Link broken? Reboot your machine, that'll work.
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I've just had a conversation, via email and VM etc., with our company helpdesk that went a bit like this.
Me (via email): On our intranet, I tried to access (such-and-such a link) because I need to investigate our (so-and-so policies). But when I did so it 404'd. (Copied page into email.)
Helpdesk operative (via email): Go into IE (aside: yes, it needs to be IE because of vagaries of the intranet which does not work well with either Google Crumb or Firefux) and reset all your settings, and delete all your history, by blah-blah-blah.
Me: (email) Yep, done all that, the link is still a broken link. Please let me know where I can go to get this information, or just email me the relevant document. I need to investigate our (so-and-so policies).
Next day, I get an IM:
HO (via IM): About the problem with (so-and-so policies) you reported.
Me (via IM): yes
Half an hour later, after I've given up waiting:
HO (via IM): About the problem with (so-and-so policies) you reported.
Me: yes
HO: Can you show me the screen?
Me: Yes, no problem (goes into IE, accesses the relevant place on the intranet, shares screen, makes sure HO can see that screen, clicks on the link, demonstrates 404.) See?
HO: Can you give me control?
Me: Okay, but I can't see why ... (gives control anyway)
(Helpdesk operative proceeds to open IE options, resets it, deletes all browser history, exactly what I did yesterday. Nothing changes, the page is still 404'ing. After 5 minutes of nothing else happening, and me unable to regain control of my machine ...)
HO: Can you reboot your computer, please.
Me: Seriously?!?!? Come on, this is a broken link we're talking about. How can rebooting my machine help? Have you tried to see whether it is the link itself which is a problem? Have you tried that same link from your machine to see whether the problem is with my machine or with that link?
HO: Okay I will try that.
(A couple of minutes later)
HO: That link does not work for me, too.
Me: Yes, that's what I said in the first place, the link is broken. Can you let me know how to get the information I need? I need to check (so-and-so policies).
HO: I will fix this and you will be able to see it on that link.
(That was a couple of hours ago now, and I still haven't been able to access those policy documents.)
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I'm pretty convinced the helpdesk is staffed by people with no marketable skills and only the ability to read a script and speak English.
Wait, that's exactly what it always has been.
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I've had helpdesk tickets saying our CMS must be broken because a link in an article went to the wrong place. The link was hardcoded to point to our staging environment instead of production. They had loaded a number of them into staging to test, then copied and pasted into prod.
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I've had helpdesk tickets saying our CMS must be broken because a link in an article went to the wrong place. The link was hardcoded to point to our staging environment instead of production. They had loaded a number of them into staging to test, then copied and pasted into prod.
.... your work is ..... special.
please tell me at least one of those tickets was closed CNR by a dev who had access to staging and didn't notice that the link worked but brought them to the wrong environment.
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I had a good relationship with the business users, so I went and showed them the problem and closed the ticket.
It didn't work outside our walls because staging is inaccessible, so for our clients it would 404 while our staff could see it just fine.
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I had a good relationship with the business users, so I went and showed them the problem and closed the ticket.
for fixing
for missing the humor of having to reopen the ticket to actually get the environment fixed.
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missing the humor
I liked your post! That's like, the equivilent of a mild chuckle, right? ;)
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@accalia said:
missing the humor
I liked your post! That's like, the equivilent of a mild chuckle, right? ;)
well yes, but it's the kind you can't exactly share with teh rest of the office, no?
:-D
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Yeah, that is usually my experience with "help"desk drones as well. I NEVER give them control. The one time I did the idiot almost immediately tried to start resetting my settings which I had carefully set for a debugging session. Luckily, I am paranoid, and was prepared with the keystroke combo to terminate their control. I then informed them that they needed to ASK me before resetting things. I was a DEVELOPER and not an accounting drone who thinks of computers as fancy calculators. They refused to work on the problem any further (installing some company mandated bloatware), so it got escalated all the way up to their tier-3 people, who wanted me to give them control, but settled for just asking me to show them stuff. It was only at that point that they admitted their installer was obviously broken (as I had reported), and that they would have to get back to me.
A few days later a new version of the installer was pushed out, and all was well with the world. I NEVER give them control since then, though. Their entry level tier-1 people are just following a script, and that script involves resetting everything back to default, and reboots, etc. They have absolutely no technical knowledge at all until you get to their top-tier people. The funny thing is, the division I am in is "tier-4" support (aka development, aka the buck stops here)-- the product in question wasn't made by anyone in my group though, and has been around for a while. But, it is funny to think that if it had been escalated again, the stupid thing could have ended up on my desk =__=
Filed Under: Funny in a shoot me now sort of way
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Let them control a VM.
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Why naught? Even if they do fek everything up, it's easy enough to revert to a prior snapshot, right?
In fact, I have a special VM set up for those "Microsoft Specialists" when they decide to call and inform me that my computer is full of viruses.
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Why naught?
Mostly because that requires more effort than I am willing to expend on the drones. I KNOW what the problem is when I am forced to contact them. I am not willing to dance their dance the way they want me to. I would rather escalate.
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sigh Would that I had that kind of power...
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sigh Would that I had that kind of power...
The power of stubbornness compels you :D
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In fact, I have a special VM set up for those "Microsoft Specialists" when they decide to call and inform me that my computer is full of viruses.
I get those calls occasionally here's what i say:Oh thank the goddess you've called! yes my computer is just having the most terrible trouble right now! I'd love for you to help me! but first can you call me back on the land line? this is my cell number and the battery is about to run out. I'd hate to get disconnected half way through! Thanks! my landline is 1 (202) 278-2000, that's one, two oh two two seven eight two thousand. And you'll call me there straight away? Thanks!
> click<
-pause-
ahe he he he he he he
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(202) 278-2000
Gotta remember that number. Usually I just use the Rejection Hotline, but this one sounds much more fun!
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oooh. the rejection hotline... i like that
the other number i've used on occasion was +44 871 789 3642, but that one's harder to sell as it's an international call.
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As soon as I saw 202, I knew it was a government number. I had to look it up to see which one it was though. Nice
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Yeah that is a bit of a tipoff. I've also done local government offices, for example for Maine i would use (207) 774-9322 instead of the 202 area code one.
and of course for the ones that don't block caller ID i'll look up what their local emergency response number is (the one their 911 call would be routed to) and give them that number.
because if you are going to try to scam me then that makes you fair game!
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You son of a bitch, I just called that number. I told them who trolled me though, so expect a call shortly. Hi there, Agent Smith!
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That's why I stick with something more benign like (202) 762-1401, or (703) 482-0623.
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That first number is the kind of thing I was expecting it to be. I said something like "oh, shit, I just got trolled. Someone told me to call this number. Sorry." I bet they get calls like that every day.
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That first number is the kind of thing I was expecting it to be. I said something like "oh, shit, I just got trolled. Someone told me to call this number. Sorry." I bet they get calls like that every day.
Did you ... did you actually call the number?
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Next time tell them it's 0118 999 881 999 119 725... 3
(You can have a if you were singing along while reading)
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well, that's easy to remember
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The jingle makes it so memorable.
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If you don't remember the number, you can always send an email.
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Next time tell them it's 0118 999 881 999 119 725... 3
(You can have a if you were singing along while reading)
I sense a disturbance in the Force, like the dark side rising on the other side of the pond, and thinking it is funny
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Go into IE (aside: yes, it needs to be IE because of vagaries of the intranet which does not work well with either Google Crumb or Firefux) and reset all your settings, and delete all your history, by blah-blah-blah.
I wonder how much they're going to enjoy the shift over to Microsoft Sludge now that Exploiter is DOA. Should be entertaining for you, I'm sure. I suppose they could cling to Windows 7 for a while longer, but, uhm, well, that's going away soon, too...
Filed Under: Maybe TDTIAB should update the song to be "Every Browser Sucks"
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Anyone who works Helldesk for more than a few weeks is going to be a fricking zombie. It's worse than working as a security guard (a job I made the mistake of taking while in college the first time), if only because a guard can kick you out of the building or call the cops on you if you metaphorically piss on their shoes. Helldesk is about as thankless, mindless, and frustrating a job as you can find in the IT field - even data-entry is better.
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I like (415) 767 2676
TIL that was disconnected in 2007 :(
LTIL they brought it back!
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Why naught? Even if they do fek everything up, it's easy enough to revert to a prior snapshot, right?
In fact, I have a special VM set up for those "Microsoft Specialists" when they decide to call and inform me that my computer is full of viruses.Is that your YouTube that I commented all over?
I made the simple comment that trolling those guys on the phone doesn't really do anything, because they don't actually have control over what they're doing....
And it started some controversy that ended in remarks about the woman's age.
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No idea. I don't have access to any Google Services outside of Search at the moment.
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Did you ... did you actually call the number?
Yes, yes I did. I think posting that number above was definitely evil, not mischievous, on @accalia's part. Since someone else mentioned the Rejection Hotline, I buttumed it was something like a time annunciator or something else relatively harmless (I did prepare to yank the phone away from my ear if it was yelling.)
And yes, I did literally say "I got trolled."
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Not sure whether to laugh or be impressed at follow-through.
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I think posting that number above was definitely evil, not mischievous, on @accalia's part.
You try to scam me, i will retaliate with equivalent force.
tricking you into calling the FBI or the local emergency hotline is an apropraite response and will do well to reduce the number of stupid scammers.
I regret that you actually called it.
colalteral dmmage is never pretty.
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Not sure whether to laugh or be impressed at follow-through.
Both! I wish I'd had the presence of mind to ask if they get a lot of calls like that.
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Yes, yes I did
Wait, what happened when you called then? Did a bunch of personages in black suits suddenly ring your door demanding entry?
Filed under: Because my only experience with the FBI is through movies
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I regret that you actually called it.
As long as the FBI doesn't show up here or at home, I'll call no harm done. I was actually laughing inside when they answered.
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Wait, what happened when you called then?
Well, I'm not going to utter the words "so", "far", and then "nothing" for reasons that should be obvious.
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I'm not going to utter the words
So, I apologise kind people, this was apparently an accident instigated from afar. Nothing was meant by this call.
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@accalia said:
I regret that you actually called it.
As long as the FBI doesn't show up here or at home, I'll call no harm done. I was actually laughing inside when they answered.
they probably won't i did give out the front office number not their crime response number.
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they probably won't i did give out the front office number not their crime response number.
Yes, when you said "crime response number" or whatever above, I remember thinking "that's not how they answered when I called." I do appreciate you having the presence of mind to give the front number in your original post.
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Next time tell them it's 0118 999 881 999 119 725... 3
Someone actually set up that number as an extension on our pabx so if you call it you get a recorded " Have you tried turning it off and on again?"
If you call 666 you get Rebecca Black...
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I figured it was going to be the White House or Congressional switchboard. But I googled the number and chuckled, because the FBI was way more appropriate.
This is like how they tell you not to click on links in emails.
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This is like how they tell you not to
click on links in emailscall phone numbers given by strangers.
Filed under: Who calls nowadays?
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This is like how they tell you not to click on links in emails.
I told my son that story. He literally fell off the bed laughing.