One of my clients recently asked how they could improve the performance of their office computers. Without hesitation, I suggested the obvious: “We should start with installing SSDs and upgrading the RAM.”
For those who might not be familiar, SSD stands for Solid State Drive. If you’re wondering how much of a difference it makes, think of it like this: if a regular hard drive is a tortoise, then an SSD is a child sprinting towards the nearest water source after accidentally rubbing their eyes with chili-covered fingers. It’s that fast.
The client I was dealing with had a unique setup. The entire office was staffed by women—an energetic and lively group—except for the owner, who was the only guy but was hardly ever around. I got the go-ahead for the hardware upgrades and scheduled a time to head over and do the installations.
When I arrived, the manager greeted me warmly and escorted me through the bustling open-plan office. Desks were neatly arranged in clusters, keyboards clacking, phones ringing, and the unmistakable hum of productivity filled the room. She then cleared her throat, clapped her hands together, and with a beaming smile, announced to the entire room:
“Okay, everyone, listen up! He’s here to give everyone STDs!”
You could have heard a pin drop. Every single keyboard stopped clacking. Heads turned in perfect synchronization, eyes wide with a blend of horror and disbelief. One woman nearly dropped her coffee mug, another choked on her tea. The poor intern at the back went beet red and looked like she wanted to crawl under her desk.
I stood there for a moment, blinking, processing, replaying the announcement in my head just to make sure I hadn’t misheard. But no, I’d heard her right. The manager looked at me proudly, absolutely oblivious to the reaction she had just ignited.
I cleared my throat. “Uhh…I think you mean SSDs,” I corrected gently, trying not to laugh. “I’m here to install SSDs…for the computers.”
Thanks to BergBeertjie on Reddit.
