Insular Americans
-
We have had a few interesting experiences over the years with Americans who have trouble coping with the world beyond their shores. Today we got this. The purchasing department of a large school district just spent three days trying to fax us an order and finally gave up. They sent it in the post instead. No one knew how to dial an international number. No one knew if it was blocked. No one knew the access code. No one knew anything. This is a department that spends nearly 1 billion US every year. Oh dear... Paul Hooper If you spend your whole life looking over your shoulder, they will get you from the front instead.
-
We have had a few interesting experiences over the years with Americans who have trouble coping with the world beyond their shores. Today we got this. The purchasing department of a large school district just spent three days trying to fax us an order and finally gave up. They sent it in the post instead. No one knew how to dial an international number. No one knew if it was blocked. No one knew the access code. No one knew anything. This is a department that spends nearly 1 billion US every year. Oh dear... Paul Hooper If you spend your whole life looking over your shoulder, they will get you from the front instead.
Not to disagree that some people (no matter where you are) have trouble with phones, etc. but I have trouble beliving this story. Unless this district is very different than those around me the purchasing departments only handle basic supplies and orders. Not salaries or major building items. In another words limited to about 10% or much less of the budgets. Even if basically true the, you are dealing with an end clerk who may not even have a high school degree. Hardly a typical example.
-
Not to disagree that some people (no matter where you are) have trouble with phones, etc. but I have trouble beliving this story. Unless this district is very different than those around me the purchasing departments only handle basic supplies and orders. Not salaries or major building items. In another words limited to about 10% or much less of the budgets. Even if basically true the, you are dealing with an end clerk who may not even have a high school degree. Hardly a typical example.
The educational consultant I was dealing with offered the $1 billion figure - I can't verify that. What I can verify is that I had emails from four people in the department with increasing levels of responsibility asking for advice on how to do this. After three days they gave up. High school diploma or not, that is a bit sad. Paul Hooper If you spend your whole life looking over your shoulder, they will get you from the front instead.
-
We have had a few interesting experiences over the years with Americans who have trouble coping with the world beyond their shores. Today we got this. The purchasing department of a large school district just spent three days trying to fax us an order and finally gave up. They sent it in the post instead. No one knew how to dial an international number. No one knew if it was blocked. No one knew the access code. No one knew anything. This is a department that spends nearly 1 billion US every year. Oh dear... Paul Hooper If you spend your whole life looking over your shoulder, they will get you from the front instead.
There are also 'insular' people outside of the USA. Except for you Aussies. You can't help it. Since you're on the bottom of the planet ;P, being upside-down all day causes too much blood-flow to the brain, resulting in occasional ignorant comments, such as the start of this thread. A little known fact is that it also causes sporadic occurances of genius, as can be seen from certain other "Downunderners" who frequent/maintain this site. Anyways..... Way too00 many beers..... Must sleep now......... Josh Knox that-guy.net
"Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away, and you have their shoes." -
We have had a few interesting experiences over the years with Americans who have trouble coping with the world beyond their shores. Today we got this. The purchasing department of a large school district just spent three days trying to fax us an order and finally gave up. They sent it in the post instead. No one knew how to dial an international number. No one knew if it was blocked. No one knew the access code. No one knew anything. This is a department that spends nearly 1 billion US every year. Oh dear... Paul Hooper If you spend your whole life looking over your shoulder, they will get you from the front instead.
Whilst I agree Americans are insular and I doubt Joe Doe could make a International phone call, I find your story unbelievable. When times were better I often recieved phone calls from US businesses etc. What they can often not work out is international Time/Date zones though. But nor can I. :-) Regardz Colin J Davies
Sonork ID 100.9197:Colin
If you can't dazzle them with your brilliance, baffle 'em with your bullsh*t P J Arends 0 = ( ( x^2 - (x-1)^2 ) + (x-1)^2) * ( (x-1)^2 + ( x^2 - (x-1)^2 ) ) - x^4 x != 0 0 = sqrt( x^2 - (x-1)^2 ) - 5
-
We have had a few interesting experiences over the years with Americans who have trouble coping with the world beyond their shores. Today we got this. The purchasing department of a large school district just spent three days trying to fax us an order and finally gave up. They sent it in the post instead. No one knew how to dial an international number. No one knew if it was blocked. No one knew the access code. No one knew anything. This is a department that spends nearly 1 billion US every year. Oh dear... Paul Hooper If you spend your whole life looking over your shoulder, they will get you from the front instead.
Geez, if they'd spend a little quality time with a phone book, they could figure that one out. Even our little rural town (the phone book covers the entire county) has a list of international dialing prefixes. My guess would be that they were trying to use Microsoft Fax Service, and don't have the server set up properly for foreign numbers. They must have an old-fashioned fax machine around somewhere! Sad tale, Paul... Sadder still, they're involved in our educational system...
-
We have had a few interesting experiences over the years with Americans who have trouble coping with the world beyond their shores. Today we got this. The purchasing department of a large school district just spent three days trying to fax us an order and finally gave up. They sent it in the post instead. No one knew how to dial an international number. No one knew if it was blocked. No one knew the access code. No one knew anything. This is a department that spends nearly 1 billion US every year. Oh dear... Paul Hooper If you spend your whole life looking over your shoulder, they will get you from the front instead.
No matter where you go, you will find stupid people. I am so sick of reading stories about how one country has dumb people because of an example set by one or two of the population. Every country that has a complete moron has an insane genius. It is just the way it works.
Now, I don't know anything about international dialing because I don't ever have to do it. I am sure that I could figure it out though, which I am sure was your point. But even if you aren't implying that Americans are dumb, "sheltered," or whatever you choose to call it, the fact is that for every stupid American I'll can show you an equally stupid Canadian, Brit, Australian, Indian, or any other culture you can come up with.
These stories with titles like "Insular Americans" are just insulting. It should be titled "Insular People." Because most people I know (from various countries around the world) have no idea about things beyond their borders, unless they are directly involved. ---- xian -
No matter where you go, you will find stupid people. I am so sick of reading stories about how one country has dumb people because of an example set by one or two of the population. Every country that has a complete moron has an insane genius. It is just the way it works.
Now, I don't know anything about international dialing because I don't ever have to do it. I am sure that I could figure it out though, which I am sure was your point. But even if you aren't implying that Americans are dumb, "sheltered," or whatever you choose to call it, the fact is that for every stupid American I'll can show you an equally stupid Canadian, Brit, Australian, Indian, or any other culture you can come up with.
These stories with titles like "Insular Americans" are just insulting. It should be titled "Insular People." Because most people I know (from various countries around the world) have no idea about things beyond their borders, unless they are directly involved. ---- xianThank you. I usually do everything I can to reinforce the apparently negative stereotypes other countries seem to have of Americans. The less they like us the happier I am. However, it does seem to be open season on Americans, doesn't it? These guys are amazing. Every single one of them has a 'dumb American' story. It's like some kind of international past time. And all because the average American knows less about country X than the people of country X know about us. Big deal. Why should I be concerned about country X when it is probably nothing more than some hell hole than some of my ancestors escaped from. "Thank you, thank you very much" Elvis.
-
The educational consultant I was dealing with offered the $1 billion figure - I can't verify that. What I can verify is that I had emails from four people in the department with increasing levels of responsibility asking for advice on how to do this. After three days they gave up. High school diploma or not, that is a bit sad. Paul Hooper If you spend your whole life looking over your shoulder, they will get you from the front instead.
Hmm, sounds a little off base to me. I find it said that you couldn't communicate how to do it to them. If someone doesn't know about dialing a country code, thats one thing. Lacking the ability to explain it to them is another. It's not like your born knowing how that dialing another country requires a country code, nor does it represent something the average joe would do. You sound like another citizen from an insecure country to me.