A little over a month ago Microsoft flew me out to Seattle, put me up at a swanky hotel and treated me like a VIP. It’s nice to be treated like a VIP, even if only for a weekend.
Back a month or so before that…which would make it about two months ago, I was invited to attend an event in Bellevue, Washington, all expenses paid by Microsoft.
They sent a plane ticket well ahead of time. The NDA followed a while later. Emails kept flying as the date approached and I took a day off from work to get on a plane. Now, I am usually a big fan of flying, but being crowded into tiny planes it not much fun. You see, I’m a rather large guy and I don’t really fit airline seats very well. As margins get squeezed, the airline industry keeps trying to fit more passengers into each plane. The 757 I flew on had the narrowest seats I have ever seen, and then the guy in front of me decided that I didn’t need my knees. My flight from Denver to Seattle was agony.
But, once I arrived in Seattle, things changed. At the airport there was a man holding a sign with my name on it. He grabbed my bags and led me out to a big Lincoln Town Car. I was the only passenger for the 20 minute ride to Bellevue.
Bellevue is an interesting place. It rises suddenly out of the forest on the east side of Lake Washington…and when I say rise, I mean high-rise. In what looks like the edge of the suburbs rise a collection of 25-40 story plus buildings. When you got in amongst them it looks like a busy downtown district except…everything is new.
When I came back from France 30 years ago, everywhere I went it looked like the building’ had been thrown up yesterday. Well, Bellevue looked more like it had been erected that very morning.
I checked in at the Westin, where Microsoft was paying all the bills. The room was nice, but not worth the $529 that was on the card on the back of the closet door. The view was terrible. The eighth floor is just high enough for the view to be dominated by the roof of the building next door.
But I wasn’t planning to spend a lot of time in my room. You see, I was there to be a Launch Ambassador for Windows Phone 7.
Friday night started the festivities with a little get together with food where I got to meet a bunch of people. Most of them were Microsoft MVPs. They run or at least moderate forums. They blog about technology and in return for what they do to help Microsoft customers, the company calls them MVPs and gives them certain resources which help them keep helping others.
Now, I hope that I have come close to distilling the essence of being MVPs because I’m not one and I’d hate to misrepresent them. They seem to be a pretty good group of guys, and week I might need their help someday.
I got my invite to be a Launch Ambassador through the Windows Phone Backstage Forum. Microsoft opened the forum just after they made the announcement back in February. It’s been a place for us to learn what we could about Windows Phone 7 and discuss what we hoped for Windows Phone 7. Several of us were invited to be Launch Ambassadors.
Saturday morning, we walked up the street for the Launch Ambassador Event. After breakfast they brought in some Speakers to tell us more about Windows Phone 7. None of them was Steve Ballmer, but it was pretty impressive who came in on a Saturday to speak to us. Unfortunately, I think I forgot to write down a name, because I would swear I remember there being four speakers, but I only have three names in my notes.
This is getting really long, and I am going to save what I learned about Windows Phone 7 for another post which I will start writing as soon as I finish this one.
We got our hands on preproduction versions of Windows Phone 7 after lunch and of course, the afternoon is a blur, except for phone, which I will talk about in the next post.
Saturday evening the rented a pub for us. Everything on the house...well, Microsoft’s tab, and only two mixed drinks, which didn’t bother me, because I don’t drink.
Sunday morning was the end of the party. I had to be ready at 9am for a ride to the airport. The worst experience of the weekend came out of Sunday morning, but had nothing to do with Microsoft, in fact, Microsoft made the problem disappear. I don’t make a lot of money I and staying in a hotel that costs more for two nights than my monthly mortgage payment was neat, but also a bit nerve racking. I was very worried about getting char for anything extra.
Well, I wasn’t going to get fed on my flight home, so I stopped for breakfast downstairs. I stay at Best Westerns when I travel for the State of Texas and the breakfasts are complimentary. Now this was a much better breakfast that you get a Best Western, but after I started eating they handed me a check for $22. Now, it was a nice breakfast, but it wasn’t anything really special, scrambled eggs, sausages, they had several kinds of cereal and fruit. $22 is what I expect to pay for two huge breakfasts at IHOP. Definitely much more than I expect to pay for a simple breakfast buffet.
But Microsoft took care of it. I signed my room number and mentioned it to one of the what hostesses as I was getting into the I went home a little worried that the breakfast bill would appear on my credit card, but it never did.
So, thank you Microsoft for making me feel like a VIP, if only for a weekend. It’s a fun experience and one I’ll be happy to try again if I get the opportunity.
And as a last quick aside, when I hear the phrase, “complimentary breakfast,” why do I picture a bowl of cereal saying, ”hey, you’re looking good this morning.”
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
The Great Austin Burger Hunt
Hill-Bert’s Burgers
5340 Cameron Road
Austin, TX
Hill-Bert’s has three Austin locations. Oddly enough, two of them appear to be in old original Taco Bill buildings. The restaurants aren’t much to look at, but in a burger joint that isn’t always a bad thing. I used the drive three which is probably the way to go.
I ordered a cheeseburger and fries. The burger was quite good despite the bun being decidedly over toasted. In fact, I was a little surprised to be served a bun that clearly qualified as burned. I burger tasted like it had been cooked over flames, which is always a nice touch. They used a very nice leaf lettuce. Overall, I was impressed and would rate this burger as above average.
The fries were excellent. They were unsalted, but salt was included in the bag without asking. This is an example that other burger places should emulate. Unfortunately, the fries were served in a low paper basket which is a bad choice for a drive-thru. They were crunchy in a way seldom seen and very hot and fresh. Hopefully, I no longer need to define what I mean by a French fry’s legs, but Hill-Bert’s fries definitely had good legs.
I will definitely be visiting Hill-Bert’s again.
5340 Cameron Road
Austin, TX
Hill-Bert’s has three Austin locations. Oddly enough, two of them appear to be in old original Taco Bill buildings. The restaurants aren’t much to look at, but in a burger joint that isn’t always a bad thing. I used the drive three which is probably the way to go.
I ordered a cheeseburger and fries. The burger was quite good despite the bun being decidedly over toasted. In fact, I was a little surprised to be served a bun that clearly qualified as burned. I burger tasted like it had been cooked over flames, which is always a nice touch. They used a very nice leaf lettuce. Overall, I was impressed and would rate this burger as above average.
The fries were excellent. They were unsalted, but salt was included in the bag without asking. This is an example that other burger places should emulate. Unfortunately, the fries were served in a low paper basket which is a bad choice for a drive-thru. They were crunchy in a way seldom seen and very hot and fresh. Hopefully, I no longer need to define what I mean by a French fry’s legs, but Hill-Bert’s fries definitely had good legs.
I will definitely be visiting Hill-Bert’s again.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Role Playing versus Role Playing
The title may sound strange…okay, it does sound strange, but it is where I have to start. Quite a few years ago, I started playing Role Playing Games (RPGs). I suppose that I started with Neverwinter Nights (NWN). I moved on to Morrowind at the suggestion of a friend, and loved that game. I have played pretty much all the major RPGs since then, the only two I can think of recently that I have missed are Fallout 3 and the Bioshock series. Neverwinter Nights 2 came and went, and Oblivion was one of my favorites. I successfully transitioned from Fantasy to Science Fiction with the Mass Effect series, which are both among my favorites. Presently, I am debating Dragon Age Awakenings and Dragon Age 2.
That is part of the history, but another part is NWN Persistent Worlds (PW). I played Morrowind until my character was level 80 and nothing on the island was a challenge anymore. I didn’t have the money for the expansions, and I was looking for something new. I don’t actually remember who suggested it, but some friend suggested that I check out the NWN Persistent Worlds.
For those who don’t know, Neverwinter Nights was based on Dungeons and Dragons (DnD), and so it was designed for the creation of new campaigns that would be run by a Dungeon Master (DM) how runs the game and players who join that game. Eventually, this led to the creation of Persistent Worlds, where the game was up all the time, like a Massively Multi-Player Online (MMO) game, like World of Warcraft (WoW). DMs and players could log in whenever they want. When properly built and implemented, a PW offers most of what you get in an MMO, but with a smaller, more intimate feel.
In the PWs that I played on Role-Playing (RP) was the most important focus. Now, this is completely different than what you get in a game like WoW. In WoW, the role that you play is mostly a combat, or leadership role. Your role is Meat Shield (the guy who faces the bad guys head on, toe to toe) or Crowd Control (usually a mage whose spells effect many enemies at once). In a PW, you design a character, name it, give it history, motivations, goals, and then you play that role. It is much closer to creating a character in a play without a script and then playing that character, or role. This means that sometimes, you just sit and talk, rather than always killing monsters.
In a PW, your role is not a job title, though you may play some of those roles as well. Your role is as a character in a developing story.
I miss that.
The days of NWN and PWs seem to be fading away. There are fewer and fewer PWs, and those that still survive seem to have fewer players. I haven’t tried any in months. The last time I played, it was mostly by myself, because either no one else was in game, or they were all off in far away places that my low level character couldn’t reach.
I miss the days when I logged in to find a dozen players in the game, and I could go to a few locations and find someone to spend a few hours role-playing with. Sometimes there would be a bit of conflict between characters. Sometimes a DM would log on and run an event for us. One of the greatest pleasures of the PW was having DMs run events that were significant to one or more characters. Not just an attack by some random monsters, but something that helped a character advance their story. You really became part of the story. The DM was the director, but you were the actor, and there was no script. The DM presented you with a situation, and your character had to react. It might be hate, or confusion, or love, but the emotions you portrayed were your choice, and no one elses.
That’s what I miss…and, it’s what I fear I won’t find again, a place where I can do more than play a role, but where I can have a hand in creating the role I wish to play.
That is part of the history, but another part is NWN Persistent Worlds (PW). I played Morrowind until my character was level 80 and nothing on the island was a challenge anymore. I didn’t have the money for the expansions, and I was looking for something new. I don’t actually remember who suggested it, but some friend suggested that I check out the NWN Persistent Worlds.
For those who don’t know, Neverwinter Nights was based on Dungeons and Dragons (DnD), and so it was designed for the creation of new campaigns that would be run by a Dungeon Master (DM) how runs the game and players who join that game. Eventually, this led to the creation of Persistent Worlds, where the game was up all the time, like a Massively Multi-Player Online (MMO) game, like World of Warcraft (WoW). DMs and players could log in whenever they want. When properly built and implemented, a PW offers most of what you get in an MMO, but with a smaller, more intimate feel.
In the PWs that I played on Role-Playing (RP) was the most important focus. Now, this is completely different than what you get in a game like WoW. In WoW, the role that you play is mostly a combat, or leadership role. Your role is Meat Shield (the guy who faces the bad guys head on, toe to toe) or Crowd Control (usually a mage whose spells effect many enemies at once). In a PW, you design a character, name it, give it history, motivations, goals, and then you play that role. It is much closer to creating a character in a play without a script and then playing that character, or role. This means that sometimes, you just sit and talk, rather than always killing monsters.
In a PW, your role is not a job title, though you may play some of those roles as well. Your role is as a character in a developing story.
I miss that.
The days of NWN and PWs seem to be fading away. There are fewer and fewer PWs, and those that still survive seem to have fewer players. I haven’t tried any in months. The last time I played, it was mostly by myself, because either no one else was in game, or they were all off in far away places that my low level character couldn’t reach.
I miss the days when I logged in to find a dozen players in the game, and I could go to a few locations and find someone to spend a few hours role-playing with. Sometimes there would be a bit of conflict between characters. Sometimes a DM would log on and run an event for us. One of the greatest pleasures of the PW was having DMs run events that were significant to one or more characters. Not just an attack by some random monsters, but something that helped a character advance their story. You really became part of the story. The DM was the director, but you were the actor, and there was no script. The DM presented you with a situation, and your character had to react. It might be hate, or confusion, or love, but the emotions you portrayed were your choice, and no one elses.
That’s what I miss…and, it’s what I fear I won’t find again, a place where I can do more than play a role, but where I can have a hand in creating the role I wish to play.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Banned Book Week
I just found out today that this is Banned Book Week. I just couldn’t resist the temptation to record a few thoughts.
50 Banned Books
I like this list of banned books. I also find it immensely funny. I can understand why some of them get banned, not that I agree but I do understand.
1984 can be disturbing, not just in the ideas it brings up, but because of the future it presents. In many ways, 1984 is a bleak and depressing novel. Of course, that is also part of its power. Brave New World is another novel that falls into that category.
Others on this list just make me laugh.
Contemplate the irony of banning a book that attempts to show us a possible future where those who ban books…well, really those who burn them...have come into power, Fahrenheit 451.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?
The Grapes of Wrath?
The Scarlet Letter?
Jaws?
I cannot really bring myself to comment on those.
Many of the books on this list are on standard High School reading lists.
Have you considered that those books are on reading lists for the very same reasons that they are banned? These books make you think. They make you question things. Some of them bring you to a greater understanding of mankind, and, some of them will confuse the hell out of you. Well, I know that Slaughterhouse-Five confused the hell out of me.
Have you also considered that some of these books are on reading lists because they were banned? We can learn a great deal about human beings simply by reading what some people find offensive. Of course, most of these books weren’t banned because they were offensive, though certainly someone was offended.
Most of them were banned because someone was afraid of them.
Fear, not a displaced sense of moral outrage, is the cause of book banning. They may wrap themselves in moral outrage, or political correctness, or even patriotism, but that is just the cloak. What lies beneath is fear.
Now, it may be a bit late to let you know that I am only providing commentary on books that I have actually read, and I have only read 14 of them.
So, when I saw this list, my thought was…oooo…new reading list.
50 Banned Books
I like this list of banned books. I also find it immensely funny. I can understand why some of them get banned, not that I agree but I do understand.
1984 can be disturbing, not just in the ideas it brings up, but because of the future it presents. In many ways, 1984 is a bleak and depressing novel. Of course, that is also part of its power. Brave New World is another novel that falls into that category.
Others on this list just make me laugh.
Contemplate the irony of banning a book that attempts to show us a possible future where those who ban books…well, really those who burn them...have come into power, Fahrenheit 451.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?
The Grapes of Wrath?
The Scarlet Letter?
Jaws?
I cannot really bring myself to comment on those.
Many of the books on this list are on standard High School reading lists.
Have you considered that those books are on reading lists for the very same reasons that they are banned? These books make you think. They make you question things. Some of them bring you to a greater understanding of mankind, and, some of them will confuse the hell out of you. Well, I know that Slaughterhouse-Five confused the hell out of me.
Have you also considered that some of these books are on reading lists because they were banned? We can learn a great deal about human beings simply by reading what some people find offensive. Of course, most of these books weren’t banned because they were offensive, though certainly someone was offended.
Most of them were banned because someone was afraid of them.
Fear, not a displaced sense of moral outrage, is the cause of book banning. They may wrap themselves in moral outrage, or political correctness, or even patriotism, but that is just the cloak. What lies beneath is fear.
Now, it may be a bit late to let you know that I am only providing commentary on books that I have actually read, and I have only read 14 of them.
So, when I saw this list, my thought was…oooo…new reading list.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Formula 1 in Austin
This should be old news to everyone…well, unless you don’t follow racing and I mean real racing, not red-necks driving in circles.
Formula 1 is coming to Austin, Texas in 2012.
You can learn more here.
I first got in to Formula 1 during my High School years when I was reading Road & Track. Mario Andretti was racing Formula 1 in those days, in the beautiful black & gold JPS Lotus. I thought it was the world’s most beautiful race car and I still do. When you combine that beautiful car, a successful Formula 1 team, with an American Driver and you have a scenario to grab the heart of a young man who was fascinated with cars. And it didn’t hurt when Mario Andretti won the World Championship.
Years later I rediscovered Formula 1 on cable and watched as Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill battled it out.
I’ve never liked Michael Schumacher because I watched the race where he very obviously crashed into Damon Hill to win his first World Championship. To me it was so obvious that I cannot believe he was still given the championship. Schumacher should only have 6 championships and Damon Hill should have two.
Then, just before this season started I learned how to use the BBC iPlayer from the US. I did it to watch Top Gear and Doctor Who, but then discovered that I can also watch Formula 1.
So, I am back to watching Formula 1 and while I am disappointed that there are no American drivers, I am once again excited about Formula 1.
And then…the big announcement…Formula 1 is returning to the US, but not only that, but it is coming right to my backdoor, Austin, Texas. I would never have dreamed that was even possible.
I can hardly wait.
Formula 1 is coming to Austin, Texas in 2012.
You can learn more here.
I first got in to Formula 1 during my High School years when I was reading Road & Track. Mario Andretti was racing Formula 1 in those days, in the beautiful black & gold JPS Lotus. I thought it was the world’s most beautiful race car and I still do. When you combine that beautiful car, a successful Formula 1 team, with an American Driver and you have a scenario to grab the heart of a young man who was fascinated with cars. And it didn’t hurt when Mario Andretti won the World Championship.
Years later I rediscovered Formula 1 on cable and watched as Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill battled it out.
I’ve never liked Michael Schumacher because I watched the race where he very obviously crashed into Damon Hill to win his first World Championship. To me it was so obvious that I cannot believe he was still given the championship. Schumacher should only have 6 championships and Damon Hill should have two.
Then, just before this season started I learned how to use the BBC iPlayer from the US. I did it to watch Top Gear and Doctor Who, but then discovered that I can also watch Formula 1.
So, I am back to watching Formula 1 and while I am disappointed that there are no American drivers, I am once again excited about Formula 1.
And then…the big announcement…Formula 1 is returning to the US, but not only that, but it is coming right to my backdoor, Austin, Texas. I would never have dreamed that was even possible.
I can hardly wait.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Goodbye Concept Album
I started this at least three times, but I can’t seem to find just the right way to begin. So, let me start with the quote that started my train of thought.
What is an album? Not, what is a music album, but in the generic, what is an album? An album is a collection of items. A photo album is a collection of photos. A music album is a collection of music.
So, unintentionally what Mr. Silverman is saying is “we don’t listen to albums…we listen to” albums.
Now, before you run down to the comments, I understand what he means.
Today, we rarely listen to collections of songs by a specific artist as chosen by the artist, his producer and his record company. We listen to collections of songs that we choose or that the software on our music player chooses.
Before I go on I should probably provide this link to my post of a year ago.
A New Music Paradigm
As the paradigm shifts from album to song we free the artist from the need to find 35-60 minutes of new songs each year. This is a good thing. It may bring new problems, because the artist will make less money, but I am not terribly concerned with that. If he makes money for what people listen to, then that is enough.
The record companies may be the ones who suffer, but I don’t care at all about them. Without LPs or CDs there isn’t much need for a Record Company, though there may be just as much need for a Recording company.
But, while artists will no longer be forced to produce an entire album of music each year, they will also never be stretched by that need. The need to produce more of your art can either be boredom and drudgery, or it can be the spur to find greater creativity.
It is true that a lot of albums are a couple of good songs and eight album fillers, but there are some really great exceptions. The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get (Joe Walsh) is a great album. I love all the songs, and oddly it is the one hit on the album which doesn’t fit with the rest of the album.
In addition to missing out on a few gems, the new music paradigm may come deny us something else.
The Concept Album
It has been some years since I saw a concept album. Back in the 70s and 80s the concept album often marked the point when a band or musician tried to push beyond just being musicians and attempt to raise their music to the level of art.
Instead of just another album, we get…
• Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
• Tommy
• The Wall
I was happy to see Pink Floyd win the right to keep their albums intact. Yes, it may hurt their sales, but Pink Floyd, possibly more than any other band, actually put together albums. In addition to The Wall, Animals and other albums are the sort of thing that you really need to hear all the songs together.
As consumers we asked for songs and now we get songs, but in buying only songs are we denying artists the opportunity to produce more than songs? Are we denying them the opportunity to tell a story across multiple songs?
I am not saying that the Concept Album is dead, but increasingly it feels to me like our unwillingness to buy anything but a song is driving the Concept Album to extinction.
"The music business historically has been built around albums. This album-centrism is like saying the sun revolves around the Earth. We don't listen to albums now; we listen to collections of songs."Now, I have two problems with this statement. One is quickly dealt with so I will start with it.
-Tom Silverman, chairman and CEO of Tommy Boy Records (quoted in a Gizmodo article)
What is an album? Not, what is a music album, but in the generic, what is an album? An album is a collection of items. A photo album is a collection of photos. A music album is a collection of music.
So, unintentionally what Mr. Silverman is saying is “we don’t listen to albums…we listen to” albums.
Now, before you run down to the comments, I understand what he means.
Today, we rarely listen to collections of songs by a specific artist as chosen by the artist, his producer and his record company. We listen to collections of songs that we choose or that the software on our music player chooses.
Before I go on I should probably provide this link to my post of a year ago.
A New Music Paradigm
As the paradigm shifts from album to song we free the artist from the need to find 35-60 minutes of new songs each year. This is a good thing. It may bring new problems, because the artist will make less money, but I am not terribly concerned with that. If he makes money for what people listen to, then that is enough.
The record companies may be the ones who suffer, but I don’t care at all about them. Without LPs or CDs there isn’t much need for a Record Company, though there may be just as much need for a Recording company.
But, while artists will no longer be forced to produce an entire album of music each year, they will also never be stretched by that need. The need to produce more of your art can either be boredom and drudgery, or it can be the spur to find greater creativity.
It is true that a lot of albums are a couple of good songs and eight album fillers, but there are some really great exceptions. The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get (Joe Walsh) is a great album. I love all the songs, and oddly it is the one hit on the album which doesn’t fit with the rest of the album.
In addition to missing out on a few gems, the new music paradigm may come deny us something else.
The Concept Album
It has been some years since I saw a concept album. Back in the 70s and 80s the concept album often marked the point when a band or musician tried to push beyond just being musicians and attempt to raise their music to the level of art.
Instead of just another album, we get…
• Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
• Tommy
• The Wall
I was happy to see Pink Floyd win the right to keep their albums intact. Yes, it may hurt their sales, but Pink Floyd, possibly more than any other band, actually put together albums. In addition to The Wall, Animals and other albums are the sort of thing that you really need to hear all the songs together.
As consumers we asked for songs and now we get songs, but in buying only songs are we denying artists the opportunity to produce more than songs? Are we denying them the opportunity to tell a story across multiple songs?
I am not saying that the Concept Album is dead, but increasingly it feels to me like our unwillingness to buy anything but a song is driving the Concept Album to extinction.
Monday, September 6, 2010
When Monday Isn’t
Rising on a Monday holiday, I have thoughts totally different from other Mondays, even when I awake to a headache, like this morning. First, it’s after noon. Yes, I sleep late…whenever I can. No work day starts so late, though if I worked an afternoon helpdesk shift I might not truly wake up until after noon, but Monday, Wednesday and Friday I have to be alert and ready at 8:00 am, or as soon after that as I arrive. Tuesday and Thursday I get a small break and I man the helpdesk from 10:00 to 12:00. Add to that, one lunch shift every 7 days (not once a week, but 7 work days) and you have the most visible part of my job, and the only part that is scheduled…well, except for 8:00-5:00.
I like my job…sort of. The people I work with are nice…mostly. I just don’t like working…well, even that isn’t quite true. There are only a few things about my job that I don’t really like. I don’t like getting up in the morning. I don’t like dealing with the same stupid question day after day.
“Why isn’t my password working?”
“Because you’ve forgotten it for the 3rd time this week.”
We don’t have anyone quite that bad, but when you are resetting a password for the fifth time that morning for people who call every couple of weeks…well, you get the picture.
Then, there are the people who seem to feel that they are doing you a favor by letting you fix their computer…even when it is their fault, like they clicked on the “would you like to be infested with a virus?” link.
Working an IT helpdesk can give you a very poor opinion of people. They do really stupid things, they never learn, and so you spend your time fixing the same thing that you fixed last week, and they can never understand why things go wrong.
Then you have the people who think they know what they are doing. Obviously, most of them don’t, but you have to be polite. A few of them do, and that can be an even bigger problem, because for each knowledgeable user to shows it by staying out of trouble, you have two who think they know enough to fix the problem, and end up calling after they have really screwed things up. Some say that you need a computer to really screw things up, but that computer needs a thinks-he-knows-more-than-he-does user before it will really get screwed up.
So, on this Monday that isn’t, I am just happy that I don’t have to answer any of those questions this morning.
And now, if only I could get rid of this headache.
I like my job…sort of. The people I work with are nice…mostly. I just don’t like working…well, even that isn’t quite true. There are only a few things about my job that I don’t really like. I don’t like getting up in the morning. I don’t like dealing with the same stupid question day after day.
“Why isn’t my password working?”
“Because you’ve forgotten it for the 3rd time this week.”
We don’t have anyone quite that bad, but when you are resetting a password for the fifth time that morning for people who call every couple of weeks…well, you get the picture.
Then, there are the people who seem to feel that they are doing you a favor by letting you fix their computer…even when it is their fault, like they clicked on the “would you like to be infested with a virus?” link.
Working an IT helpdesk can give you a very poor opinion of people. They do really stupid things, they never learn, and so you spend your time fixing the same thing that you fixed last week, and they can never understand why things go wrong.
Then you have the people who think they know what they are doing. Obviously, most of them don’t, but you have to be polite. A few of them do, and that can be an even bigger problem, because for each knowledgeable user to shows it by staying out of trouble, you have two who think they know enough to fix the problem, and end up calling after they have really screwed things up. Some say that you need a computer to really screw things up, but that computer needs a thinks-he-knows-more-than-he-does user before it will really get screwed up.
So, on this Monday that isn’t, I am just happy that I don’t have to answer any of those questions this morning.
And now, if only I could get rid of this headache.
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