ID 10T Error

[Robin Hood]

I wasn't sure where to place this, it could easily go in to the "Five O'clock Joke Club" but I decided as to it's technical nature it belongs here.

Some people should not be allowed to own anything electronic, and here is a case in point.

The following story is true the names have been changed to protect the guilty.

Tech mon (that is me) is sitting in his hut fucking off reading the TNMC board when the coconut telegraph rings. User mon (my client) is having a spot of trouble with her IBM laptop, is seems to be smoking. Tech mon thinks that this is not a good thing, and gets into his truck to go have a look as he has never seen a IBM laptop smoke and thinks it might be kinda cool. Sure enough when Tech mon arrives onsite the IBM laptop is billowing this black foul smelling smoke. Tech mon asks User mon “When did you get this laptop?” User mon replies “I have only had it a couple of days”. Tech mon reassures User mon that it is under warrantee and that she should return it to her place of purchase. Tech mon collects his onsite fee and departs User mon’s location.

Two weeks pass.

Once again Tech mon is sitting in front of his computer fucking off reading TNMC, when the coconut telegraph rings. It is User mon, seems that IBM laptop #2 is now emitting foul smelling smoke. Tech mon thinks to himself, there is no way that one IBM laptop should have smoked, but now two. So Tech mon gets into his truck once again and departs for User mon’s location. Once on location Tech mon verifies that IBM laptop #2 is indeed smoking. At this point Tech mon decides to do a bit of snooping around, he discovers a Macintosh laptop sitting on the couch. Tech mon inquires further. Tech mon discovers that User mon had decided not to use the power supply that came with her IBM laptop, but to use the one for her Macintosh laptop. User mon states “the plug fits in the IBM fine” At this point Tech mon is fighting back the laughter, upon explaining to User mon that just because the plug fits, it don’t mean that the power supply provides the correct voltages and amperage needed by said IBM laptop. Tech mon advised User mon to return IBM laptop #2, and to use the correct power supply with IBM laptop #3. Tech mon collects his onsite fee and departs User mon’s location.

To be continued…….

[♥ COVID-19♥]

Well, at least now we know what burned down stately Wayne Manor.

[Chicago Jake]

I'm sure you've got lots of great stories. Keep 'em coming!.....Jake

P.S. - are you coming up to Chicago on the 15th? How far down is "Central" IL?

[Robin Hood]

admin said:

I'm sure you've got lots of great stories. Keep 'em coming!.....Jake

P.S. - are you coming up to Chicago on the 15th? How far down is "Central" IL?

I wish we could make it Jake, but I have my kids every weekend till we leave for Hedo. (Nov 5) we will try to make one of the parties soon though. We have talked it over several times, and want to cum, just haven't had the right timing yet.

BTW, I am aprox 120 miles from the loop.

[Chicago Jake]

That would put you near Rantoul? I spent five and a half years in Urbana for college (slow learner)......Jake

[Robin Hood]

I am just outside of Bloomington, straight down I-55.

[Robin Hood]

however I do get over to your alma matter all the time, I have lots of cleints that have businesses over that way.

[Chicago Jake]

Here's a similar story. Most of you have probably seen it before. According to Snopes.com, most of it is actually true, but not the ending. The help-desk guy was actually very polite and helpful to the stupid caller, but then he wrote it up for posterity as he WISHED he could have handled it!......Jake

P.S. - for you youngsters out the, the reference to a "C prompt" hearkens back to how computers used to work in the olden days of your grampaw and grammaw.


"Word Perfect Technical support; may I help you?"

"Yes, well, I'm having trouble with WordPerfect."

"What sort of trouble?"

"Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away."

"Went away?"

"They disappeared."

"Hmm. So what does your screen look like now?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"It's blank; it won't accept anything when I type."

"Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out?"

"How do I tell?"

"Can you see the C:\ prompt on the screen?"

"What's a sea-prompt?"

"Never mind. Can you move the cursor around on the screen?"

"There isn't any cursor: I told you, it won't accept anything I type."

"Does your monitor have a power indicator?"

"What's a monitor?"

"It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV. Does it have a little light that tells you when it's on?"

"I don't know."

"Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it. Can you see that?"

....."Yes, I think so."

"Great! Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's plugged into the wall."

....."Yes, it is."

"When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one?"

"No."

"Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other cable."

....."Okay, here it is."

"Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely into the back of your computer."

"I can't reach it."

"Uh huh. Well, can you see if it is?"

"No."

"Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over?"

"Oh, it's not because I don't have the right angle-it's because it's dark."

"Dark?"

"Yes-the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window."

"Well, turn on the office light then."

"I can't."

"No? Why not?"

"Because there's a power outage."

"A power... A power outage? Aha! Okay, we've got it licked now. Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff your computer came in?"

"Well, yes. I keep them in the closet."

"Good! Go get them and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from."

"Really! Is it that bad?"

"Yes, I'm afraid it is."

"Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?"

"Tell them you're too stupid to own a computer."

[Ardbeg... innit]

P.S. - for you youngsters out the, the reference to a "C prompt" hearkens back to how computers used to work in the olden days of your grampaw and grammaw.

And a more right and proper way to do things, I might say.


BTW-- Happy 20th Birthday to Windows... Youre an adult now, get out of my house.

[♥ COVID-19♥]

Years ago, I used to do tech s'port for a company that sold Windows & Macintosh versions of their software retail.

The problems that customers encountered on the Windows versions were (as you might well imagine) quite different from the ones that the Macintosh customers experienced, so the first thing we had to do when someone called was to determine which platform they were using.

One time, this woman called with a problem and I asked her if it was the Windows or Macintosh version of the product. She became very angry at me and started yelling, saying things like, "How the hell am I supposed to know that? If I was technical like that I wouldn't be calling you for help!".

This became such a frequent problem, some of us started to get a degree of burnout. One colleague of mine decided it would be better for his own mental health if he were to, instead of asking the customers, "Windows or Macintosh?", ask them, "Original Recipe or Extra Crispy?".

Also, a true story.