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Sayings and proverbs...

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by ttosun

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Recently I replied to a post with an old Chinese proverb which says...

A handful of patience is worth more than a bushelful of brains.

This was in response to geekchic's "When nightmares happen..." thread. Another member, blieffring, also replied with the saying,

"The tricks you taught the horse no longer work with the sports car, but you didn't have to build the road as you went."

So that made me wonder. What other sayings are relavent to the IT world. I think we got a good start.

Care to contribute?

32 replies

by stargazerr

# A journey of a thousand sites begins with a single click.

# You can't teach a new mouse old clicks.

# Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him to use the Net and he won't bother you for weeks.

]:)

by geekchic

"when in doubt, right-click" I use this in my training classes because most of the time, users forget that a mouse has two buttons and how much you can actually do if you just remember to "right-click"!

by geekchic

Use it whenever you'd like to...it sure has saved me a lot of time! Most of the people here now know to try the right-click first before they call me! But then they will call me anyway and say "hey, I had a problem but I remembered to right-click and figured it out by myself". That is kind of cool to hear!!

by bfilmfan

Only a fool tests the depth of the water with both feet.

Whatever accomplishment you boast of in the world, there is someone better than you.

The roaring lion kills no game.

Do not walk into a snake pit with your eyes open.

If the owner of the goat is not afraid to travel by night, the owner of a hyena certainly will not be.

A beautiful thing is never perfect.

An African friend from Tanzania taught those to me.

No man can paddle two canoes at the same time.
Every beast roars in its own den.
(A pair from the Bantu. A damned wise people in my book.)

If you understand, things are just as they are; if you do not understand, things are just as they are. (Zen philosophy)

There are three things which if one does not know, one cannot live long in the world: what is too much for one, what is too little for one, and what is just right for one.
Aiming isn't hitting. (Swahili sayings.)

Goodness speaks in a whisper, evil shouts.
(Tibetan)

Better to die than live with a bad reputation. (Vietnam)

If you are buying a cow, make sure that the price of the tail is included. (Tamil)

Don't approach a goat from the front, a horse from the back, or a fool from any side.
Pray that you will never have to bear all that you are able to endure. (Jewish culture)

Be slow in choosing a friend but slower in changing him. (Scottish)

by ttosun

I agree with us_geeks_rule. Although these are very interesting sayings, I'm not sure many of them have much relevance to IT. I do appreciate your contribution. I certainly picked up a few good sayings.

by ldyosng

It doesn't work, use a hammer.

If it still doesn't work, use a bigger hammer.

It that doesn't work, use a rock.

(this is the rule of percussive maintenance)

by m_a_r_k

I use a rock the first time it doesn't work (this is my rule of "if at first you don't succeed, don't try again")

by jdmercha

There are 10 types of people in this world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

by stargazerr

I absolutely love that one ... I will post it as my MSN message tommorow ... no wait, the sales guys wont get it

]:)

by it toast

Not quite sure where I heard this one, but I've used it since I was a kid....

"A good deed rarely goes unpunished"

IT relavence? You betcha. Invoke the magic phrase "no problem...I can fix that for you in no time at all..."

by mick henderson

"No good deed goes unpunished."
...from the wisdom of Lazarus Long.

(for the uninitiated, Long is a fictional 2000+ year old human - the creation of Robert A. Heinlein. If you haven't read his stuff, you are missing out on a lot of wisdom for living, & just rollicking good SF.)

by tony hopkinson

'The more abstract a design the less it does'

Something a lot of people forget that one.

Some of my own

He who designs first finishes first.
For all those lovely QAD people, I've made a career tidying up after.

Access will become an enterprise database when you can beam me up onto it.
LOL

And a paraphrase

No software survives contact with a user.

by cuteelf

ITS ONLY A FLESHWOUND!!!!!

We are the techs who say "Dammit"

Check on your users if you havent heard anything for a few hours.

If a machine isnt listening, threaten to pull power cord out. Works often.

by stargazerr

mention it .... YEAH !!

The other day I said they had the ID 10 T error ... and what do you know?? They bought it ... :^O

]:)

by stargazerr

I have always loved that one ....

I like it better when I modified it .... GBKAC ... Git Between Keyboard and Chair :^O

]:)

by softcorp.us

IT MANAGERS supervise while others do it.

IT CONSULTANTS tell others how to do it.

COMPUTER GAME PLAYERS can't stop doing it.

SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS do it all night.

WEBSITE OPERATORS say they keep it up 99.999% of the time (not!).

by mikemajor3

"why the idiots will always win - genius has its limits; stupidity, none"

and kudos to the one that identified the lazarus long quote - they actually published an illustrated version of "the notebooks"

by smadge1

1. Save often, Save Now!

2. 90% of PC problems can be fixed simply by turning the monitor on.

by bearyann

I had to give up a vacation day when a user couldn't get the dang thing to print and just HAD to have it RIGHT NOW!. I pointed to the power switch, told her to turn it on and walked into HR advising to take my vacation day "off the book".

by cuteproverbs

1) Boldness take offices.

2) You can make everyone happy except your boss.

3) Nerve succeeds! (often in PR)

4) He who don't take care of his field won't see happy faces in his office.

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