraid of cats."

You brighten my day. Back to stand-up for you!