A Week at the Computer
Helpdesk with Frederic Denis
by Leonard J. Hicks
recruiter@earthlink.net
Monday
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8:05am
User called to say they forgot password. Told them to use
password retrieval utility called FDISK. Blissfully ignorant,
they thank me and hang up. God, we let the people vote and
drive, too?
8:12am
Accounting called to say they couldn't access expense reports
database. Gave them Standard Sys Admin Answer #112, "Well,
it works for me." Let them rant and rave while I unplugged
my coffeemaker from the UPS and plugged their server back in.
Suggested they try it again. One more happy customer...
8:14 am
User from 8:05 call said they received error message "Error
accessing Drive 0." Told them it was an OS problem.
Transferred them to microsupport.
11:00 am
Relatively quiet for last few hours. Decide to plug support
phone back in so I can call my girlfriend. Says parents
are coming into town this weekend. Put her on hold and transferred
her to janitorial closet down in basement. What is she thinking?
The "Myst" and "Doom" nationals are
this weekend!
11:34 am
Another user calls (do they ever learn?). Says they want
ACL changed on HR performance review database so that nobody
but HR can access database. Tell them no problem. Hang up.
Change ACL. Add @MailSend so performance reviews are
sent to */US.
12:00 pm
Lunch
3:30 pm
Return from lunch.
3:55 pm
Wake up from nap. Bad dream makes me cranky. Bounce
servers for no reason. Return to napping.
4:23 pm
Yet another user calls. Wants to know how to change fonts
on form. Ask them what chip set they're using. Tell
them to call back when they find out.
4:55 pm
Decide to run "Create Save/Replication Conflicts" macro
so next shift has something to do.
More help desk laughs --->>
