I often encounter not-so-technical folks and usually go with "I do computer stuff". The response is usually, "Oh, cool. something else blaa blaa"
Fixed your response.
The doctor answers curtly, tactfully, as politely as possible, finally getting rid of them, then turns back to the lawyer and says "I hate that. Do you have the same problem with people constantly harrassing you?"
"Yes," said the lawyer. The doctor replied "What do you do?"
"I give them short, simple but accurate advice, and then the following day I send them a bill for my time charged at my usual rates."
"Fantastic!" said the doctor. "I'll try that."
The next day the doctor gets an invoice from the lawyer ...
Is this reddit?
I find that really rude.
I can't believe that everyone here is so well versed in delivering the elevator pitch for their new iPhone Web 2.0 social scrapbooking app but can't describe what they do succinctly in a social context. Is it that hard to say "I write software for [insert type(s) of clients/employer] that [insert function of software]"? People have seen The Matrix, they know what a computer programmer is. If you say "I do computer stuff", you deserve to have them ask you to fix theirs because it's one of 3 possible ways to respond to that statement.