Today's been different from most other days when I've had the emergency phone. As it's early August, it means there are not a lot of users in the building, as most are celebrating their vacation - hopefully abroad as the weather here is teh suxx0rs.

One application to rule them all

person: "Is this the emergency hotline?" me: "Yes, it is! My name is Niklas. How can I help you?" p: "Well, I'm trying to send an e-mail, but the program just says 'Invalid syntax'." m: "Oh; just hang on and I'll connect to your PC through remote control."

On connecting to the user's PC I get why the "e-mail" cannot be sent: the user has typed an e-mail address into the address-field in Internet Explorer.

m: "Oh, you seem to have typed the address into Internet Explorer, which is why it doesn't work." I said this as I thought it would jolt the user's memory. p: "But...why doesn't it work?" m: "Well, Internet Explorer is an application built mainly for browsing the web. You should use GroupWise to write and read e-mail. I'll open it for you and paste the e-mail address into a new e-mail for you." I did just that. p: "So...what now?" m: "Now the e-mail address is in the address-field of the e-mail. Now you can commence writing the e-mail." p: "...oh...OK." m: "Don't hesitate to call us if something's ever technically wrong!" p: "..." m: "Thank you!" p: "Oh yes...yes...good...yes..."

The user then hung up.

What is lost is not...lost

A service-person from a computer-supplier came by to fix malfunctioned hardware in a few computers. After leaving, he called the emergency phone.

person: "Well, hello, this is p from Company X, and I forgot my tool-kit at your place." me: "Oh, no sweat, I'll find it if you remember where you put it." p: "Good." m: "So, where did you leave it?" p: "On the big table in your repairs room."

I checked it thoroughly and found nothing.

m: "Sadly, it's not there. I cannot find it in the room at all, actually. Are you sure it's left here?" p: "What? It must be there! Have you checked the big table?" says the person, in a frustrated, blaming voice. m: "Yes, as I just told you. I cannot find it. I'll ask Robin if he's found it, hang on." p: "Yeah."

Robin told me he hasn't seen it. Together we look for it, and find absolutely nothing.

m: "I'm sorry, but it's just not visible; Robin and I cannot find it, if it's here at all." p: "Well...why don't you ask that person...that...the person I spoke with previously?" m: "Robin?" p: "Yes, him." m: "As I just told you, Robin and I searched the repairs room and couldn't find it. Tell you what, if you want me to, I can call you if the tool-kit turns up." p: "Yes, call me when you find it.", he said, irritated. m: "If we find it, if it's here at all. We will."

I took his mobile phone number and hung up. Twenty minutes later he calls again.

p: "Hey, whad'ya know, I found it in the back of my car!" m: "Yes, I'd actually guessed you would!" p: "Oh...yeah, so I just thought I'd call you so you could stop looking for it!" m: "We haven't looked for it since we last spoke; I told you we couldn't find it, but I'm glad you found it - in your own car." p: "Yes...yes." m: "Good-bye!" p: "Good-bye!"

Whew. At least I haven't been accosted like the guy who writes the blog Waiter Rant has been of recent. Check this post, and follow up with this one. Mild retaliation, methinks!

I added Frederic's kitty, Little Miu, to Kitten War, a site where cute kittens battle it out. Check his cat's stats here.

Oh, I've started thinking about getting the Canon Pixma IP8500, which looks to be a very modern and good printer, mainly for photos and CD/DVD's. By the way, if you're a Swede, you can visit this page where you can upload a picture of your choice, have it printed on a Canon printer of choice, and sent home to you for free. Good marketing!