A few weeks back, a colleague is standing in front of my desk, where I am sitting. We have the following conversation:
Her: I missed the 10:00 meeting. Were you there?
Me: Yes. I can fill you in...
Her: That would be great.
Me, looking at my meeting notes in my notebook: They went over the Shnorkins spreadsheet again. And they said the report on Blexurg is due on the 17th.
Her: The 17th? That's good to know.
Me: And, then a lot of the meeting was spent on the new Gwibble protocol but they don't have enough information about it yet to really know how to implement it.
Her: Oh. What about the XLC project?
Me: Huh! They did talk about XLC. Funny you should mention it!
Her: I read it in your notebook.
Me: *blink* Oh.
I go on to tell her about the XLC project but all the time I'm thinking, "You're reading my notes? Upside down? And you're telling me you're doing it? How often do you read my notes? What have I written before?"
I know that the mind processes things, sometimes unbidden. If there's words we might read them unintentionally, even upside down. But... still...
Questions du jour: Do you read other people's notes? Would you tell someone you're reading their notes? Should I write "[colleague] is a jackass" in my notes?
16 May 2010
"And it opened up my eyes" --Ace of Base
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17 comments:
I have to consciously stop myself from reading WHATEVER is on someone's desk. I was the kid who read the cereal box - if I ran out of interesting stuff I read the ingredients. Reading's just what I do. But I probably wouldn't admit it unless I was pretty friendly with the person...
Working with kids - it doesn't really matter which way the paper is... And no, I don't tell them I can read upside down, as it is a war out there and you don't give away your secrets...
If it's open and in front of me, I'm going to read it. Upside down or not. Maybe this makes me a horrible person.
Golly, we tried to implement the Gwibble protocol, but it made laser beams shoot out of our iPhones whenever our Twitter feed updated.
I think it would be funnier to write your first name with her last name in your notes like a lovestruck teenager. don't forget the hearts and unicorns.
I got seriously chewed out by my boss years ago for visiting another office and NOT taking the opportunity to read things lying on desks, whether upside down or not. Now, I read everything I can find, down the small print on the soft drink cans.
I'm with Kate. I see words and I just start reading.
That said, I probably wouldn't admit to doing it, because I know it can be a bit creepy sounding (even if that part's unintentional).
I'm more worried about you taking notes on XLC and then forgetting all about it even when someone mentioned it to you.
I might read the notes but I wouldn't admit to it!
Reading someone else's notes is much worse than lurking on their Blog! Unless the notes are offered up as "minutes" and a person is invited to read them, they should be off limit. I would even feel guilty reading my husband's notes from something we both attended!
I read upside down notes. I'm a sticky beak.
Maybe write some kind of evil plot to take over the world involving crocodiles and small cats? And if she mentions it, pretend she's insane and you have no idea what she's talking about.
I generally try not to notice stuff that's none of my business, but I'm a natural born reader like many of the commenters above, so it does take some effort sometimes.
See, I also get really self-conscious when people read my notes and I get all outraged sometimes because I don't read other people's stuff.. then again that has a lot to do with the fact that I'm nearsighted and refuse to always wear my glasses.
If I were blessed with an eyesight that didn't sick, I might accidentally read other people's notes but I would NEVER admit to it.
It's always a bad idea to read someone else's notes, diaries, or other private material. When you do that, you are just asking for trouble.
Read blogs instead. They're public.
I would totally have the common decency to read someone's notes SECRETLY.
Sheesh.
One of the most important things a reporter can know how to do is read upside down. You never know what someone will leave on their desk. He he he. But, yeah, you don't tell.
I'm the only one that actually takes notes in meetings so I read my own notes, but I bet that doesn't count.
The Bug: I guess I should feel flattered she feels so close to me, then.
froggy, Liebchen, blueviolet, Felisa, LiLu, FoggyDew: Okay, thank you. You don't admit it. (We're living in a society, here!)
Kate: But would you tell?
AbbotofUnreason: And what do I say when she points to the heart and asks if I have a crush on her?
Bilbo: The terrorists are putting some nasty stuff in those soda ingredients.
Mike: I was getting there. Patience, man.
Barbara, Reya Mellicker: Yeah!
Lori @RRSAHM: She'd just point to it and say "Right there. What's that?"
Cyndy: Thanks for weighing in.
Toe: I hope you don't correct yourself, too.
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