Nerd Wrangling for Dummies

Now this is what I was talking about the other day. Tim the Enchanter is a smart, smart guy...but basically a PR disaster waiting to happen.

Here's the short version: the nerds were doing what the president asked them to do (come up with an effective method of unsticking the transmission on the the engine of commerce) and as they got up to their ears in numbers (a true nerd's "happy place") they suddenly realized just how absolutely broken things are. Like good nerds they immediately discarded the ideas that couldn't stand up to Occam's Razor and started looking into something completely different. Also like good nerds, they basically ignored the world outside the data they were dealing with and as a result had to hastily assemble something for the press conference.

A rush job almost never looks good, which is made so very much worse when you consider that in this case it was the very purpose of the press conference to look good, to inspire confidence. Attention was focused, expectations were high and the whole thing landed with a magnificent "thud!"

In My Not So Humble Opinion, they really ought to have come forth and simply stated the facts as they had them; that the previously considered plans were not good options and so they were developing new plans in the direction then outlined. Also, while I have enormous affection for my fellow nerdlings...Tim really needs a stand in to deliver his lines.

I suspect strongly that the administration will shortly see about either preparing the nerds for prime time a bit better, or else let them stay in their respective dens whilst better "Faces" confront the cameras.