My gut reaction to her way of expressing it was also negative, although I'd give her the benefit of the doubt in person because she's just trying to help.
I think it's because it's condescending. In two ways - on one hand, it's pointing out something that's obvious in hindsight. On the other, it's blatantly trying to sugarcoat that it's obvious, as if you can't handle the fact that you don't know everything.
I would've just said "Try the middle" or "Right down the center". Simple and basically devoid of emotion.
OTOH, I think that one thing this example highlights is: audience matters. I find that I talk one way with computer types, another way with my liberal-arts college friends, and a third way with my Harry Potter fandom friends. And occasionally I mix it up, and then my college friends think I'm a rude asshole, or Hacker News thinks I'm overly circuitous and can't get to the point. You can't have a conversation devoid of context; the fact that this example happens outside a computer room is pretty relevant.
(replying since it's too late to edit into my comment...)
Also, this is one of those cases where body language says a lot. "Try the middle", said cheerfully and with a smile, comes across a whole lot differently than when said slowly & gruffly, in a low tone of voice, with your arms crossed across your chest.
Hard to capture in text, but at the time she said it very simply, no impatience or bite. It didn't come across as at all condescending or sugar-coated, to me at least.
I think it's because it's condescending. In two ways - on one hand, it's pointing out something that's obvious in hindsight. On the other, it's blatantly trying to sugarcoat that it's obvious, as if you can't handle the fact that you don't know everything.
I would've just said "Try the middle" or "Right down the center". Simple and basically devoid of emotion.
OTOH, I think that one thing this example highlights is: audience matters. I find that I talk one way with computer types, another way with my liberal-arts college friends, and a third way with my Harry Potter fandom friends. And occasionally I mix it up, and then my college friends think I'm a rude asshole, or Hacker News thinks I'm overly circuitous and can't get to the point. You can't have a conversation devoid of context; the fact that this example happens outside a computer room is pretty relevant.