Laughing about IT

2011-09-28T19:14:00.001+02:00

Prioritising your IT life

I'm sometimes amazed at the level of IT literacy I'm faced with.

When you own a device that requires you to use it - learn how to use it properly.
Why pay for IT support continuously for solving the same problem - just for you to have that 'chill of dumbness' running down your back?

We live in an ever changing world where you can get a device to do almost anything for you - that said - if you can own it - you 1) have the time to read the manual on how to use it; and 2) enough money to pay for training if you're still unsure.

Wasting IT Support's time by not getting your priorities in order is inconvenient - but at least profitable..

My own Mocha-Coffee - Add one teaspoon Hot Chocolate to your coffee. Delish!

Delivering the impossible

2009-03-08T22:23:00.002+02:00

Sales people should be banned from ever trying to sell IT solutions to anyone. If you don't poses an IT qualification you don't have the right to lie to people - you will get caught.
Sales people have this urge to always sell more than what is being paid for or even possible to accomplish. Don't get me wrong - they have a place in the world - but not on the IT playing field. I haven't met a single sales person that sells useful things to my clients. I hate being in the position to have to explain to a client that unfortunately they have been promised the impossible.

Why only new mail?

2008-07-09T00:09:00.002+02:00

A high up at one client was extremely frustrated for a few days while his server was offline as he couldn't use Outlook. I showed him an alternative method for viewing his mail on the web to make sure he isn't entirely disconnected from the world. After a day or two he screams that he needs to see all his old email but he's not in the mood to show me what the problem is. I've given him access to all his mail all ready... After another day of screaming I finally clicked that he never made use of the "previous 50 mails" button on the website for his mail.....

Sometimes things are way to obvious it will actually jump at you if you look hard enough..

I didn't order an Irish coffee.. don't spoil my coffee like that.

Precious Time

2008-06-02T19:27:00.002+02:00

Today I was called out to a client that wanted her email from one company setup on a PC at another company that she sometimes sits and do work for. I went through to this other company and asked her how she'd like it setup. I proposed two scenarios and luckily she picked the best one. I got a phone call from a colleague and answered and a minute later she picks up her handbag and starts walking to the door. I look up and ask her where she's off-too. She said she needs to go to her other office and ask permission from her manager to have her mail setup at the other company...

I asked myself why was I called out to set it up if she hasn't had it authorized yet?

Today I settled for water.

Disappearing email: Add 1 person

2008-05-12T22:47:00.006+02:00

It's quite astonishing how so many people has the ability to permanently delete data - by accident - off of their computers, or at least think they did or - in this case - blame it on a ghost..
I got a request from a client to please see if I can recover email and email folders that went missing on her computer. During another call I posed the question whether she was sure that she didn't by accident move the folders into other folders. The response was that she already checked. She then felt it necessary to mention that her machine was turned on in the morning when she come in - being the first one on the premises the morning. She also said that her machine was turned off and verified with a colleague on the previous working day. Believing her in all of the above I promised I'd send out a technician ASAP. Which I did. Then about half-an-hour later just as my technician arrives she calls and said that she found the missing mail and folders by searching for it in other folders...

I couldn't find the coffee machine - maybe it got misplaced.. Oh wait.. This is the bathroom.

Dead rodent without a tail

2008-05-08T22:01:00.006+02:00

I get a call from an accountant claiming that her mouse has stopped working and that the light underneath only goes on when she presses a little button underneath. Not really thinking about it before I left to go assist I arrive to find that it's a wireless mouse and the first thing that pops into my mind is "Oh no - it's probably the batteries". I showed her how to open the the battery compartment and she said she knew they kept spare AA sized batteries in a filing room. We proceeded to fetch the spares and upon leaving the room she says to me.. "I didn't know the mouse worked with batteries" .....

I had to leave without coffee since the machine was out of coffee beans and they didn't know it needed it.

The stupid light

2008-04-15T22:20:00.003+02:00

Just imagine that there's a power failure (and you never ordered a battery backup for your docking station) and assume something is wrong with your network because your PC can't connect to the network causing a massive amount of unnecessary work for my department all because you failed to check that the lights aren't switched on. Enjoy that seat close to the window while you still have it.

Even my cuppochino machine runs on generator power now..

SMS Junkies

2008-04-15T22:10:00.002+02:00

I've been in email communication with plenty different people in professionally and I've not come across a single person that uses SMS (Short message service) abbreviations in emails.. until a few days ago. I could hardly believe that someone actually expects that all her 'sms-dictionary' based words makes any sense what-so-ever. I just reply to her mails in the Queen's English (I believe that's how it's referred to).

Pls pas the mlk......
I've been craving tea more than coffee for a week or so..

Wireless running on wires

2008-04-15T21:21:00.005+02:00

I've recently met an Apple server and network technician/installer (certified I hope) that cannot understand what it means to install a complete wireless network. He keeps on asking when the network cabling will be installed and I keep repeating that it won't as he needs to setup the entire network using Apple Wireless equipment..
Very frustrating but it seems he's the only guy available for the job.

Loopy Network

2008-03-02T21:10:00.002+02:00

I like fast and stable computer networks. I recently ran between two different network switches trying to figure out why all-of-a-sudden no communication was possible any more. I didn't change anything on the network at all. After almost an hour of struggling someone mentioned to me that there was a loose cable on the ground and he decided to plug it into the network switch. Unfortunately the other side of that cable was already plugged into the switch and thus caused a loop on the network. Needless to say - we we're all happy after I removed the naughty cable.

The newbie kicked the cable

2008-03-01T04:10:00.002+02:00

I have a new guy fresh from college working in my IT Support team. Last week I sent him to fix a simple problem where a user was not able to access the network after a power failure the previous day. It just so happens that the new guy was present and working in close proximity to the server equipment before the power failure. After a few hours and a couple of calls to my - I decided to go and assist. I checked the user's laptop quickly but found nothing that has been configured incorrectly. When plugging in a network cable the laptop connects but can't communicate on the network and when switching on the Wireless connection it can communicate - but only to the Wireless Access Point. I then went to check the server equipment - problem solved - he knocked out the network cable plugged into the Wireless Access Point. Not very smart to use a few hours of a client's time but he learned something about connectivity. He apologised profusely for me coming out just to point out a loose cable.

I said it's fine.. not a problem.. while walking to the kitchen..

Power through a cord

2008-02-24T16:59:00.000+02:00

Two people from another company was allowed to use a section of our office to use the internet as it was down at their office. Both is French speaking - a woman and a guy. The woman tried to explain (not very fluent in English) that her laptop was not switching on and I immediately proceeded to check the power adaptor and connection to the wall socket. She kept on insisting that she has already checked it and the problem cannot be the adaptor. Somehow she got the cables tangled up with the other cables for the other devices residing on the desk. So I followed the cable from her laptop to the wall. Big surprise - the adaptor was not plugged into the power cord (Most laptops have two sections to the power cable). I started grinning as she started to apologise.

And then I walked to the percolator..

Welcome to my world

2008-02-22T02:42:00.002+02:00

This is my first propper blog - I've made a few in the past but never posted more than 2 or 3 times because I never had a good subject.

It's going to be different this time.

I'm going to introduce you to the world of IT from the IT Support Manager's point of view.

You will laugh and you might cry.

Enjoy!