People Rant

So, we are investing in some pretty sweet new technology here at work.  It uses natural language processing and a phat AI to figure out how to properly medically code patient accounts and helps to find gaps in the documentation to help us ensure we are getting what we need from physicians.

Some people, though, just can't get it through their heads that with new technology comes new ways of thinking, new work flows, and new processes.  They sit there and ask retarded (oops.. that's not PC) questions that make lend to my dental bills due to all the gritting going on in my mouth.  I wrote up a little analogy:

A man walks up to Henry Ford leading his horse on a tether.  The man gets Ford’s attention and asks about the new-fangled machine that he had heard about.  Mr. Ford was only too eager to demonstrate the ease and convenience of switching from a horse to his new automobile.  The man did a lot of nodding and smiling, clearly impressed.  Mr. Ford took the man on a test ride and showed how the vehicle can go further and faster than his old bay could travel.  Eventually, they were standing next to the vehicle and Mr. Ford asked the man if he had any questions.  The man scratched a bit at his beard, squinted and shuffled his feet. 

“Where do I put my saddle?”, the man asked.

Smiley kindly, Mr. Ford responds “Sir, you don’t need your saddle for this vehicle.”

“But I really like my saddle.  It’s broke in and has been with me for years.”

“I can appreciate that,” Ford said, “but now you will have the leather seats in the automobile.” 

The man frowned a bit and shook his head. “Yeah, maybe…  What about stirrups?  I like my stirrups quite a bit, too.”

Mr. Ford, beginning to lose hope, shakes his head and said; “No stirrups necessary.”

“Hmmm…  I don’t think that’s a very good idea.  Stirrups are an important part of riding a horse.”

“Sir, you aren’t going to be riding a horse.  You will be in a new technology and that technology requires that you change how you think about everything you ever knew about transportation.”

The man frowned again and shrugged.  “Well, I don’t know how they do it where you’re from but saddles and stirrups are important around here.  Also, I don’t really like how you are talking to me as if I don’t understand technology.  I get what you’re selling here… I just think you’re missing my point.”

Mr. Ford stared at the man for a long time…  Finally, he tipped his hat, turned and walked away.