at contribute to the computer jerk phenomenon. Some of them are self-induced, and some are environmental. Some computer jerks are actually nurtured (usually unconsciously) by peers and leaders, though people in these positions often have the power to turn them around. After you examine these traits and influences, my hope is that you'll be able to help someone you know-or perhaps even yourself-to become a more balanced, useful computer person rather than a computer jerk. In my opinion, the primary influences fall into three principal categories. Behavioral Everything we do is based on habit, including our patterns of interaction. If you're used to dealing with people a certain way, you will tend to stick to these patterns. However, that's not to say these habits cannot be broken. We deal with different types of people in different ways. For example, we typically treat women differently from men, and we treat people in positions of power differently from our peers. While many people will argue that they treat everyone the same, the simple truth is that they do not. The very How Not to Be a Computer Jerk fact that you have friends indicates that you somehow treat them differently from others. One of the ways computer jerks operate is through constant attempts to let other people know how smart they are. These people are usually very intelligent, but for some reason, they seem to need to prove it to everyone around them. Unfortunately, they go about it the wrong way. There are two ways to look smarter than other people: Be smarter than the people around you Knowledge is different from intelligence. Knowing a lot of things is not the same as being able to troubleshoot a problem. Memorizing a book on anatomy is not the same as being a surgeon. People who are naturally smarter than the people around them-and who don't need to flaunt it-are widely known to be smart people. The people who are the smartest are often the most humble, for they have nothing to prove. Make the people around you look stupid This is the way the