Silly Customers

[iisjman07]

So far this week I've had an elderly gentleman come in looking worried holding an ethernet cable, stating "I think this cable has a virus". [slaps forehead with palm]. And today whilst taking in a machine for virus removal the customer asks 'will you install antivirus and that thing that stops hackers?...you know, a firedoor?'. Make of it what you will

 

[kagman]

I love it.. FIREDOOR... Nice...

From now on the firewall shall be called FIREDOOR....

 

[hardtoremember]

That is just awesome... Firedoor! And the guy with the Ethernet cable... HA!

 

[Skyhooker]

Well, frankly, "firedoor" isn't all that silly. It's an actual physical thing, a door made to withstand fire. A firewall is also a physical thing, having nothing to do with computers, found either in buildings or motorized vehicles, between the engine and passenger compartment in the latter case. Also, a door can be opened to let things through, whereas a wall is just that - a wall. As such, I think "firedoor" might be a more apt term.

I try not to confuse ignorance with silliness or stupidity. I am ignorant of FAR more things than of which I am knowledgeable. I try to use such ignorance as teaching opportunities, and the client always appreciates it.


Sky

 

[J-Bob]

Well, frankly, "firedoor" isn't all that silly. It's an actual physical thing, a door made to withstand fire. A firewall is also a physical thing, having nothing to do with computers, found either in buildings or motorized vehicles, between the engine and passenger compartment in the latter case. Also, a door can be opened to let things through, whereas a wall is just that - a wall. As such, I think "firedoor" might be a more apt term.

I try not to confuse ignorance with silliness or stupidity. I am ignorant of FAR more things than of which I am knowledgeable. I try to use such ignorance as teaching opportunities, and the client always appreciates it.


Sky

I was just about to call you a huge "Killjoy"- but then you redemptively made note of your own ignorance and the 'teaching opportunity' for the client's sake.
You are absolved

I like to word stuff like that for clients as well (or try to make them sound like they said something "smart", using their wording).
Can't blame people for honest ignorance. (but we can make of them for it!)

(should have asked her if her computer was using protection, as to not contract disease from cables)

-and I'm sure 90% of the world has seen the 'computer protection' image I linked to... 'psha-

 

[othersteve]

LOL, a cable with a virus.

I wonder if some technicians out there believe that's possible as well. Occasionally I wonder, you know...?

 

[Skyhooker]

You are absolved

*lowers head in mixed gratitude and shame at getting a laugh anyway... cable with a virus... *

 

[hardtoremember]

LOL, a cable with a virus.

I wonder if some technicians out there believe that's possible as well. Occasionally I wonder, you know...?

I would put money on it!

 

[TrueICT]

You guys might love this one, today I had a call out regarding not being able to get onto Windows Live Messenger and Hotmail. The customer made it out to be a big deal and was telling me what sounded like a corrupt installation of Windows Live Messenger. So I arrange an appointment and visit. Turns out the customer had been using the wrong email address to try and sign-in with.... I didn't charge for the visit as there was nothing to fix.

:: bangs head ::

 

[Packrat1947]

Firedoor trivia

In the 1950's our elementary school had a fire door at the entrance to the basement. It was about 3 inches thick, and made of steel; but probably not solid. It had a rope attached to a pulley and a cast iron weight. The weight made sure the door was always closed. I still remember people shoveling coal down a manhole. It was the janitor's job (Mr. Draper), to keep the building warm.

That's about all I know about firedoors.

Packrat1947

 

[gunslinger]

I had a customer call once asking if I could download a printer for her friend.

 

[othersteve]

I had a customer call once asking if I could download a printer for her friend.

I think it's great when people substitute the word download randomly for other verbs when referencing computer-related activities. It's as if the word applies to anything having to do with PC technology without exception. Some examples:

I can't Office to download into my computer.

My computer won't download into Windows.

I got so ****** off at my PC that I downloaded it out my second floor window yesterday.

Good stuff. Sometimes I love being a tech.

 

[lebpcmedic]

I had a customer today refer to the DVD/RW drive as a port!!!

 

[RegEdit]

Tell him to microwave the cable for 5 seconds.

 

[Skyhooker]

I think it's great when people substitute the word download randomly for other verbs when referencing computer-related activities. It's as if the word applies to anything having to do with PC technology without exception.

You remind me of the word "stall" in aviation, a very unfortunate word because the first thing that comes to people's minds when they hear it is an engine failure, as in "my engine stalled." Thus, a stall is equated with a crash and certain death, and is greeted with a sharp intake of breath, waiting for the body count. In aviation, it's only an aerodynamic phenomenon, a loss of lift caused by airflow "stalling" over a wing, remedied by reducing the wing's angle of attack (a compressor stall in a jet engine, on the other hand, while still an aerodynamic phenomenon, often leads to engine failure or damage, but that's never used in popular media).

That word alone creates probably the biggest obstacle in flight instruction, because it's so heavily fear-laden. I wish I'd had a heartbeat monitor on my students back then, and a pressure-sensor on the control yoke - it would have made for an instructive training film.

I'm trying to come up with a word in computer tech that carries such an emotional weight... Microsoft, maybe?

 

[Styxbound]

How about, for the tech world, "legal system" ?

 

[loaner]

A "not so computer savy" friend of my mentioned to me about a month ago that, "he had to re-install Windows VISA and the AVG BUGKILLER".

oh yeah, his computer has 6 "jigs" of ram.

goss