I cannot connect to the internet at home right now. Not reliably. The only computer the works is my laptop, which I happened to bring home with me. But, this is unacceptable. I’ve spent hours on this thing. HOURS. It has something to do with the DSL modem and the router. Or maybe just the modem. And the computers. But not the laptop. There is no logic. God help me, I might have to call tech support. I don’t even know which thing I need tech support for, at this point. Considering what I do, and the operating system I chose to use, I am the last voice you want to hear on the receiving end of a tech support call. Especially considering how completely INSANE I’ve become by now. Let us just imagine together…
Tech Support Agent: Thank you for calling ..
Me interrupting: Yeah… do you have a mac?
TSA: I’m sorry?
Me: Do. You. Have. A. Mac? on your desk? running OS X 10.4?
TSA: No, I don’t, but…
Me interrupting: When does your mac guy work? I know you have one… at least… he probably only works for 15 minutes on Tuesdays and every other Thursday, right?
TSA: Uh.. well…
Me: Look, can I talk to a level 2?
TSA: Sure, but maybe I can help you.
Me: Sigh, alright, sport, give it a try.
TSA: Ok… [deep breath]… what version of Windows are your running?
Me: LEVEL TWO LEVEL TWO LEVEL TWO LEVEL TWO!!!
TSA: Please hold while I transfer you.
You’d think I’d be more sympathetic or something. God knows I would never put up with me if I had to tech support me.
this may sound obvious…but try restarting your modem and router.. do the modem first, and then the router… maybe something got cached funky..
And then click on ‘start’….. what do you mean there is no start button?! =)
ha! “what version of windows are you running?” that is too funny. that’s what you get for giving level one a try.
to be fair, while i am basing the above conversation on past experience, i am NOT saying all level 1 tech support people are stupid. they aren’t. what i am saying is, for certain types of support, mac training is very very limited or non existent. typically, when it comes to non-application specific TS, I end up waiting for a call back from a level 2 who is knowledgeable on the mac. This could take days, and usually I find a solution before then. Because I am a TS person myself, I am the worst possible TS customer, like of like having a doctor for a patient.
Sometimes when I feel particularly evil, I load a beta distribution of Linux and call tech support for my soundcard. Interesting things have happened, though. Some level one TS people get off on having an odd problem to solve. Makes the time go by faster.
In keeping with being more of a pointer than a creator – you have once again reminded me of one of my favourite online cartoons featuring Foamy The Squirrel (and yes, I am Canadian, so I can spell favourite with a ‘u’ if I so choose).
Having spent most of my adult life, surrounded by TS people – even marrying one (and going to marry another, as Victor is swithing to TS, in a week), I know what you mean, and honestly, they don’t like it, when you know what you’re talking about, and they don’t. Hehe.
I hope you get it figured out.
there is no try, there is only figuring it out. Nothing else is acceptable.
I, too, was a level one. actually, i was level one and level two at the same time. isn’t that tricky? it was a 1.0 product and we did it all, so we could get the new issues. but the world knows about the level 1 vs. 2 setup. and some people would just not deal with a level 1. so sometimes, they would refuse to work with the technician who had been with the product since it was a single line of binary code, who not only trained me on the product, but trained me on how to do support in the first place, who knew EVERYTHING, simply because she picked up the phone first. they would then be transfered to me. i had been on the phone for a week. such fun.
so i can easily understand both sides of the tech support dance.
and cam, that was was hysterical!
Cam – That’s hilarious!
Jodi – did you get your techno wierdness solved yet? If not… I’ve got a hammer I can ship out to you guaranteed to fix it.
“If brute force doesn’t solve the problem, you’re not using enough”
That was fucking funny. You know why, cuz I have met you now and I can visualize you standing and screaming into the phone. Poor fool, just the wrong Noun.