Could you *be* more vague?

[Fiyero]

my nan will often say things like the box or the picture when meaning window or icon.
once or twice she has said "there was an error message, what caused it" a week after the error and when I asked what she was doing leading up to the error she had no recollection, and no idea what it prevented her from doing, i should just fix it.
I now refuse to try and help over the phone!

[TonyDonuts]

I have a young woman working for me who, no matter what the problem is or what piece of equipment isn't working always says one of the two following things.

"There's something wrong with the thing-thing."

or (my favorite)

"The thing-things not doing the thing-thing."

Finding out what, specifically, is actually wrong can take several minutes of very patient, very gentle (if she thinks you're challenging her she gets flustered) interrogation.

[technical.angel]

Due to reasons like this, I refuse to support my brother's girlfriend's computer.

She started whining that her internet didn't work, so I figured I'd go over and see what was up. She had her cable modem under her wireless hub, sitting right next to the computer that didn't move. (Don't get me started.)

So, after investigating the computer itself, the cable run, and the wireless hub, I figured that it was the cable modem that was fried. Part of my determiniation of this was the fact that my fingers were still red 5 minutes after touching the very very hot modem. I moved the hub, explained everything to her. I told her to leave everything off that night, and tomorrow she could plug everything back in and see if her internet would work then. If not, she'd have to call the cable company and possibly get a new modem.

On my way home (I live an hour and a half away), my brother called me yelling and screaming, demanding to know why I told his GF she had to buy a new wireless hub.

:: headdesk ::