Sorry for the NSFW title, but I figured if your filters are as undiscriminating as mine are at work this post was never going to get through anyway.
No doubt you are familiar with house porn, those renovation shows we watch because we have sunk too much money into our mortgage can’t afford to remodel the kitchen and food porn because we are too time poor to prepare these meals just look at them. Heck without these shows 90% of commercial TV would disspear.
Well I want to bring to your attention Competence Porn. The boys and girls over at TV Tropes seem to define it as “when part of a work’s appeal comes from characters and organizations that don’t panic when things go wrong, but rise to the occasion”. This is a bit too general for me. Over at the blog for the show ‘Leverage’ blogg they say “people love the briefing scenes“. Over at Geekdad he hit what it is I love about Competence porn Geekdad.
Its the scenes where people with expertise, experience and knowledge gather and argue a point. It can work one on one like Vader in Star Wars: A New Hope, Ghost in the Shell had buckets of it, The West Wing had some great scenes where they’d argue out some point each character displaying their breath of knowledge, also BSG had some great briefing room competency. Also its nice to see some one who is wrong smacked down using competency.
Why does it appeal to me?
I think its having worked in a variety of jobs my fantasy is now just to have bosses, leaders or colleagues that I can count on to do their jobs well, make choices of staff based on ability and competency not because they like the same jokes as you do, and make decisions based on reason and not expediency.
Hope springs eternal.
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...an era of prominent madmen 
Sounds like the opening scenes of a Taratino movie to me – probably the discussion at the beginning of Resovoir Dogs made it funky…
Competency in the workplace? That's the stuff of fantasy, man!
My writing project leans HEAVILY on this theme 🙂
Barnes guess one of the reasons I’m now self employed?
That’s it not having to pick up the pieces all the time.
I am happy that works for you but what about the rest of us.
I was in the library and saw on the new release shelves ‘New Seasons Knives’ a double glance corrected my initial assessment – New Seasons Knits, but I did make me think of you.
Always nice to be thought of Barnes. As to everyone else all I can suggest is MIQFB policy, as a bonus it will also solve overpopulation, peak oil and numerous other problems caused by having to many idiots on the planet.
“my fantasy is now just to have bosses, leaders or colleagues that I can count on to do their jobs well, make choices of staff based on ability and competency not because they like the same jokes as you do, and make decisions based on reason and not expediency.”
Well, that’s about the dumbest thing I ever heard! Picking employees based on competency instead of real criteria like say, hairstyle or height? Silliness!
“Well, that’s about the dumbest thing I ever heard”
No this is the dumbest thing you ever heard, even after years of this I keep expecting something better.
Definitely fantasy. You should be writing trilogies.
Oh I would but for that small, insignificant lack talent.
Though I believe it never stopped that Dan Brown fellow and he is doing quiet well.
ha ha ha ha ha, I'm sorry Barnes but I think you've been taking to many of Al's red pills. And you being a CS should make you doubly aware of the complete implausibility of your wish.
May as wish for residential real estate agents with souls
GuruBob
You are so right, in fact Taratino's Reservoir Dogs was mentioned in TV tropes piece on Competency porn. Though I think is was his movie 'Pulp Fiction's character The Wolf that best exemplified competency.
intelliwench
I did say it was a hope.
YsambartCourtin
Then I look forward, when and if possible, I look forward to reading it.
Chazfh
Well I guess this is why I love to read about it or watch it.
Competency is fine up to the point where they get all shit scraed about Zed comin’ to the front door. That’s the true test, what will they do when faced by a pack of shambl;ing undead types?
Very true Therbs, though you wouldn’t believe the looks I get when I am on an interview panel and ask “Motorbike, cycle or SUV for you bug out vehicle”