Computer woes, or I don't know what Circle of Hell I'm in

[depechemodefan]

In a perfect world, people doing research would come to the library and be able to use our resources, mostly without fear of a crazy person not stinking up the place, or pissing in the water fountain.

Also, people would use the computer for entertainment for the 2 hours alloted a day and they will go away.

Of course, I'm in one of the Hell's, where useless shits will stay on the computers all day. Back when we had computers just for research (and all those liars where saying they were doing research) I remember one time this young lady needed a computer to learn a language. She was on her cell phone and wasn't paying attention when a computer became available. One of our regulars jumps on it. I go to him, telling him that she was there first, she was doing research. He said she was on her phone, she should have been paying attention. That it happened to him he was waiting for a computer and someone got on before him. That he was doing research too.

yeah, we won't discuss how watching YouTube isn't research (ok, if he was keeping notes, I could see it was research). I did take off 30 min. from his time. Then I saw for his second hour he used a different card number so I deleted the first card.

Yesterday one of our regulars, who no one likes because he's a piece of shit, starts bitching, as usual. The set up now is you have to log in to a main computer that will assign you a computer. If all the computers are in use, the main computer will keep you in queue and when it's your turn your number should show.

When I worked a branch, the librarians would call up the numbers that came up. That lead to a lot of problems because the patrons would no bother to look at the main computer to see when it was their turn. They expected the librarians to call out. Of course, the logic never penetrated their skulls that when the librarian is helping a patron, and can't monitor the numbers coming up, then no number is called out. I had loads of trouble when people complained that we never called out their number. Even if we were helping patrons find books/help with the copy machine/answering the phone, the librarian isn't doing his/her duty if he/she isn't calling out the numbers.

Ugh.

So a courtesy is confused for a right.

Back to the guy we hate. He was bithcing how we don't call out the numbers. I point out to him that the third floor (where the "research" computers are) is huge, that if someone went away to look at a magazine or a book they would not hear us. He repeated himself. I told him that people have to be responsible for themselves, and told him how if the librarian is helping other people then the librarian isn't around to call out numbers. He repeats himself and complains that there are people who have several library cards and log in all the time while he has to wait.

I wrote down his card number on a computer he was on earlier. When his number came up (for computer #50) I asked him:

me: werne't you on computer # 40?
sc: yeah.
me: the card number you used on that computer isn't the same one on #50.
sc: That wasn't me.
me: ok, then I just have to delete that other number.
sc: *nasty grumbling*

It was time for me to go home so I didn't get a chance to delete the first number.

But he is full of s hit like that. He's always complaining about how we should do things to make his life easier.

[depechemodefan]

Another story about the guy everyone hates.

Some back story. To use a computer with internet access, you have to have either a library card or a computer use only card. The user ID is the card number and the pass word you make up the first time you sign in the reservation station.
When it's your turn, the last 4 digits appear of your number. You go to a computer the reservation system assigns you and log in with your password.

Unfortunately, we have many people who can never remember their password. We can't look up the pass word. When we go into people's accounts, we can see how many char. the password is. For ex., we see **** as the password. So sometimes we can jog a person's memory by saying "your password is 4 char. long". We can change the password, though. But we do get the ones who we change every freakin' day because they write it down but lose the paper. And if we tell them "use you name" or "use the street add. no. of you house" they still forget.

So my cws will tell people when they get a library card/computer use only card, "ok, your password will be the last 3 digits/ 4 digits of your card."

I don't because I figure our patrons will complain we know their password and we changed the password on them/ took them out of the queue/ fucked up their lives somehow.

Now today's story of the guy who everyone hates.

I see him waiting for a computer. No biggie. I'm writting library card/comupter use only numbers as they appear, the time the numbers appear, and what computer terminal is connected to the number. I'll tell you why latter.

At 5:51 I see computer 71 becomes available for card number xxxxxxxxx8771. I start walking around and see the guy we hate go to 71 and does something and walks away. I go to my computer and see 71 is available for card number xxxxxxxxx4662. Which seemed weird because there should be 5 min. grace period (if someone doesn't claim the computer in 5 min. then it goes to the next card in the queue).

I note it's 5:53 and number xxxxxxxxx4662 came up for 71. Then I see the guy we all hate go to 71. I follow him and ask him "what are you doing?" he says, "nothing." He has the "cat ate the canary" look.

I go back to my computer and see 71 rolled over to a new number, xxxxxxxxx7890. It's 5:54.

I realized he figured out that people's passwords are usually the last 4 or 3 digits of their library or computer use only cards. In fact, when a number comes up, the reservation monitor shows the last 4 digits. So this guy, who is way down the queue, is logging on on other people's numbers and logging off, so the people lose their place in line.

I guess he doesn't log on because when the person comes to see if their number came up, they can see that they are already logged on (to 71) and can go there and fight with him for taking their computer.

I confront him, he pertends he doesn't know what I'm talking about, then he brings up that I deleted his sisters number last time. And that I should watch other people with multiple cards, not him. He also said, "See that guy on 71 now? He's been here since 10. You don't say anything to him."

Man is an ass. I know if I tell my supers, they would say:

We'll give him a warning. And dmfan, we don't want him to complain that you are harrassing him so don't say anything to him again.

Of course, they won't say anything to him either.