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Hilarious Verizon math - Jarulf - 12-09-2006
I just saw this "news" at Slashdot. For the humour, listen to the phone call, linked in the summary (it is on YouTube). Do listen to all the 22 minutes, it's good all the way. See if you know the difference between 0.002 dollars and 0.002 cents.
http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/09/0625245
Have fun!
Hilarious Verizon math - Concillian - 12-09-2006
This is so funny, but it's also so sad, because I honestly think these people don't understand the difference.
Hilarious Verizon math - LochnarITB - 12-09-2006
It's the new math...:blink:
Hilarious Verizon math - Swiss Mercenary - 12-09-2006
Doesn't surprise me. It is Version after all - a company which doesn't seem to grasp something as simple as 'We're not buying, bye.' Can't really expect them to do any better at complicated aritmetic.
I wonder if they understand 'Goodbye, and Don't Call Again' any better.
Hilarious Verizon math - Munkay - 12-09-2006
I got about 12 minutes in before I had to turn it off. Absolutely ridiculous.
Something to remember next time someone argues that American's aren't behind in math and the sciences :blink:
Cheers,
Munk
Hilarious Verizon math - Nystul - 12-09-2006
Wow. Preserve the units, people! Don't let them go extinct!
Hilarious Verizon math - DeeBye - 12-09-2006
Wow, this is almost painful to listen to. I can just imagine how this guy had to hold back while he was explaining basic math. I would have lost it. I have to give him credit for the patience he had.
Hilarious Verizon math - TheDragoon - 12-09-2006
Quote:Wow, this is almost painful to listen to. I can just imagine how this guy had to hold back while he was explaining basic math. I would have lost it. I have to give him credit for the patience he had.I agree, I would not have had that kind of patience. My favorite part was where the agent said "Well, I think we have a difference of opinion" and he was like "It's not a difference of opinion, it's basic math."
Hilarious Verizon math - DeeBye - 12-09-2006
Quote:I agree, I would not have had that kind of patience. My favorite part was where the agent said "Well, I think we have a difference of opinion" and he was like "It's not a difference of opinion, it's basic math."
He should write them a cheque for 100.00 cents. They'd never know the difference!
Hilarious Verizon math - LemmingofGlory - 12-10-2006
Quote:Wow, this is almost painful to listen to. I can just imagine how this guy had to hold back while he was explaining basic math. I would have lost it. I have to give him credit for the patience he had.
The trick to having that kind of patience is not to think about the fact that the stupidest person in the universe has decided to pay you a personal visit today.
-Lemmy
Hilarious Verizon math - DeeBye - 12-10-2006
Quote:The trick to having that kind of patience is not to think about the fact that the stupidest person in the universe has decided to pay you a personal visit today.
Yeah, but the guy escalated his call through 2 regular employees, a supervisor, and a manager. None of them showed even the most basic understanding of the situation. This was 4 stupidest people right in succession.
I thought he almost got through to the first guy during this exchange.
You know there's a difference between 1 dollar and a cent?
Yes of course
You know there's a difference between half a dollar and half a cent?
Yes of course
You know there's a difference between .002 dollars and .002 cents?
No
And that's when I wanted to put my fist through my monitor.
Hilarious Verizon math - LemmingofGlory - 12-10-2006
Quote:Yeah, but the guy escalated his call through 2 regular employees, a supervisor, and a manager. None of them showed even the most basic understanding of the situation. This was 4 stupidest people right in succession.
I thought he almost got through to the first guy during this exchange.
You know there's a difference between 1 dollar and a cent?
Yes of course
You know there's a difference between half a dollar and half a cent?
Yes of course
You know there's a difference between .002 dollars and .002 cents?
No
And that's when I wanted to put my fist through my monitor.
Oh, I listened to the audio file. But when it comes to flabbergasting deficits of mathematical reasoning, I've long since learned not to be flabbergasted until the source is out of earshot. You see, I've worked with college students who can't perform addition unless it involves only positive integers. In other words, their math skills are at a first grade level. To me, the Verizon employees make for a great story, but over all, I've seen worse... in the flesh. And I've had to teach them.
-Lemmy
Hilarious Verizon math - DeeBye - 12-10-2006
Quote:To me, the Verizon employees make for a great story, but over all, I've seen worse... in the flesh. And I've had to teach them.
I tip my hat to you, and I don't envy you.
Hilarious Verizon math - Mithrandir - 12-10-2006
I am scared after listening to that. Someone please hold me:(
Hilarious Verizon math - Zippyy - 12-10-2006
Quote:I am scared after listening to that. Someone please hold me:(*weeps on Mith's shoulder*
One person left a comment on the YouTube posting, which read "this is everything that is wrong with the world". I am inclined to agree.
Let's all speak math and LOJBAN.
Hilarious Verizon math - Zippyy - 12-10-2006
Quote:complicated aritmetic
:blink:
Hilarious Verizon math - SwissMercenary - 12-10-2006
Quote::blink:Are you looking at me funny? Because I don't think there's anything funny about how I do math.
One... Two... Three... Many.
Hilarious Verizon math - yangman - 12-10-2006
Quote:...You see, I've worked with college students who can't perform addition unless it involves only positive integers. In other words, their math skills are at a first grade level.
I've had a few friends who, just this past semester, took a computing science course on game theory that was cross listed with philosophy as well as a Introduction to Cognitive Science class. Our circle of friends were greatly amused, and horrified, repeatedly, by stories of incompetence, irrationality, and sheer WTF-ness displayed by our less scientifically-inclined colleagues.
Two of the few tales that are repeated time and time again are of one particularly vocal student that complained having to plot (only positive) decimal numbers on a graph was work that was unfair towards the non-computing students, and one female student that dismissed the computational representation of mind as false because "It takes the mystery out of everything."
:wacko:
Hilarious Verizon math - the Langolier - 12-10-2006
The best part is that it begins to take on a whole new deminsion! Aside from the cents/dollars dilemma, the people who post comments start going back an forth as to whether or not the reps themselves are from canada or not:
"hahaha stupid americans!"
"they aren't in america, if you listen to the recording the rep clearly says they are in canada"
"he was referring to the fact that he was looking up the RATES for cananda, not that they were physically IN cananda"
"they have american accents, not canadian accents eh"
And then, 20 comments later:
"hahaha stupid americans!"
"they aren't in america, if you listen to the recording the rep clearly says they are in canada"
...and so it goes
Hilarious Verizon math - the Langolier - 12-10-2006
Sorry, but I just saw this comment:
"I don't know what the fuss is about. The reps are right. $0.002 is 0.002 cents. You can tell because it's after the point. That's where cents go. I think the guy should pay his $71 and shut up."
Ah, the root of the issue. Apparently not even writing it down helps to visualize it - for some at least.