Strangling the IT dept

[PepperElf]

This thread reminded me of some of the issues I got to face a couple of months ago.

I once got to work in an IT department. It's been well over a year since then, but I still remember quite a few basics.

And sometimes the IT department at my current branch just... stuns me.

They slicked a hard drive to two computers we owned in another office. For the first... they didn't bother telling us about it - or that they didn't have the drivers - so we didn't find out for at least 2 days. Luckily I was able to find a copy of the drivers that I'd downloaded and saved previously... so that went quickly.

But for the second computer... they really brain-farted on it. They slicked the drive and then said that WE had to install the drivers for the NIC. I looked at the computer and saw that, it was obviously not on the domain (hence the need for NIC drivers) and had to call them back...

Apparently the guys were new, and kinda forgot that... If it's not on the domain, only people with the local password can log in. So... yeah, they had to come back and finish their job.

Thankfully I was just going off shift, cos they looked pretty clueless about what they were doing too.


Actually... slight side topic... I've noticed that with computers and IT-types... If they don't know what they're doing with a specific program or software they'll play the "Click-click game". That's the game were they click every single option in about 10 seconds... because they don't know what to do and they're just praying that they'll click something that might work.

It's very annoying to watch.

[Geek King]

Actually... slight side topic... I've noticed that with computers and IT-types... If they don't know what they're doing with a specific program or software they'll play the "Click-click game". That's the game were they click every single option in about 10 seconds... because they don't know what to do and they're just praying that they'll click something that might work.

It's very annoying to watch.

Not sure if this is what you're talking about, but if I'm working with an unknown program, I'll go looking through the available menus for items that sound like they'll do what I'm looking to do. The problem is that IT guys in most places only need to know how to install and set up a program. The onus of knowing how to actually use it is supposed to be on the department needing to use it, but of course, IT gets called if they don't.

So we get issues like this: I need to know how to install a CAD program. No problem, most installs are fairly similer. Then they call me because no one knows how to use the CAD program to create a mold of the object they just created. Now I have to improvise, because I don't know how the CAD program works. People take years of special classes to learn this stuff, and now I've got a couple of hours. Sure, I'll try the help files and manuals, but often the help files aren't written well enough to actually have useful information and the manuals are usually lost. In that case, I'll send someone off to find the manuals (usually the most annoying person looking over my shoulder ) and start poking around. Eventually, I'll find the correct tool under a menu that makes no sense, buried in a sub menu labled "Danger--Tigers." And as soon as I figure it out, the guy I sent after the manual will remember that he left it in his personal fridge and return with it. It's all okay, because I look like a god for knowing something they should have known as part of being hired for their position. So I go back to my desk, turn off the network switch, and go to lunch someplace with no cell reception.

[Dreamstalker]

I'll also go through menus quickly when faced with a new program. It's not that I'm not interested in helping the person, just that I'd prefer to get a handle on things before I try to show them (to minimize frustrations on both sides).

My old boss (and his "IT guy") would click randomly. That's a bit different though as it's non-IT types thinking they know what they're doing, and that clicking madly would dazzle the peons

One of the many times the network failed, boss played the click-game on the register PC for about 10 minutes. That caused a cascade of fail that resulted in a real outside consultant be called in. Had the click-game not been done, the original issue could have been fixed in a few minutes of downtime rather than eight hours (as it was, I had no idea what he had done so was unable to work backwards to untangle the mess).

[Gerrinson]

As far as the 'click game', I have to do that fairly often here with guests' laptops. They'll have a problem accessing our network, but rather than using Windows, they use the software that came with their hardware. For some of it, I have to click through and find the right software because they never remember what it is or where the menu is located despite the fact that they "use it all the time with no problems." Yeah, right...

Nowadays, most can be accessed by clicking on the icon in the taskbar. Of course, all the problems that come to me use crappy software that don't have that accessibility. I think the boss saves them up for me...

[Lingering Grin]

The "click-click game" doesn't mean they don't know what they're doing...

Well, sometimes it does...

I'll do it when either

A: I know what the problem is, I just have no fricken clue how to fix it, so I'm looking for something to help give me an idea.

or

B: (Which is usually the case), I know the problem, and I know how to fix it... I just don't know where to find the #$#*&^$# option that I need. Like the poster above stated, you'll find these things in the dumbest places... Let's see, I have a problem with the Motherboard, oh I know, let's look under the option labeled "Dancing Hamsters"... that makes sense.

[PepperElf]

sure for an unknown program...

but... i'm talking about stuff that was common to every single computer we had. .. like tcp/ip settings.

[MrSmiley]

Actually... slight side topic... I've noticed that with computers and IT-types... If they don't know what they're doing with a specific program or software they'll play the "Click-click game". That's the game were they click every single option in about 10 seconds... because they don't know what to do and they're just praying that they'll click something that might work.

It's very annoying to watch.

The "type-type" game is also a lot of fun but requires an IT person who's more comfortable with using the command line, or editing settings without using the GUI features (for Windows, Macs and X86 that's the click click of the mouse). There can be just as much noise from the keyboard however trying to find/narrow down what the tech is looking for.

[Geek King]

The "type-type" game is also a lot of fun but requires an IT person who's more comfortable with using the command line, or editing settings without using the GUI features. There can be just as much noise from the keyboard however trying to find/narrow down what the tech is looking for.

Why limit yourself to just one or the other? Open up a command prompt (in Windows) and have a go at both!

[Bliss]

Huh? windows?

Btw King, you have earned my respect. I do the same as you. Only I just fantacise the BOFH parts for now, maybe if I become more jaded....

[Geek King]

Btw King, you have earned my respect. I do the same as you. Only I just fantacise the BOFH parts for now, maybe if I become more jaded....

The network switch was only toungue firmly in cheek, Bliss. Too many other users that are good people for me to do that to them. I did tell someone once that if he didn't start acting like an adult and stop yelling at me, I'd take away his access and "send him off to bed with no DHCP." He had to call my boss to find out what I was actually threatening him with. Got a talking to by a chuckling boss over that one.

[PepperElf]

heh dos is wonderful for that... especially when it comes to checking switch settings.

i prefer ipconfig for quick check settings on the ip, though i like to use the actual tcp/ip setting thingy because it's slightly easier when assigning a static ip.

haven't done it in over a year tho... hwich is why i don't remember the exact name of it... and im on a mac now so it's different for me here

[Dreamstalker]

When asked what I'm doing, I try to explain in the most non-techy terms possible ("your internet connection is looking for a setting and can't find it, so I'm making sure the setting is where/what it should be", etc). Most of the time, my clients don't care about the little details and just want a basic explanation to know I'm doing something to help.

Where it gets very difficult for me is when the other person *sideways glare at Boss' Assistant* thinks they know better than I what to do solely on the basis that "I was here first".