That's taking the old adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" way too farQuote:
Originally Posted by Branaman Starbinder
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That's taking the old adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" way too farQuote:
Originally Posted by Branaman Starbinder
http://www.coding2learn.org/blog/201...use-computers/
interesting article
I have come across that, People younger than me who have no clue at all about computers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Branaman Starbinder
As for lawmaking I think to write technology related laws one should be required by law to understand the technology. And of course company policy about technology should be set by people who understand it too and not say HR or the executive board.
It really is interesting. Also explains why I'm still fixing computers for friends with college-age kids living at home.Quote:
Originally Posted by Branaman Starbinder
I suppose if you haven't been diddling computers for at least long enough to know what g=c800:5 means, you probably can't diddle computers now. :D
Awesome blog. Very entertaining, and slightly frightening!Quote:
Originally Posted by Branaman Starbinder
Wow.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alikat Astrae
That really takes me back.
Some days I forget how far we've really come in personal computing, from the days of manually assigning IRQ's, then I get a phone call from one of our field techs who is p2v'ing a client network and they need to figure out what to do about the 16 bit app that uses a serial connection to a proprietary ISA slot card because they can't get it to run on a virtualized 2008 R2 box. >.<
Tell them its time to replace the app.... we are at what? 64bits standard and ISA is long long gone as an expansion slot. I mean hell I see motherboards today without normal PCI slots and all PCI-E.Quote:
Originally Posted by Merrick ap'Milandra
Caller: I need to talk to an IT manager
Me: Which product is this about, sir? There are different managers for different groups
Caller: IBM Flash Storage
Me: Sir, I support Tax software, you have the wrong number
Caller: NO! I was given this number for my Flash Storage, you need to help me!
Me: Sir, are you using Tax software?
Caller: No, I just need an IT manager
Me: Well sir, I support installation of a specific suite of Tax software. Since your question is about hardware that I do not support, then sir, I cannot help you. Would you like me to look up IBM's Flash Storage group for you?
Caller: No, I was given three different numbers, I really need an IT manager, I guess you cannot help me.
Me: Unfortunately no sir, but I hope you do have a good holiday weekend!
Me: My Windows XP laptop won't connect to the internet, but it worked just fine yesterday.
Me-Tech: Reboot.
Me: Did that.
Me-Tech: Ipconfig /release /flushdns /renew
Me: Did that
Me-Tech: What's your DNS?
Me: Google
Me-Tech: Change it to DHCP (which pulls Comcast's, which suck)
Me: Done, same thing. Even re-did ipconfig 1,2,3 and same issue. Rebooted after that too. Same thing.
Me-Tech: Wow, you sound like you've done this before.
Me: A time or two.
Me-Tech: What about proxy?
Me: What about them?
Me-Tech: Turn yours off.
Me: Ain't got one.
Me-Tech: What AV you using?
Me: AVG 9 Free
Me-Tech: Bet it gives you all sorts of trouble
Me: Yes
Me-Tech: Remove it, put on MSE, run a scan, call me in the morning.
Me: Won't scan, because if MSE can't do its post-install update, it doesn't activate.
Me-Tech: Huh. What about other free AV?
Me: That I can't get access to without downloading?
Me-Tech: Uh...
Me: I do have Clamwin on a USB drive. Let's try that.
Me-Tech: YEAH! Good thinking.
Me: Nada.
Me-Tech: Well damn...
Me: I just rebooted
Me-Tech: Okay
Me: And re-did ipconfig 1,2,3
Me-Tech: Okay
Me: And it works now
*beats head on desk* Sometimes, I hate Windows.
Someone just called 911 again from inside my office.
Naturally, the admin assistant brings the cop to ME saying "Oh yeah Mileron can tell you who did it."
This is the 11th? time in not-even-yet-3-months.
No one listened to me when I said "using outside line number 9 is a BAD IDEA"
Let alone "having 4-digit extensions that have 91xx or 911x is a BAD IDEA"
When they start charging us for police visits, I'll do my best to NOT say "Told you so, could have saved you $x"
Screw that, you damn sure should say I TOLD YOU SO, DUMBASSES!Quote:
Originally Posted by Mileron
One of my coworkers is a real technophobe, to the point where he doesn't have a cell phone, has no cable TV, no internet at home. He drives a late 90s Mustang and refuses to drive it faster than 35 (I weep for that car). He's a real "get off my lawn" old fart.
This is half of a conversation I just overheard.
Tp: So I need you to send me your dataset.
Tp: No, you can send it by email.
Tp: Well, you're in California, and you said it's a big file, right?
Tp: Well given that information I might not get it til tomorrow.
Tp: After all, it has to travel across the whole country, and it's 2800 miles from us to you...
Tp: No, no, I know that email is faster than the Pony Express, but only just!
It was a 3MB zip file..
Step in. Be the supervisor. Make the position of big penis. get paid more.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mileron
1-3 are done regularly. 4 won't happen.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tinthalas Tigris
Last month, he was bitching at a customer about how he "hates that tech support is never available", that it takes "hours for us to give a callback", that he "shouldn't need to play receptionist for tech" and "I'm so glad I'm retiring in four months".
1 guy was on lunch
1 lady was in the bathroom (not that it matters, she was briefly away from her desk)
3 remaining guys were on calls (including me)
After my call, I went to TP's desk and read him the riot act and told him how unprofessional it was that he say those things to the customer. Who cares if someone's on lunch or in the bathroom? Just say "they're not available, I'll have someone give you a call back."
He starts practically yelling, "I'm getting too old for this shit, I don't have to deal with this shit, I'm retiring in four months" and I said to him, "If you still sit in that seat from 9a to 6p daily, you're going to have to deal with this shit, same as I do."
Then he starts going on about how he "has been doing this for fifteen years" blah blah... So what, I tell him, so have I, I've dealt with tech people who are on the ball, and I've dealt with computer morons who can't tell if the mouse is rightside up, and every level in between. Whether you're fixing a computer, installing programs, or teaching a CPA that it's not a good idea to write off an asset without justification, we all have to deal with these sorts of calls.
He's a lot more mellow now.
User says "Can't send email".
Login to users account, send email to 3 different addresses, receive all 3 emails...
Report back to user - No fault detected...
User then reports "I mean click 'to' button and no addresses show..."
Ok, so you've called your phone company and said "my phone doesn't work, when what you fucking meant was I don't have a fucking phone book". Thanks for wasting my time ass-muncher.
Why do I also get an image of this person calling GE because they cannot make dinner on the stove... They forgot to go grocery shopping....Quote:
Originally Posted by Melcar
Oh jesus. .... Oh jesus.... incoming youtube vid. (just gotta get the kids quiet... or maybe if they talk it'll be even better).Quote:
Originally Posted by FilanFyretracker
Well one of our users has apparently decided to burn the building down.
In spite of our organization's prohibition on personal space heaters several people run them anyways. Today one person managed to melt the insulation on their laptop's power cord... To bad they didn't succeed. That might have finally put a stop to the practice.
Yeah, we have about 10 of those things around the office, and they let them stay because for whatever reason they just can't get the HVAC system zones correct, which makes certain parts of the building arctic zones and others Hell zones. We try to make sure people at least turn them AWAY from their computers, but I still find them directly facing a computer. A few years ago we had an intern with one and it completely warped the front cover on an older Dell Optiplex PC, we were not happy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Melcar