The phone rings, and I answer it.

I: IT Department, Niklas speaking; how may I help you? User: Yes. I: IT Department, Niklas speaking; how may I help you? U: I said yes. I: ...very well; who am I speaking with, please? U: Pam. I: Hello, Pam. How may I help you? U: I need a new password. I: No problem. What's your entire name, please? U: Why do you need that information? I: I need it to know who you are, so that I can reset your password. U: Very well. It's Pamela.

I check our user catalogue and I find two people named Pamela.

I: Pamela, what is your surname? U: I cannot tell you.

Desperate times call for other measures.

I: Would you mind reading me your civic registration number? U: Sure, no problem. It's [X]. I: Thank you! U: Uhuuu.

The "u" part went on for a couple of seconds. During this time, I change the user's password.

I: I cannot give you your new password over the telephone because of security measures. I'll need to e-mail it to an employee at the place where you are staying. Can you give me the name of one of the employees currently there, please? U: Sure. I: What's that person's name, please? U: Tommee. I: Sorry, can you spell it for me? U: T-O-M-M-E-E.

This is a most unusual name; in fact, I've never seen a name spelled like that before. It turns up no results in our user catalogue.

I: Are you sure that name is spelled that way? It gives me no results when I search for it. U: Of course I'm not sure! Why didn't you check it before you searched?

Ohbutofcourse.

I: I'm sorry, but there is no way I can know how a person spells his/her name. U: ...but you could have tried.

I contemplate throwing this person a bone filled with logic, but quickly gave it up.

I: Do you know the name of another person working where you are at right now? U: I'll have to check that out and get back to you, OK? I: That will do nicely, thank you, speak to you soon.

We exchange byes and the user calls ten minutes later, after I'd spoken with two people in the meantime:

U: Pam. I: Sorry? U: I'm Pam. I: Oh, right! I'm sorry. So, did you get the name of somebody working where you are now? U: Yes. I: Right. Please read it aloud to me. U: T-O-M-M-I. I: Thank you. I'll check that out immediately.

Our user database leaves me a blank again. I tell the user this, end up in a place where the user repeats the name, I repeat the fact that the name still hasn't popped up in our user database, and the user agrees to check the name for the second time and call me back. Ten minutes later:

U: Pam. I: Hello! Have you found out the person's name? U: Yes. I: ...please, read it aloud to me. U: T-O-M-- Hang on. That was the old name.

Fifteen seconds of silence lapses.

U: T-H-O-R. I: That's good, please hang on and I'll check it out.

It matches a user working at the place where the user claims to be located.

I: I have a match! Great; I'll send your new network password to Thor in one minute's time. U: But why can't you give it to me over the phone? I: Because, like I said, we cannot give passwords over the telephone because of security reasons. U: Thank you. I: No problem, and I've now sent the password. U: Good-bye. I: Fare well.