POZ Community Forums
Off Topic Forums => Off Topic Forum => Topic started by: Joe K on June 24, 2006, 11:44:28 am
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Hey All,
The other post about geographical ignorance is a hoot and so I thought I'd share some of my stories, from my days as a computer tech support, because if you want to read about ignorance.
So please join me in formulating our own Computer Hall of Shame.
I worked for both Blue Cross and Volkswagen and I supported both mid-range and PCs. All the machines were located in offices or at dealers and most of my work was done over the phone.
Possibly the best ever is when I was helping a girl (a valley girl, no less) restore the system at her dealership. These were large computer systems and very complex to reload so we scripted our restore to make sure everything was covered. So I'm talking her through the restore and at each screen, I tell her what to input and after about 15 screens or so she says: "Wow you sure know a lot about these machines, how do you know what to put on each screen; Can you see my screen from there?"
Or when VW sent out these cute little calculators that were shaped just like a 3 1/2 diskette. All the buttons were on the botton half and the slide at the top was the on/off switch. We actually got 9 calls from users, who shoved the calculator into the computer diskette drive and then wondered why they couldn't use the calculator program.
And from Stephen comes the story of a user who kept requesting new copies of the same programs on 5 1/2 diskettes. After the third request, Stephen inquired what was happening to the old copies. The woman replied that the programs worked just fine, until she labelled the diskettes. Seems she was actually rolling the diskette into a typewriter, typing on the label and then trying to use the diskette.
So let's hear them... What story do you have for the Computer Hall of Shame?
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Smart ass! I fall under your first example! You nerd! :-*
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Hey BB,
I don't mean any insult to these users, they are just stories that are funny. Trust me, I had more than my share of stupidity as I learned how to use computers. One of my stupidest mistakes, was when I went into the computer lab, to repair an open machine, without first grounding myself. I touched the motherboard and poof, that motherboard was fried. Very expensive lesson on grounding.
This is just for fun and games and I'd hope that you were not offended.
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Silly boy! Like I'm not really mad, I'm like really really embarrassed!
bb
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So I guess this was a few years back? My IS folks remotely log into our machines so they can see what we're seeing if we have a problem., which I guess was impossible before the internet?
Sometimes they have to do some cleanup that ties up our machines, and we have to go work somewhere else for awhile. During these times, I like to go back to my office every few minutes and flick the mouse across the desk. Drives 'em crazy! ;D
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I worked as an engineer for Siemens in the Telecom division. It was 1984, I was doing a major upgrade to one of our Central Office phone systems, main frame computers that ran phone service for entire cities. It was in Fallon Nevada, a town of about 15,000 sixty miles east of Reno. During my work, which was all done late at night, for obvious reasons, I found a wiring error from previous updates on the switch. I fixed it, but in the meantime, the system crashed, causing a complete outage for the whole town.
Long story short, the E911 service went down locally. Albeit for only 25 minutes while it reloaded, but during that time a fire started, and burned down a home that night. About halfway through the system load, I had 4 policemen knocking on the Central Office door, ready to cuff me. The phone company got sued. I guess I was somewhat responsible for actions to create a redundant E911 platform. I got to hang around what was a pretty fun town for a little while longer to give testimony, and in the meantime won 500 bucks playing poker.
Actually, pretty boring shit though, looking back
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This is kind of off topic but I worked in the computer lab in grad school. One of the female students found a set of keys sitting beside one of the computers with a canister attached to it. This being Southern California the woman assumed it was perfume and decided to try it out. Yes, the "perfume" turned out to be pepper spray and she accidentally sprayed it all over herself. I had never experienced pepper spray before and let me tell you it cleared out the entire lab!
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Heh, Heh,
If you leave the DVD/CD Rom tray open, it will make a nice coffee cup holder ;D
Ray
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At the start of my sixth consecutive 12 hour night shift I had to take a hearing test. This young computer nerd puts me in a dark, sound proof box, puts head phones over my ears, stuffs a plunger in my hand and closes the door.
Well guess what happened. Off to sleep I go.
Some time later I awake to insistant pounding on the door. The frustrated young computer nerd pulls open the door and screeches "The test isn't that hard, just push the plunger when you hear the beep." and slams the door closed.
Jeeez!
BB