General

[oldschool]

so there is no room in there for just plain ole stupid people is there?

like say the kind that go - my mouse is flashing and its driving me nuts you have to drop what you are doing and come look right now and then you get there and see 15 windows open and a system error message. And poof, when they restart everything is all better


I think you should have to take a test to qualify for a computer at work instead of just being given one

[Wycke]

In my experience, people who try to fix things and end up causing damage aren't nearly as aggravating as those who are just dumb and/or lazy. Case in point, we had an instructor return yesterday after a week's vacation. During that time, one of my co-workers had reimaged her laptop. When done, he left it back on the desk in her office (but didn't put it into the docking station). She called me screaming that someone needed to come up immediately because she didn't know how to plug it in. I went up and showed her how to connect it to the docking station (though she was intentionally looking in the opposite direction so she can say that she's never seen how to do it). Half an hour later, she called (again, screaming) because Outlook wasn't automatically completing e-mail addresses, stating that there were irreplacable e-mail addresses in the name cache and that if we couldn't bring them back, heads would roll. I suggested that she put important e-mail addresses in her Contact List, to which she replies "well, I don't know how to use a contact list, so I don't see how THAT would help!" So I had to spend an HOUR showing her how to create a contact, send mail to that contact, etc. All because she was too f***ing lazy to...oh, I don't know, TRY TO DO SOMETHING HERSELF!!!

At least when people try to do something and f*** it up, they're TRYING.

[freedom]

i'm almost where you guys are, but when people call me to say their printer isn't working, i get to ask, "is there paper in it?"...

[Kindred]

Originally Posted by Wycke

In my experience, people who try to fix things and end up causing damage aren't nearly as aggravating as those who are just dumb and/or lazy. Case in point, we had an instructor return yesterday after a week's vacation. During that time, one of my co-workers had reimaged her laptop. When done, he left it back on the desk in her office (but didn't put it into the docking station). She called me screaming that someone needed to come up immediately because she didn't know how to plug it in. I went up and showed her how to connect it to the docking station (though she was intentionally looking in the opposite direction so she can say that she's never seen how to do it). Half an hour later, she called (again, screaming) because Outlook wasn't automatically completing e-mail addresses, stating that there were irreplacable e-mail addresses in the name cache and that if we couldn't bring them back, heads would roll. I suggested that she put important e-mail addresses in her Contact List, to which she replies "well, I don't know how to use a contact list, so I don't see how THAT would help!" So I had to spend an HOUR showing her how to create a contact, send mail to that contact, etc. All because she was too f***ing lazy to...oh, I don't know, TRY TO DO SOMETHING HERSELF!!!

At least when people try to do something and f*** it up, they're TRYING.

Users who demand to be spoon fed, should not act surprised when they get a spoon shoved into their skull by an IT guy.

[Rayodder]

Here is a phone conversation I had with senior engineer who was out of town:

Eng-Ray, can you do me a favor and call Telus tech support for me? (Telus is Canadian company that provides Internet, cell and phone services)
Me- Oh? what is wrong with your laptop?
Eng-No, there is nothing wrong with my laptop, it is my cell phone.
Me-OKay..... what is your cell phone doing? can't download your email?
Eng-No, everytime I try to dial out I get a busy signal, a fast busy signal, the screen display says I am in roaming mode and I have plenty of signal strength, but I can't seen to dial out. I never had a problem when I am on the road before, could it be this area?
Me-I have no idea..
Eng- I am really stuck here, I would call them myself, but I can't dial out and I don't think I can receive calls either, I don't know what to do here, i don't have a phone at all.
Me- where are you right now? are you at your hotel?
Eng- Yes, I am in my hotel room right now.
Me- Perhaps you can call Telus on your hotel phone and see what is going on.
Eng- Yeah, I guess I can do that....

[ehalcik]

Originally Posted by Kindred

IF damage-actually-done < potential-to-do-damage THEN
strCompentent = "yes"
ELSE IF
damage-actually-done = potential-to-do-damage THEN
strCompetent = "no"
call sub_cleanup(strCompetent.ID)
call sub_weekend(delete)
ELSE IF
damage-actually-done > potential-to-do-damage THEN
call sub_promotion(mgr_name)
END IF

make sure you reference the mandatory prefrontal lobotomy prior to the promotion ...

[p8ntguykenny]

Originally Posted by Wycke

In my experience, people who try to fix things and end up causing damage aren't nearly as aggravating as those who are just dumb and/or lazy. Case in point, we had an instructor return yesterday after a week's vacation. During that time, one of my co-workers had reimaged her laptop. When done, he left it back on the desk in her office (but didn't put it into the docking station). She called me screaming that someone needed to come up immediately because she didn't know how to plug it in. I went up and showed her how to connect it to the docking station (though she was intentionally looking in the opposite direction so she can say that she's never seen how to do it). Half an hour later, she called (again, screaming) because Outlook wasn't automatically completing e-mail addresses, stating that there were irreplacable e-mail addresses in the name cache and that if we couldn't bring them back, heads would roll. I suggested that she put important e-mail addresses in her Contact List, to which she replies "well, I don't know how to use a contact list, so I don't see how THAT would help!" So I had to spend an HOUR showing her how to create a contact, send mail to that contact, etc. All because she was too f***ing lazy to...oh, I don't know, TRY TO DO SOMETHING HERSELF!!!

At least when people try to do something and f*** it up, they're TRYING.

When I started working, I did it the old-school way... post-it notes all over my cubicle. One of my managers walked by my desk a few months after I started and asked "why don't you put all these in your Outlook contacts?" to which I replied "What Outlook contacts?". Keep in mind, before starting this job, not once in my 15 years of computing had I ever used Outlook. I figure myself to be a non-standard user, so the lack of knowledge of a Contacts lists seems like small potatoes to me. (And yes, I do save non-company contacts in my contacts list now).

Originally Posted by ehalcik

make sure you reference the mandatory prefrontal lobotomy prior to the promotion ...

You can't forget what you didn't know to begin with.

[Emerald Wolf]

Heh, love the code bit. I wonder if this can be ported to Apartment Dwellers. I tell you, there are days that I wonder how these people manage to live from day to day without seriously injuring themselves.

Catchya on the Flip Side.....

Emerald Wolf -- actually wants into IT... At least then when I get called out, I won't have to plunge a 7 pound growler out of the toilet...

[Kindred]

Originally Posted by Emerald Wolf

Heh, love the code bit. I wonder if this can be ported to Apartment Dwellers. I tell you, there are days that I wonder how these people manage to live from day to day without seriously injuring themselves.

Catchya on the Flip Side.....

Emerald Wolf -- actually wants into IT... At least then when I get called out, I won't have to plunge a 7 pound growler out of the toilet...

I may actually write that code up in a little vb app to amuse myself from time to time.

[Sir Brass]

Heh heh, you'd love working for our IT department. They generally get to handle some real zingers not caused by incompetance, but rather from engineers who know TOO much, and thus sometimes accidentally screwing things up.

I swear our B&W engineering printer has given up the ghost. Can't hold a printing queue worth a hang anymore. Service has been called I don't know how many times in the last week b/c it just keeps locking up in the queue.