Help Desk Humor
Friday, July 04, 2003
The Holiday
Miss HD was offered the holiday off as well as half the day off Thursday. Well - Miss HD wants to apologize for not bloggin' today or Friday - but she got the hell out of dodge before they changed their minds.
I'll leave you with a funny password story (or two) that happened later last year:
Color Me Silly
Miss HD was working hard, as usual, when she got a call (uh oh, here comes the bad part). User could not get into the XXXX system. You'll find that as time goes on, XXXX system will be a reoccurring issue. User wanted me to reset her password.
I simply went into the system as administrator and did that magic that I do. I called her back and told her to go ahead and log in with her generic password "blue" and then change the password to something else. She was good to go and hung up. About 2 minutes later, I got a call back from her. She still could not get in. It would not let her change her password.
I go down to User's desk and sit, trying to figure out why this system would not let her change her password. I sit and I think and I think and I think. What could the problem be?
She stood next to me and said "I don't know what to do - I've ran out of colors."
I looked at User and asked her to repeat herself, and she did. Miss HD found herself sitting in disbelief as User thought that since the default password was "blue" this had to mean that all other passwords that you choose must be a color as well.
Looks like someone needs a box of 256 crayons for Christmas.
My Name is What? My Name is What? No, really, I can't remember.
Miss HD - working goddess that I am... I was working along, probably on a spreadsheet as that is what am generally doing in the afteroon, when the phone rings. I answer.
User states that she cannot get into her computer - the network won't let her (I love personification of computers. It's great). I go down to her desk and found that she had forgotten her password. I made the call to the "real" help desk and got her password reset to the word "password." Thinking I had this issue wrapped up, I had User sit down and log in. User could not log in. For some strange reasons, the letters that make up the word password just would not do so for her. She locked it 2 times this way.
Finally, I was a bit frustrated - I admit - I was very frustrated. I called the "real" help desk again and in order to make this as easy and as least chance of causing me to go postal, I asked the help desk to change the password to her last name - and make it a set password, so she would not have to change it once she got logged in.
She got locked out again.
Miss HD was offered the holiday off as well as half the day off Thursday. Well - Miss HD wants to apologize for not bloggin' today or Friday - but she got the hell out of dodge before they changed their minds.
I'll leave you with a funny password story (or two) that happened later last year:
Color Me Silly
Miss HD was working hard, as usual, when she got a call (uh oh, here comes the bad part). User could not get into the XXXX system. You'll find that as time goes on, XXXX system will be a reoccurring issue. User wanted me to reset her password.
I simply went into the system as administrator and did that magic that I do. I called her back and told her to go ahead and log in with her generic password "blue" and then change the password to something else. She was good to go and hung up. About 2 minutes later, I got a call back from her. She still could not get in. It would not let her change her password.
I go down to User's desk and sit, trying to figure out why this system would not let her change her password. I sit and I think and I think and I think. What could the problem be?
She stood next to me and said "I don't know what to do - I've ran out of colors."
I looked at User and asked her to repeat herself, and she did. Miss HD found herself sitting in disbelief as User thought that since the default password was "blue" this had to mean that all other passwords that you choose must be a color as well.
Looks like someone needs a box of 256 crayons for Christmas.
My Name is What? My Name is What? No, really, I can't remember.
Miss HD - working goddess that I am... I was working along, probably on a spreadsheet as that is what am generally doing in the afteroon, when the phone rings. I answer.
User states that she cannot get into her computer - the network won't let her (I love personification of computers. It's great). I go down to her desk and found that she had forgotten her password. I made the call to the "real" help desk and got her password reset to the word "password." Thinking I had this issue wrapped up, I had User sit down and log in. User could not log in. For some strange reasons, the letters that make up the word password just would not do so for her. She locked it 2 times this way.
Finally, I was a bit frustrated - I admit - I was very frustrated. I called the "real" help desk again and in order to make this as easy and as least chance of causing me to go postal, I asked the help desk to change the password to her last name - and make it a set password, so she would not have to change it once she got logged in.
She got locked out again.
Wednesday, July 02, 2003
Blame it on the little guy...
I just got an email from User saying there is a MALFUNCTION (that was the subject line of the email). User said that she tried transferring an account to a specific location and it did not go - it must not be working. When I reviewed my listings of areas you can transfer to - the area she was transferring to: it doesn't exist.
darn malfunctions.
mastering the art of being proactive
For some people, this was a must and mastered the skill years ago in a far away land. For some - they are ok with it, they know it exists "go with the flow" of it all. For others - well, it's a lost cause.
Issue: Returned Mail - 'nuff said.
Proactive User: Devise a procedure for handling the mail, ask for temporary assistance from people around you and get caught up - apply new procedure to stay current.
What Really Happened: User doesn't tell anyone. When approached, shrugs shoulders "I didn't know I was supposed to do that."
Issue: Everyday, you get a message on your screen that says you have 5 more successful login's before you will be forced to change your password. (number goes down one everytime you have to log in)
ProActive User: Change it.
What Really Happened: User just clicked through the error and wonders, why on the day they are now mandated to change their password, why do they have to change it. They didn't know they had to change it. And now they are not connected to the network because they clicked cancel after a couple mal attempts at accessing the system.
Issue: New employee will be coming in 1 week and needs access to all systems.
ProActive User: Send an email to those responsible for obtaining access names and rights to systems (Miss HD and Cute Coworker included).
What Really Happened: "Miss HD, I need access to XXXX today." "But, User, it takes 2 weeks to get access to this system." "Well, Miss HD, I need it today."
Issue: Other department faxing requests for deletes to the system (their reports) on a daily basis - several sheets a day. Secretary's office where fax machine is located is locked up because she is out of the office this week.
ProActive User: Send an email to everyone that faxes you requests and give them a different fax number within the department OR contact security daily during secretaries vacation to have them open office.
What Really Happened: After four days, Miss HD and Cute Coworker receive an email from a disgruntled department head asking why their requests weren't being filled. When inquiring the person that handles those: "Oh."
Rubbing It In...
I sent a joke email out to some folks. I got this back from someone:
I will be out of the office (on a cruise in the Carribean) until July 5th, 2003. I will be returning to work July 7th, 2003. Please forward any inquiries to ******** ******.
... no comment ...
Pity for Cute Coworker
Again, my day is seemingly strange as I have not had any really wacky stuff going on. I think this blog has wished calm days and peaceful emails for me. That's ok - I'm sure it will wear off soon.
I actually feel pity for Cute Coworker today (yes, the same woman who hit me with my smiley face stress ball). See, we each have specific systems we are considered primary support on. Heck, even IS identifies us as the primary support. For the last 2 weeks one of her systems has been haywire. She's been running around rebooting the server multiple times a day and trying to figure out what needs to be done. Quotes have been made, but there will be an upgrade in the future so they are all "should we go this route - will this be affected with the upgrade?"
Of course, no one has any idea IF and WHEN this upgrade will occur. I bet she quits right before the upgrade... I would.
So - she is gone again, off an a server adventure. I am sitting ever-so-comfortably in my big cushy desk chair typing away at my blog and doing some month end reporting from one of the systems. She is running around, hair laying in frizzed-out clumps around her face, panting from running up and down the stairs to the server (it's downstairs in another building). Not so cute, now, eh? *evil grin*
Actually - she's doing really well. I almost feel the need to do something nice for her.
almost.
I just got an email from User saying there is a MALFUNCTION (that was the subject line of the email). User said that she tried transferring an account to a specific location and it did not go - it must not be working. When I reviewed my listings of areas you can transfer to - the area she was transferring to: it doesn't exist.
darn malfunctions.
mastering the art of being proactive
For some people, this was a must and mastered the skill years ago in a far away land. For some - they are ok with it, they know it exists "go with the flow" of it all. For others - well, it's a lost cause.
Issue: Returned Mail - 'nuff said.
Proactive User: Devise a procedure for handling the mail, ask for temporary assistance from people around you and get caught up - apply new procedure to stay current.
What Really Happened: User doesn't tell anyone. When approached, shrugs shoulders "I didn't know I was supposed to do that."
Issue: Everyday, you get a message on your screen that says you have 5 more successful login's before you will be forced to change your password. (number goes down one everytime you have to log in)
ProActive User: Change it.
What Really Happened: User just clicked through the error and wonders, why on the day they are now mandated to change their password, why do they have to change it. They didn't know they had to change it. And now they are not connected to the network because they clicked cancel after a couple mal attempts at accessing the system.
Issue: New employee will be coming in 1 week and needs access to all systems.
ProActive User: Send an email to those responsible for obtaining access names and rights to systems (Miss HD and Cute Coworker included).
What Really Happened: "Miss HD, I need access to XXXX today." "But, User, it takes 2 weeks to get access to this system." "Well, Miss HD, I need it today."
Issue: Other department faxing requests for deletes to the system (their reports) on a daily basis - several sheets a day. Secretary's office where fax machine is located is locked up because she is out of the office this week.
ProActive User: Send an email to everyone that faxes you requests and give them a different fax number within the department OR contact security daily during secretaries vacation to have them open office.
What Really Happened: After four days, Miss HD and Cute Coworker receive an email from a disgruntled department head asking why their requests weren't being filled. When inquiring the person that handles those: "Oh."
Rubbing It In...
I sent a joke email out to some folks. I got this back from someone:
I will be out of the office (on a cruise in the Carribean) until July 5th, 2003. I will be returning to work July 7th, 2003. Please forward any inquiries to ******** ******.
... no comment ...
Pity for Cute Coworker
Again, my day is seemingly strange as I have not had any really wacky stuff going on. I think this blog has wished calm days and peaceful emails for me. That's ok - I'm sure it will wear off soon.
I actually feel pity for Cute Coworker today (yes, the same woman who hit me with my smiley face stress ball). See, we each have specific systems we are considered primary support on. Heck, even IS identifies us as the primary support. For the last 2 weeks one of her systems has been haywire. She's been running around rebooting the server multiple times a day and trying to figure out what needs to be done. Quotes have been made, but there will be an upgrade in the future so they are all "should we go this route - will this be affected with the upgrade?"
Of course, no one has any idea IF and WHEN this upgrade will occur. I bet she quits right before the upgrade... I would.
So - she is gone again, off an a server adventure. I am sitting ever-so-comfortably in my big cushy desk chair typing away at my blog and doing some month end reporting from one of the systems. She is running around, hair laying in frizzed-out clumps around her face, panting from running up and down the stairs to the server (it's downstairs in another building). Not so cute, now, eh? *evil grin*
Actually - she's doing really well. I almost feel the need to do something nice for her.
almost.
Tuesday, July 01, 2003
True Phone Conversation...
User: Have you fixed our XYZ problem yet?"
Miss HD: What problem?
User: *explains XYZ to me*
Miss HD: Oh. I didn't know you were having this problem. Who did you contact? Manager? Cute Coworker?
User: *rolling eyes* I didn't call anyone. I just thought you'd know.
ooooooooooooooooooo kay?
Note to self: Start meditating to pick up any negative vibes from system errors and fix prior to notification.
The above applies - Manager has a little saying - about the PNC not working. Well, the PNC is our Psychic Network Connection. It's referred to very happily here all the time. Shame my PNC is in the shop all the darn time. Oh well - have to use good ole fashion email or form requests until I get it up and running.
Today...
Wow. It's almost 10:30 in the morning and not one support call. Go figure this would happen on the day after I launch this awesome humor blog (pat pat pat on back). Well, Since I have nothing at this point, I figured I would just do a bit on the goddess within (or super god man, depending on whose reading).
Recently I was appointed the title goddess by a person on the fourth floor. In one day, upon my inquiry, Cute Coworker installed a new PC for User, I got a spreadsheet up and running as well as doing a mini training with her and then I turned around and pitched her name in for a job in another department that pays more and has a higher stature within the company - which in turn got back to her and wow - now I'm a goddess. If you couldn't guess, User happens to be the same person in my 6/30 blog that used the wrong username. I do not think I could anger this person at this point in the game. I really think she loves me.
Referring to the email in the 6/30 blog, it's kind of funny. The reason I ask for a username is of my own error in the past but she thinks I was "gently reminding her" to use the correct username.
What error could Miss HD possibly make, you ask? OK - maybe you didn't - but I'm going to tell you anyway. Of course now you are laughing so hard, take a moment for yourself - really. Finish up the laughter - alright, ready now?
I was working late one night... ok, maybe more near the afternoon and I wasn't quite working, just messing around with a spreadsheet. But late one night sounds better - anyway - I get a call for system XXXX to reset a password as User cannot remember. I go in, sidetracked by my spreadsheet, and reset the password. User is happy and I'm back on spreadsheet duty. Not 10 minutes later I get a call from someone else. Apparently this User cannot get into the same system. You see where this is going?
User 1 gave me the wrong username and I reset it, but turns out it was really User 2. Yeah - a slight faux pas. So, I got them all squared away and vowed from that day forward, I would always validate their username. I have a spreadsheet I can check against and make sure they are telling me the right username.
So, what is funny here is when Cute Coworker came here to work - she kinda did the same thing. I was not in that , morning. She was manning the battle station on her own. I walked in the door and she said "man, I'm getting a lot of calls to reset XXXX passwords."
Now, the beginning of the month is very believable because the system automatically makes you change your password at the first visit after the first of the month - every month. But when I looked up at the calendar it was in the middle of the month.
Turns out, I assigned about 15 usernames to a department - they all had them but they all thought the one in the login screen was theirs - which it wasn't. It was the last successful login, which could have been someone else. So, they'd type in their password and would get a username/password does not match error. They'd call and have it reset. Cute Coworker would reset it. So when the actual person who had username x came in, the password was different, so they'd call in and have it reset. Very funny when you think about it.
Ya know what I haven't figured out though? Why, when someone sits down at a computer and gets ready to log in, do they think a computer has optical recognition capabilities? Just because you are sitting there does not make it your username.... the computer does not know you are you and it cannot put your username in there just because you are sitting there.
What exactly does any of this have to do with being a goddess?.... well. Nothing really.
on behalf of...
I truly believe even the most intelligent of people can have the worst of days. My manager is a pretty slick guy. Manager knows his stuff inside and out. But yesterday - he made a slight *synaptical connection error.*
Manager is asking Cute Coworker (or someone else, I can't remember) what time User goes home for the day. She says 1:30. Manager asks "Well, where is she now?" The other person says "She goes home at 1:30. It's 2." I guess he kind of looked at her and asked again "So, where is she?" After a quick moment and a snap of lucidity, he realized, she had already gone home for the day.
*whoooooooosh* That was the time flying by.
Completely Unrelated
I have two very unrelated to IS statements for you all. First a question:
Why is it a to-go salt packet (those little two tube paper things with the perforated end that always bends instead of tears) are jammed with salt so when you get them open it spills all over, but the pepper to-go packets, barely have 10 grains of pepper? Hmmmmm I'm thinking federal grant money for this one.
Second - a woman in my department has it all figured out. She comes to work at 5 am so she clocks out at 1:30. She takes her second break at 1. at 1:15 she returns to her desk to close down her PC and pile up her paper and leave. Why didn't I think of that first?
Well, the day is almost over. It's 3:13pm. I go home in an hour and nothing overly funny has happened today. Not overly bad but still - it would be nice. Heck - at noon, Cute Coworker and I were left to be the only 2 employees on the 5th floor. Well - maybe tomorrow? Or in the next hour?
I hope not.
User: Have you fixed our XYZ problem yet?"
Miss HD: What problem?
User: *explains XYZ to me*
Miss HD: Oh. I didn't know you were having this problem. Who did you contact? Manager? Cute Coworker?
User: *rolling eyes* I didn't call anyone. I just thought you'd know.
ooooooooooooooooooo kay?
Note to self: Start meditating to pick up any negative vibes from system errors and fix prior to notification.
The above applies - Manager has a little saying - about the PNC not working. Well, the PNC is our Psychic Network Connection. It's referred to very happily here all the time. Shame my PNC is in the shop all the darn time. Oh well - have to use good ole fashion email or form requests until I get it up and running.
Today...
Wow. It's almost 10:30 in the morning and not one support call. Go figure this would happen on the day after I launch this awesome humor blog (pat pat pat on back). Well, Since I have nothing at this point, I figured I would just do a bit on the goddess within (or super god man, depending on whose reading).
Recently I was appointed the title goddess by a person on the fourth floor. In one day, upon my inquiry, Cute Coworker installed a new PC for User, I got a spreadsheet up and running as well as doing a mini training with her and then I turned around and pitched her name in for a job in another department that pays more and has a higher stature within the company - which in turn got back to her and wow - now I'm a goddess. If you couldn't guess, User happens to be the same person in my 6/30 blog that used the wrong username. I do not think I could anger this person at this point in the game. I really think she loves me.
Referring to the email in the 6/30 blog, it's kind of funny. The reason I ask for a username is of my own error in the past but she thinks I was "gently reminding her" to use the correct username.
What error could Miss HD possibly make, you ask? OK - maybe you didn't - but I'm going to tell you anyway. Of course now you are laughing so hard, take a moment for yourself - really. Finish up the laughter - alright, ready now?
I was working late one night... ok, maybe more near the afternoon and I wasn't quite working, just messing around with a spreadsheet. But late one night sounds better - anyway - I get a call for system XXXX to reset a password as User cannot remember. I go in, sidetracked by my spreadsheet, and reset the password. User is happy and I'm back on spreadsheet duty. Not 10 minutes later I get a call from someone else. Apparently this User cannot get into the same system. You see where this is going?
User 1 gave me the wrong username and I reset it, but turns out it was really User 2. Yeah - a slight faux pas. So, I got them all squared away and vowed from that day forward, I would always validate their username. I have a spreadsheet I can check against and make sure they are telling me the right username.
So, what is funny here is when Cute Coworker came here to work - she kinda did the same thing. I was not in that , morning. She was manning the battle station on her own. I walked in the door and she said "man, I'm getting a lot of calls to reset XXXX passwords."
Now, the beginning of the month is very believable because the system automatically makes you change your password at the first visit after the first of the month - every month. But when I looked up at the calendar it was in the middle of the month.
Turns out, I assigned about 15 usernames to a department - they all had them but they all thought the one in the login screen was theirs - which it wasn't. It was the last successful login, which could have been someone else. So, they'd type in their password and would get a username/password does not match error. They'd call and have it reset. Cute Coworker would reset it. So when the actual person who had username x came in, the password was different, so they'd call in and have it reset. Very funny when you think about it.
Ya know what I haven't figured out though? Why, when someone sits down at a computer and gets ready to log in, do they think a computer has optical recognition capabilities? Just because you are sitting there does not make it your username.... the computer does not know you are you and it cannot put your username in there just because you are sitting there.
What exactly does any of this have to do with being a goddess?.... well. Nothing really.
on behalf of...
I truly believe even the most intelligent of people can have the worst of days. My manager is a pretty slick guy. Manager knows his stuff inside and out. But yesterday - he made a slight *synaptical connection error.*
Manager is asking Cute Coworker (or someone else, I can't remember) what time User goes home for the day. She says 1:30. Manager asks "Well, where is she now?" The other person says "She goes home at 1:30. It's 2." I guess he kind of looked at her and asked again "So, where is she?" After a quick moment and a snap of lucidity, he realized, she had already gone home for the day.
*whoooooooosh* That was the time flying by.
Completely Unrelated
I have two very unrelated to IS statements for you all. First a question:
Why is it a to-go salt packet (those little two tube paper things with the perforated end that always bends instead of tears) are jammed with salt so when you get them open it spills all over, but the pepper to-go packets, barely have 10 grains of pepper? Hmmmmm I'm thinking federal grant money for this one.
Second - a woman in my department has it all figured out. She comes to work at 5 am so she clocks out at 1:30. She takes her second break at 1. at 1:15 she returns to her desk to close down her PC and pile up her paper and leave. Why didn't I think of that first?
Well, the day is almost over. It's 3:13pm. I go home in an hour and nothing overly funny has happened today. Not overly bad but still - it would be nice. Heck - at noon, Cute Coworker and I were left to be the only 2 employees on the 5th floor. Well - maybe tomorrow? Or in the next hour?
I hope not.
Monday, June 30, 2003
A Warm Welcome from Miss Help Desk
the introduction...
I suppose this is as good a time as any to introduce the blog - introduce myself and what I do.
So - the blog is a humorous look at Help Desk work. Maybe the non-techies can see what it's like to wear our shoes - and of course, they'll laugh.
I'm not help desk personel. I could never be that good - I'm an application analyst with a sense of humor and a passion for writing. I enjoy my work but for some reason, (oh yeah, they are told to), the employees in my department choose to call me, email me or stop me in the hall with both work and home related issues.
See - I don't work in the IS department (that's information systems for all you general readers). I do IS functionality in a department that is not IS - we (meaning the whole 3 of us) are expected to take front end calls and do what we can without the tools needed. All the tools are in IS.
So, now you have me and a couple others that are IS minded in a department that's..... well... not. We get some pretty strange calls and some odd requests and we try to take them all in stride without laughing so hard we pee our pants. It's not as easy as it sounds.
I am not using names in this blog. It's not nice to make fun of those that are less fortunate in their knowledge of PCs (that's personal computer - ahhh love the lingo, baby, love the lingo). I am not using my name for fear of being found out and being hit with stuff on the way out to my car. I don't want to cause mental blocks nor do I want to be responsible for the weeping coming from the floors beneath me (not a mean statement, I really am located above everyone else).
What will I have to offer? One - daily humor. I can type this stuff at work as it's happening (oh lucky you!). Two - I will offer sections called "on behalf of my coworker" who works in the same office as me and pretty much receives the same fun calls that I do and enjoys them just as much. We will also have a section for "in the past" so you will know what is going on today and what actually happened a year or so ago (these are great) and a section that reveals our own silly stumbles in the IS world. Three - what better do you have than to laugh at someone else's plight? yeah... I thought so....
So.... that' what this is all about.
If you want to read my inspiration - check out Miss Cashier (linked on the right). She's my hero :-)
biography of names...
I don't want to use names - ya know, protect the innocent and all, but honestly - you have to refer to them as something.
User - the name User will refer to the person who is asking us for advice and so forth. User will not refer to the same person in every story. It can't - there are just too many folk and I can't make up a name for everyone.
Cute Coworker - I share an office with a woman who is 2 years my younger. She's absolutely adorable. She is one of those people that has a bubbly personality and people like to be around her. I suppose she is not yet jaded by life. She is knowledgable and smart. She's also very pretty and has quite a vivid social life. I live vicariously through her.
Manager - well, that's my manager. Easy call, eh?
Manager 2 - my manager is only over 3 people. There are about 60 people in the department I work for. Manager 2 is over about half these people. She is a "oh woe as me" kind of lady. She's mean and doesn't quite care whose toes she crunches with her 3 inch spike heels. She is also very cunning. I must admit - she's good at what she does but whew, I just wish she could be nicer doing it. She's over 40 but looks and dresses like she's a professional 28 year old. If you got it flaunt it (I don't flaunt).
Manager 3 - the other manager, well - she's kind of special. She sometimes has moments where she makes sense. She is nice and bubbly, which is quite the 180 from Manager 2. She is in her 50s I think, but I don't know. She is nice but I wish she would be more upfront with her work and document better. But oh well, at least I don't have two manager number 2s, right. I wanted to also note that Manager 2 and Manager 3 are not my managers, they just work in the same department managing other folks.
Gypsy Coworker - Gypsy coworker is really an interesting person. Most of the time she is nice, but she doesn't like us. I don't know. She's in her 50s and is pretty cranky all the time. She is very "out there" and wears a lot of jewelry (she even calls herself a gypsy, it's not a mean term!). She's funny in some of her comments but sometimes, she can speak out of term to people. She can really hurt their feelings and not mean to. She's done it to me and she's done it to Cute Coworker.
my day - today...
Alright.. this is a true email thread. Enjoy.
User: Can you please reset my password on XXXX? I cannot
launch the application and use XXXX. I have tried it more than once so chances are I have completely messed it up.
Miss HD: what is your username?
User: oops!!!! that may be the problem!!!!! hee hee!! sorry!!! my true blondeness just showed through. Hold on and let me try to launch XXXX with the correct user name!!!!
User Emails Miss HD again: That is why you are the goddess that you are!! Thank you for gently reminding me to use the correct user name!!!! OMG, can be any more dumber??? lol.
Thank You!!!!
Don't worry folks - we all have our moments!
on behalf of...
Cute Coworker: Well, you know we share an office. I am over here working on a spreadsheet for a vendor and she is getting calls out the ying yang for support. She is on the phone and I hear her say the following. This is a one sided conversation, and yes, it is as bad as it sounds.
Hmmmmm well, what are you putting in
OK - and then what?
Well - you have to.
Yes. It's required.
Yup, just hit TAB.
Not a Problem. Bye.
So, wondering what they are talking about? Any guesses? Cute Coworker was talking to User about a login screen. User was just putting in their username. When inquired upon, User told Cute Coworker that they were not putting in their password, but the system would not let them in.
Why would it ask you for a password and you think you don't have to type it in? Is it just me or is this some form of new-age backward thinking?
What's even worse - User has been using the system for a while now. They have always had to put their password in. Why would it change today?
anyone?
anyone?
Beuller? Bueller?
in the past...
User calls me and tells me that her mouse is not working. The screen has froze up on her. I go down the hall and she is sitting there, her mouse is frozen. I asked her what happened. She said "I was trying to do something in **** and it wasn't doing what I wanted it to do. Then it froze up."
I rebooted as any good HD personel should do. As the machine was rebooting, I saw a message flash that no mouse was detected.
Odd I think. I get down and crawl under her desk (not a pretty view from the back, I must add) and there is the problem. Her mouse is unplugged. I plug it back in but the problem is - it's a loose fit. The mouse port is barely hanging into the back of the PC.
I get up from under the desk and User is just sitting there. I ask her what happened right before her computer froze up. She looks at me oddly and says (yes, this is it):
I wanted it to click over here, but it wouldn't move so I did this. This is where you insert her banging the mouse on the desk and yanking it over her shoulder like she was trying to stop a friggin MULE - think Yosemite Sam and WHOA MULE WHOA - WHEN I SAY WHOA, I MEAN WHOA *WHACK with his rifle*
Yeah - she wonders. I ended up pushing the mouse in as best I could and then taping the cord to the back of her desk so if she did continue her career as a PC abuser, it would take a lot to unplug that mouse.
our own issues...
Well - today Cute Coworker is the recipient of this one. Of course, the day is not over yet. Cute Coworker and myself were talking to another gentleman that works here - different department. He was out wandering and found his way to our office. What can I say, we are fun. Anyway, Cute Coworker's email keeps going off but no message is appearing. It's the emails coming to us via a forwarding rule. She searches around and finds nothing wrong. The rules is working on the original PC, the rule is apparently working on her PC as it's no longer in her inbox. She said the alert noise has been going off but the email is not there.
Well - turns out they were going to the trash LOL Yup - she had deleted her folder and it was sitting in the deleted items folder gathering up all the new emails. hehehe It's fixed now.
This just in - not 2 hours after discoving Cute Coworkers faux pas - I did the same thing!
not a good day... just not a good day...
I suppose this is as good a time as any to introduce the blog - introduce myself and what I do.
So - the blog is a humorous look at Help Desk work. Maybe the non-techies can see what it's like to wear our shoes - and of course, they'll laugh.
I'm not help desk personel. I could never be that good - I'm an application analyst with a sense of humor and a passion for writing. I enjoy my work but for some reason, (oh yeah, they are told to), the employees in my department choose to call me, email me or stop me in the hall with both work and home related issues.
See - I don't work in the IS department (that's information systems for all you general readers). I do IS functionality in a department that is not IS - we (meaning the whole 3 of us) are expected to take front end calls and do what we can without the tools needed. All the tools are in IS.
So, now you have me and a couple others that are IS minded in a department that's..... well... not. We get some pretty strange calls and some odd requests and we try to take them all in stride without laughing so hard we pee our pants. It's not as easy as it sounds.
I am not using names in this blog. It's not nice to make fun of those that are less fortunate in their knowledge of PCs (that's personal computer - ahhh love the lingo, baby, love the lingo). I am not using my name for fear of being found out and being hit with stuff on the way out to my car. I don't want to cause mental blocks nor do I want to be responsible for the weeping coming from the floors beneath me (not a mean statement, I really am located above everyone else).
What will I have to offer? One - daily humor. I can type this stuff at work as it's happening (oh lucky you!). Two - I will offer sections called "on behalf of my coworker" who works in the same office as me and pretty much receives the same fun calls that I do and enjoys them just as much. We will also have a section for "in the past" so you will know what is going on today and what actually happened a year or so ago (these are great) and a section that reveals our own silly stumbles in the IS world. Three - what better do you have than to laugh at someone else's plight? yeah... I thought so....
So.... that' what this is all about.
If you want to read my inspiration - check out Miss Cashier (linked on the right). She's my hero :-)
biography of names...
I don't want to use names - ya know, protect the innocent and all, but honestly - you have to refer to them as something.
User - the name User will refer to the person who is asking us for advice and so forth. User will not refer to the same person in every story. It can't - there are just too many folk and I can't make up a name for everyone.
Cute Coworker - I share an office with a woman who is 2 years my younger. She's absolutely adorable. She is one of those people that has a bubbly personality and people like to be around her. I suppose she is not yet jaded by life. She is knowledgable and smart. She's also very pretty and has quite a vivid social life. I live vicariously through her.
Manager - well, that's my manager. Easy call, eh?
Manager 2 - my manager is only over 3 people. There are about 60 people in the department I work for. Manager 2 is over about half these people. She is a "oh woe as me" kind of lady. She's mean and doesn't quite care whose toes she crunches with her 3 inch spike heels. She is also very cunning. I must admit - she's good at what she does but whew, I just wish she could be nicer doing it. She's over 40 but looks and dresses like she's a professional 28 year old. If you got it flaunt it (I don't flaunt).
Manager 3 - the other manager, well - she's kind of special. She sometimes has moments where she makes sense. She is nice and bubbly, which is quite the 180 from Manager 2. She is in her 50s I think, but I don't know. She is nice but I wish she would be more upfront with her work and document better. But oh well, at least I don't have two manager number 2s, right. I wanted to also note that Manager 2 and Manager 3 are not my managers, they just work in the same department managing other folks.
Gypsy Coworker - Gypsy coworker is really an interesting person. Most of the time she is nice, but she doesn't like us. I don't know. She's in her 50s and is pretty cranky all the time. She is very "out there" and wears a lot of jewelry (she even calls herself a gypsy, it's not a mean term!). She's funny in some of her comments but sometimes, she can speak out of term to people. She can really hurt their feelings and not mean to. She's done it to me and she's done it to Cute Coworker.
my day - today...
Alright.. this is a true email thread. Enjoy.
User: Can you please reset my password on XXXX? I cannot
launch the application and use XXXX. I have tried it more than once so chances are I have completely messed it up.
Miss HD: what is your username?
User: oops!!!! that may be the problem!!!!! hee hee!! sorry!!! my true blondeness just showed through. Hold on and let me try to launch XXXX with the correct user name!!!!
User Emails Miss HD again: That is why you are the goddess that you are!! Thank you for gently reminding me to use the correct user name!!!! OMG, can be any more dumber??? lol.
Thank You!!!!
Don't worry folks - we all have our moments!
on behalf of...
Cute Coworker: Well, you know we share an office. I am over here working on a spreadsheet for a vendor and she is getting calls out the ying yang for support. She is on the phone and I hear her say the following. This is a one sided conversation, and yes, it is as bad as it sounds.
Hmmmmm well, what are you putting in
OK - and then what?
Well - you have to.
Yes. It's required.
Yup, just hit TAB.
Not a Problem. Bye.
So, wondering what they are talking about? Any guesses? Cute Coworker was talking to User about a login screen. User was just putting in their username. When inquired upon, User told Cute Coworker that they were not putting in their password, but the system would not let them in.
Why would it ask you for a password and you think you don't have to type it in? Is it just me or is this some form of new-age backward thinking?
What's even worse - User has been using the system for a while now. They have always had to put their password in. Why would it change today?
anyone?
anyone?
Beuller? Bueller?
in the past...
User calls me and tells me that her mouse is not working. The screen has froze up on her. I go down the hall and she is sitting there, her mouse is frozen. I asked her what happened. She said "I was trying to do something in **** and it wasn't doing what I wanted it to do. Then it froze up."
I rebooted as any good HD personel should do. As the machine was rebooting, I saw a message flash that no mouse was detected.
Odd I think. I get down and crawl under her desk (not a pretty view from the back, I must add) and there is the problem. Her mouse is unplugged. I plug it back in but the problem is - it's a loose fit. The mouse port is barely hanging into the back of the PC.
I get up from under the desk and User is just sitting there. I ask her what happened right before her computer froze up. She looks at me oddly and says (yes, this is it):
I wanted it to click over here, but it wouldn't move so I did this. This is where you insert her banging the mouse on the desk and yanking it over her shoulder like she was trying to stop a friggin MULE - think Yosemite Sam and WHOA MULE WHOA - WHEN I SAY WHOA, I MEAN WHOA *WHACK with his rifle*
Yeah - she wonders. I ended up pushing the mouse in as best I could and then taping the cord to the back of her desk so if she did continue her career as a PC abuser, it would take a lot to unplug that mouse.
our own issues...
Well - today Cute Coworker is the recipient of this one. Of course, the day is not over yet. Cute Coworker and myself were talking to another gentleman that works here - different department. He was out wandering and found his way to our office. What can I say, we are fun. Anyway, Cute Coworker's email keeps going off but no message is appearing. It's the emails coming to us via a forwarding rule. She searches around and finds nothing wrong. The rules is working on the original PC, the rule is apparently working on her PC as it's no longer in her inbox. She said the alert noise has been going off but the email is not there.
Well - turns out they were going to the trash LOL Yup - she had deleted her folder and it was sitting in the deleted items folder gathering up all the new emails. hehehe It's fixed now.
This just in - not 2 hours after discoving Cute Coworkers faux pas - I did the same thing!
not a good day... just not a good day...
