I just had a client ship me a laptop. We never discussed what OS the computer would run. I haven’t opened the box yet, but I imagine it’s running Windows 10.
I’ve had clients assume I run Windows, but also others who assume I run Linux or Mac. I don’t recall anyone asking me whether I used a particular operating system.
When clients say “I’ll send you some code” without specifying the language, it’s usually Python. Maybe they’ve seen Python code I’ve written, but my impression is that they assume everyone knows Python.
Other tools some will assume everyone uses:
- Bash
- Git and Github
- Skype
- MS Office
- Signal
- Google apps
- Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator
- Markdown
- Jupyter notebooks
When I was in college, nearly every computer I saw ran Unix or Mac. I had no idea that the vast majority of the world’s computers ran Windows. I was in a bubble. And like most people in a bubble, I didn’t know I was in a bubble. I wish I had seen something like this blog post.
Skype with businesses now requires Office 365, a no go by any means.
Bingo, although I’d toss in VirtualBox for ensuring OS independence.
Are you sure Signal should be in that list? That’s the only one I didn’t use and I just download it and I’ve found that out of thousands of contacts I have, only 1 person has the Signal account.
I included Signal because people have assumed I used it, though I don’t imaging this is common.
It has gotten to the point that every entrepreneur I talk with now insists on using Signal, as if it had a built-in NDA. Silly rabbits.
I’m with you on everything but the other propriety apps; MS Office, Adobe and Google. LibreWhatever for me.
Well, OK, I will use Google Apps, but only under duress.
Mastodon rocks. Srsly.
Other technologies people have (correctly) assumed I use:
* Facebook
* A Hotmail or Gmail e-mail address (using your own domain is strange to most people)
* Slack
* Reddit (as a programmer, surely you must be on reddit)
* Visa (in my Western European country, students usually don’t have a credit card)
Also, I’ve noticed people no longer find it strange you do not have a fixed telephone line anymore.