Gaffes That Keep IT Geeks From the Boardroom

buzzardsbay writes "Yes, it's all in good fun to point out the mismatched belt and shoes and the atrocious hairstyles, but honestly, I'm committing three of these errors right now! Is that why I can't get a key to the executive washroom? Or is it my rebellious attitude and pungent man-scent that's keeping me down? The shocker in here was pigtails on women... I love pigtails on women!"

Pigtails?

[EdIII]

The shocker in here was pigtails on women... I love pigtails on women!

Maybe that is the reason why. Schoolgirl outfits and pigtails go hand in hand. It may be sexist, I won't deny it, but women who do this probably remind the men too much of a strip club and they need all that concentration on how best to screw the consumer :)

Let's not even touch men with pigtails either
 

Re:Slashdot

[RuBLed]

But in I.T. I'm only concerned with Feng Shui when I'm trying to make my code look like a landscape painting when rotated 90 degrees or when printed in my boss's continuous feed printer.

Honestly,

[QuantumG]

I thought the title said Bedroom for like 2 minutes.

the answer

[ILuvRamen]

I have the answer! You can't get into the board room because you're too busy fixing the CEO's computer that he broke again while he's in the meeting. I think we all know that's the real reason.

Boardroom Fashion is BS

[Mr. Lwanga]

Everyone knows only the devil wears Prada.

Oh damn

[Quato]

I got excited.... I thought it read....
Gaffes That Keep IT Geeks From the Bedroom

I'm so lonely...

Re:Pigtails?

[doofusclam]

My girlfriend looks great in pigtails, it takes 10 years off her age too.

Trouble is she's only 22...

The real gaffe

[lawrencebillson]

The real gaffe: getting your fashion advice from Slashdot...

Re:Slideshow

[butlerdi]

This must be one of the most obnoxious sites I have been linked ionto in a very long time. .....

Re:Pigtails?

[moderatorrater]

Dear Diary,

Jackpot.

Re:Stuffed Shirts and Suits in summer

[Anonymous Coward]

So you'd rather be a geek than an exec because the mandatory underwear isn't appealing?

Re:Why would I even want to be in the Boardroom

[Simon Brooke]

Who cares about the pay, once you are earning above a certain amount, being happy with what you do is far more important than earning more money. programming sounds far more fun than managing things and people. Give me t-shirts and jeans, screw wearing shirts, ties, suits and overpriced uncomfortable stuff like that.

H'mmm... Having been either a technical director or managing director of IT companies for fifteen years, I'm back being just a software engineer. Why? Mostly because I enjoy it more. But I'm sitting here at my desk about to start work, with my long hair and my beard and wearing a cycling jersey. Idiocy about corporate uniform makes me tired; it's just so old. If you don't enjoy what you're doing, stop now. If you don't feel comfortable in what you're wearing, wear something different. Life is too short, and money is frankly just not worth it.

But as a quick aside, the business suit is worn these days by lawyers, politicians, salesmen and the financial services industry - in other words, it's the uniform of the professionally dishonest. Is that really how you want people to see you?

Ponytail

[rickwood]

Alternative Hairstyle: Guilty. However, I think in my case the real reason has more to do with statements such as, "Greg, you would do well not to turn this into a matter of honor."

Although, "If you knew what you were doing, I wouldn't be here. Why don't you make yourself useful and go get me a cup of coffee. Black," probably runs a close second.

Re:Stuffed Shirts and Suits in summer

[Anonymous Coward]

So, uh, "Bananatree," you like to wear kilts to work and keep your "lower" positioned? There's a reason people don't want you above them on the corporate ladder. Especially on a windy day.

Re:Why would I even want to be in the Boardroom

[Anonymous Coward]

Building a business, building a team, management -- they're all forms of creative problem solving every bit as "fun" or creative as programming is. In fact, imaging programming for a CPU whose instructions have unpredictable execution speeds and results.

You mean like programming for previous versions of Windows, with no memory protection or anything, where even thinking about opening paintbrush and notepad at the same time would make the system hehave *unpredictably*? Forget it.

Re:Stuffed Shirts and Suits in summer

[Bananatree3]

Isn't that why they made sandals in the first place? Yes, without socks.

Re:Slashdot

[Oktober Sunset]

forget feng shui, business fashion is about violence, if you could imagine someone beating his subordinates with a bat or maybe shooting them in the head as they whimper on their knees, they are dressed for success.

Re:Why would I even want to be in the Boardroom

[__aaxwdb6741]

Funny you should mention that. I just bought a new pair after wearing out the old ones (They lasted four years...).

My personal clothing style is
- Combat boots
- Baggy combat-style pants
- Tshirt
- Hoodie.

I've changed clothes, like, four times since I came here half a year ago.

Re:Slashdot

[Anonymous Coward]

You might try taking a shower, as well.

I did once, but Lowe's security stopped me.

Re:Why would I even want to be in the Boardroom

[ta bu shi da yu]

True. I mean, didn't even get the following right:

"Quick, name one executive's bio photo that shows him or her wearing a billowy floral shirt? Zzzt! Times up! Wear these on vacation if you must, but don't show up to a quarterly meeting in one of these numbers."

Pfft. Evidently the author has never been to an APEC conference [wikimedia.org].

Re:Why would I even want to be in the Boardroom

[joaommp]

even so, we're right anyway. the path doesn't matter, just the end result :p

See? That's why he's a jerk ...

[YeeHaW_Jelte]

... he won't even admit he's jealous!

Anyway, I concur with your opinion of the article ... it's crap.

Re:Pigtails?

[MMC Monster]

Have her get metal braces. You may never see the outside of prison again.

As a side note. My 36 year old wife just got metal braces and it really does make her look 10-15 years younger. I've got to ask her to put her hair in pigtails and wear a short skirt.... Yum!

Re:Why would I even want to be in the Boardroom

[sm62704]

Sometimes management doesn't understand that the little things are more important than the money.

Telling a PHB (or a lot of slashdotters even) there is anything more important than money is like telling a Muslim there is something more important than Allah.

Re:Why would I even want to be in the Boardroom

[pnewhook]

See, management would likely not let you in the boardroom because you probably look like you're going to go postal and kill everyone.

Re:Why would I even want to be in the Boardroom

[sm62704]

In one job I had flexitime, but then we got new management in and tied a 5k GBP pay rise to loosing the flexi.

I don't get it, wouldn't you WANT the flex time to be looser? Getting looser flex time and more money would be fine by me!

Re:Slashdot

[AgentSmith]

So I'm basically going for an "Agent Smith" sort of look?

I usually do. Then again the Matr. . ur . . I mean Agency work normally requires it.

Re:Slashdot

[Eli Gottlieb]

Well of course you go for the Agent Smith look, you're Agent fucking Smith!

But the important question here is: brown suit with earpiece, or black suit without?

I'm a redpill, these things are important to us ;-).

Re:Why would I even want to be in the Boardroom

[joe slacker]

>> My only real board room faux pas is my hair, apparently. You have pig tails?

Re:Why would I even want to be in the Boardroom

[mcvos]

You have pig tails?

Sometimes.

Re:Slashdot

[csnydermvpsoft]

I did once, but Lowe's security stopped me.

You managed to find an actual Lowes employee at Lowes? You have my admiration.

Re:Slashdot

[dubbreak]

as programmers regard mismatched parenthesis. It's just uncomfortable to look at...

Lemme guess your profession: lisp programmer.

Personally I get a little more uncomfortable with mismatched braces. Goofing up parenthesis is too easy when they equate to half of the characters in your code.

Re:Slashdot

[livewire98801]

As a former Lowes employee, I find this comment amusing. The only reliable way to find a Lowes employee is to try to steal something :)

Re:Why would I even want to be in the Boardroom

[Wolvie MkM]

Looks like Harper is about to pop in that picture...

Caveat emptor

[keineobachtubersie]

First, let me say, be very cautious about fashion advice on Slashdot.

Second, your post is 100% spot on, if this was 1965. These days, not so much.

Re:Slashdot

[abb3w]

Find another job if you cannot work with your boss.

There are BOFH alternative approaches to the problem, of course...

Re:When dressing for success, be an Einstein

[Single GNU Theory]

Please, if you have a hairy chest and button down shirt that is thin, wear an undershirt. I had an interview where the interviewer did this... it was distracting.

Somebody should have pointed it out to her discreetly.

Re:Slashdot

[PHPfanboy]

You work for him do you?

Re:Pigtails?

[martinX]

So, let us all know how that works out. Post pics, maybe.