It's International Make an IT Person Happy Day.
Yes, I've just made that up, but I really do think we need to make it official.
There should be at least one day a year that "users" go out of their way to try to make our lives pleasant.
On the average day, I'd say at least three users make my life extremely unpleasant.
Take for example the following frustrating conversation I had this morning. I have this same conversation at least 3 times a month, usually with the same people:
User: Uh, I'm missing a file. "Someone" may have deleted it. Can you find it for me or retrieve it from backup?
"Someone" is usually the person that is calling me.
Me: What's the name of the file?
User: It's something like "Xr32b-1212_tk421".
Me: I need to know the exact file name to execute a proper search.
User: Well, it's something like that.
Me: (Pretending to enter the name into the computer by clacking vigorously on the keyboard... I wait a few seconds)... nope. Not a thing.
User: Are you sure?
Me: Positive. Not a thing. Why don't you email me the EXACT file name?
User: Aw, do I have to? Can't I just tell it to you?
Me: If you want your file , you need to email me the EXACT file name so I can find it for you.
User: Humpf! Fine.
Of course, if they'd just done that in the first place, we could have avoided a needless conversation. When they finally email me the file name it barely resembles what they stated previously, and of course has 14 extra characters that were missing as well.
Most of the time it's been moved to a server folder where it has no business being on account of the sloppiness of the user. They're always terribly surprised that it's there and denied they moved it even though they're the only person with access to the file. Sometimes it's lost and gone forever... and the reason becomes clear during a follow-up interrogation.
Me: I can't find your file anywhere. It's not on backup either. Where did you save the file?
User: That's impossible.
Me: Never say never.
User: Huh?
Me: Nothing is impossible. Where did you save the file?
User: (Getting increasingly condescending) I thought you said everything is backed up.
At this point, I usually surprise myself by not telling them where they can stick their *&#$%^@ file.
Me: Everything on a server drive is backed up which I've covered during your original IT introduction training and numerous times since. Where did you save the file?
User: I'm pretty sure you said everything.
"Where are those plans? If this is a consular ship, where is the ambassador?!" (Which at this point is a scene I would love to be re-enacting, including the throttling.)
Me: Where did you save the file?
User: I saved it on my desktop.
Me: Your file is gone forever. The desktop is not backed up as stated during the training and included in your IT introductory handbook which you should refer to again now.
User: (Now switching from arrogant belittling to pleading) But I need it! You must be able to do something!
Me: Not a thing. Sorry. Good-day.
If you recognize yourself in the above case, do yourself a favour and help us help you. Be nice, listen to our advice, and give us specific information about your problem, especially when asked. Vague descriptions and evading the questions don't help. No IT person relishes having to spend 30 minutes interrogating a user every time they have a problem! Specific information delivered properly will help resolve the problems timely and efficiently. And for the love of Jebus, please be accurate and don't use terminology you don't understand!
User: My drivers are all gone.
Me: Uh, I don't think so. Your computer should be fine. I checked it out a couple of days ago during regular maintenance.
User: No, no. My drivers are all missing.
Me: I'm not sure what you're trying to tell me. Are you sure you know what drivers are?
User: Yes, I know what drivers is.
Me: Let's have a look...
At this point shows me the missing "drivers".
Me: You're missing your network drives. Not drivers. Drivers are...
User: I know what drivers are. I am missing drives.
Me: Reboot and log in again.
User: You always tell me that for all my problems.
Me: And does it work 99 percent of the time.
User: Yes.
Me: Then stop complaining.
Additionally International Make an IT Person Happy Day I would suggest would be best celebrated by having users lavish us with large amounts of free junk food.
Yes, I've just made that up, but I really do think we need to make it official.
There should be at least one day a year that "users" go out of their way to try to make our lives pleasant.
On the average day, I'd say at least three users make my life extremely unpleasant.
Take for example the following frustrating conversation I had this morning. I have this same conversation at least 3 times a month, usually with the same people:
User: Uh, I'm missing a file. "Someone" may have deleted it. Can you find it for me or retrieve it from backup?
"Someone" is usually the person that is calling me.
Me: What's the name of the file?
User: It's something like "Xr32b-1212_tk421".
Me: I need to know the exact file name to execute a proper search.
User: Well, it's something like that.
Me: (Pretending to enter the name into the computer by clacking vigorously on the keyboard... I wait a few seconds)... nope. Not a thing.
User: Are you sure?
Me: Positive. Not a thing. Why don't you email me the EXACT file name?
User: Aw, do I have to? Can't I just tell it to you?
Me: If you want your file , you need to email me the EXACT file name so I can find it for you.
User: Humpf! Fine.
Of course, if they'd just done that in the first place, we could have avoided a needless conversation. When they finally email me the file name it barely resembles what they stated previously, and of course has 14 extra characters that were missing as well.
Most of the time it's been moved to a server folder where it has no business being on account of the sloppiness of the user. They're always terribly surprised that it's there and denied they moved it even though they're the only person with access to the file. Sometimes it's lost and gone forever... and the reason becomes clear during a follow-up interrogation.
Me: I can't find your file anywhere. It's not on backup either. Where did you save the file?
User: That's impossible.
Me: Never say never.
User: Huh?
Me: Nothing is impossible. Where did you save the file?
User: (Getting increasingly condescending) I thought you said everything is backed up.
At this point, I usually surprise myself by not telling them where they can stick their *&#$%^@ file.
Me: Everything on a server drive is backed up which I've covered during your original IT introduction training and numerous times since. Where did you save the file?
User: I'm pretty sure you said everything.
"Where are those plans? If this is a consular ship, where is the ambassador?!" (Which at this point is a scene I would love to be re-enacting, including the throttling.)
Me: Where did you save the file?
User: I saved it on my desktop.
Me: Your file is gone forever. The desktop is not backed up as stated during the training and included in your IT introductory handbook which you should refer to again now.
User: (Now switching from arrogant belittling to pleading) But I need it! You must be able to do something!
Me: Not a thing. Sorry. Good-day.
If you recognize yourself in the above case, do yourself a favour and help us help you. Be nice, listen to our advice, and give us specific information about your problem, especially when asked. Vague descriptions and evading the questions don't help. No IT person relishes having to spend 30 minutes interrogating a user every time they have a problem! Specific information delivered properly will help resolve the problems timely and efficiently. And for the love of Jebus, please be accurate and don't use terminology you don't understand!
User: My drivers are all gone.
Me: Uh, I don't think so. Your computer should be fine. I checked it out a couple of days ago during regular maintenance.
User: No, no. My drivers are all missing.
Me: I'm not sure what you're trying to tell me. Are you sure you know what drivers are?
User: Yes, I know what drivers is.
Me: Let's have a look...
At this point shows me the missing "drivers".
Me: You're missing your network drives. Not drivers. Drivers are...
User: I know what drivers are. I am missing drives.
Me: Reboot and log in again.
User: You always tell me that for all my problems.
Me: And does it work 99 percent of the time.
User: Yes.
Me: Then stop complaining.
Additionally International Make an IT Person Happy Day I would suggest would be best celebrated by having users lavish us with large amounts of free junk food.
Ah, those (ab)users, aka DEU, 'the problem exists between the keyboard and the chair', or 'those of perpetual brain farts'
ReplyDeletewe do have a day along these lines already
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_Administrator_Appreciation_Day
do you have the next one in your calendar yet?
SAD... what a perfectly appropriate acronym. We need to do more to popularize it obviously!
ReplyDeleteNo one honours me with cake and ice cream.
I would however suggest that pie, potato chips, cheesies and some sort of soft drink would be more appropriate for system admins. Cake and ice cream isn't exactly original. EVERY lame office occasion from Administrative Professionals Day, to pregnancies is celebrated with cake and ice cream. Sod that, I want a jumbo bag of hickory sticks.
And by jumbo, I mean it needs to be wheeled in on a wheelbarrow.