When people don't get what you do.

[Auro-Cyanide]

So, what's the most interesting thing you have heard someone say in regards to your job/hobby?

I'm going to bet the indie developers have had some strange ones. Me? I'm a graphic designer and the most interesting one was 'Can't you just press the PDF button?' in regards to designing an annual report. I really do wonder what people think we do all day at the company.

[Crocosquirrel]

I've heard lots of wacky ones in my time... From requests for the 'Make Art' button in Poserdom, to the always popular 'My cupholder broke' as a computer shop owner in the 1990s. But I think the best story I have comes from the latter time period.

I sold a computer to a young lady in late 1995. At that point, I warrantied all the equipment for a year, because that's what I could get from my suppliers. Christmas Eve, 1996 (like a week after the parts warranties expired), I get a panicked phone call from her at oh-really-dark-thirty.

Her: "My computer's having babies!"
Me: "Huh? Computers can't reproduce."
Her: "So why is it screaming like it's in labor?"
At this point, she puts the phone to the side of the computer, and I hear the telltale screech of the hard drive heads cutting into the platters.
Her: "You're going to come fix it right now, right? I was working on my thesis and I really need it!"
Me: "I can check on the warranties, but that hard drive is dead. Shut your computer off, and bring it in in the morning."
Her: "I think it's done having the baby now, the daddy's just lit up the cigar."
*headdesk*

[Taleweaver]

TW: "I'm a sales manager for a small call-center company."
X: "Ah. So YOU're the guy who keeps making those annoying calls."
TW: "Uh, no. I go looking for possible customers for my company - customers who need the services of a call-center."
X: "Ah. So you're the guy at the other end of a hotline number who doesn't understand my problem."
TW: "Uh, no. I work FOR a call-center, not IN a call-center. I visit possible customers."
X: "So you're the guy who delivers stuff I order by hotline?"

...

Some people just don't get sales.

[azureXtwilight]

Mom : Oh, dear. Do you know what's the cure of headache?
Dad : Is it true that this fruit can cure cancer? You must've known the proof, right?
Bro : Sis, I have an acne! Can you get rid of it?
Aunt : What do I eat to keep my baby healhty? Oh, and can you use the USG? For free?
Uncle : Check my blood pressure plz?
Grandma : So... Can you operate our dog? I think it just ate something that's not food. Humans and animals are pretty much the same, right?

Me : B-But... But I haven't got a license yet... I'm just a second-year... Aaaagh D:

[J. Datie]

I work with computers, so apparently I'm able to fix any computer problem when given just the information "there's a problem with the computer." Also, they get surprised when I don't know how to immediately work any and all electronic device I touch. "But you do computers!"

[Avaible]

Some years ago, though.

Teacher: What is your hobby?
Me: Programming and watching Anime.
T: Oh, those Japanese cartoons?
M: ... Yes, those ...
T: My son is also a fan of Spiderman games!
M: What?

Next day
T: You said you liked computer games, right?
M: No, programming.
T: You see, my son has a cheat for a game that doesn't work, think you could help him?
M: ... obviously all cheats are encrypted with the Playfair algorithm, the keyword is butterfly in most cases. If that doesn't work re-install the game.

Next day
T: He says it still doesn't work. Even after reinstalling.
M: Did he reboot and properly format the games' folder? Everyone misses that on their first try.

... Well, it didn't work even after that I heard. I wonder why~

[jack_norton]

When I met random people I avoid completely TRYING to explain what I do, too much effort. I just say "I work with computers".
If I was single, I'm sure being indie would be a hot conversation topic though

[KomiTsuku]

My grandmother still thinks I'm an F-22 pilot, despite many attempts to tell her that I don't even know how to fly a plane in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

On the flip, when I try to tell my mother that I make visual novels and show her some of my projects, she automatically thinks I'm making hentai. We've gotten into long "debates" and, like my grandmother, she's convinced that I'm just making what I actually do up. It's part of the reason why I AM making an eroge game. XD

[sake-bento]

When I tell people I'm a voice actor, the most common response is "Do a funny voice!" I wound up entertaining a bunch of strangers in a Mexican restaurant once (it was bottomless tequila night) doing that. It was really random, but at least drunks find me amusing. O_o

I told one person that there's a GPS text-to-speech software modeled off my voice, and he said, "So it's your fault that I keep getting lost!" ;___;

[Mink]

While I haven't had it happen personally, I'm a toxicology major and this is the question people in my major tend to get: "Isn't that where you learn to kill people?"

...8| Needless to say, I rarely tell people my major.

[Gear]

Semi-related, I'm a phlebotomist; I draw blood for medical patients. (Not like blood donation, I just take vials of blood for doctors' needs.) Anyway, it irks me to no end when a patient walks in, tells me what needle to use, tells me I'm doing it wrong, and asking me if I'm old enough to be working (I'm 25, so that should say something). My favorite was one woman who walked in, sat down, and when I started to draw her blood, she said I was doing it "from the wrong angle". WTF?!

[Auro-Cyanide]

Semi-related, I'm a phlebotomist; I draw blood for medical patients. (Not like blood donation, I just take vials of blood for doctors' needs.) Anyway, it irks me to no end when a patient walks in, tells me what needle to use, tells me I'm doing it wrong, and asking me if I'm old enough to be working (I'm 25, so that should say something). My favorite was one woman who walked in, sat down, and when I started to draw her blood, she said I was doing it "from the wrong angle". WTF?!

O.O I didn't realise the average person was such an expert on drawing blood.

[Blue Lemma]

I'm a toxicology major and this is the question people in my major tend to get: "Isn't that where you learn to kill people?"

Yeah, because I'm sure there's all kinds of legitimate business demand for that. (okay, military aside...)

I get tired of explaining to people what I do, so a lot of times I just say "Sorry, I'm NDA'ed", which I am, even though I COULD say more.

Makes life easy

[Joey]

I try not to tell anyone what I like/do, heh... My parents really hate it when I mention Korean pop/anime/manga/gaming in front of them because they think I should be studying. >_>

[Mink]

I'm a toxicology major and this is the question people in my major tend to get: "Isn't that where you learn to kill people?"

Yeah, because I'm sure there's all kinds of legitimate business demand for that. (okay, military aside...)

I get tired of explaining to people what I do, so a lot of times I just say "Sorry, I'm NDA'ed", which I am, even though I COULD say more.

Makes life easy

Yep, because clearly, there's no way anything good can come out of knowing about poisons/toxins. Like how to identify when someone's been poisoned. And there's no such thing a clinical toxicology, forensic toxicology, industrial hygiene, etc.

Nope. Those don't exist. Not at all. Toxicology is only to learn how to be an assassin. Because clearly, once again, someone who's gone to medical school wouldn't know ways of murdering people.

...8| Seriously, though; why is THAT what people jump to?

Bottom line: don't say something like that to me and then call me for help if your kid eats something they shouldn't. I'm not going to help you. /spiteful