Tales from the IT world...

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: zixxer

Your datacenter doesn't have any kind of battery backups? The power for your datacenter is controlled by an easily accessible switch in a warehouse?

my data center has a master power switch... basically turns the entire building down, generators or not. I assume it's standard, though putting it right out in the open on a loading dock is pretty retarded... ours is under shatter-proof glass near an emergency exit in a hallway that sets off an alarm if anyone even walks 3' into it.

if the entire building is going up in flames and all hope is lost, the last person running out of the building should flip the switch.

 

[MotionMan]

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: zixxer

Your datacenter doesn't have any kind of battery backups? The power for your datacenter is controlled by an easily accessible switch in a warehouse?

my data center has a master power switch... basically turns the entire building down, generators or not. I assume it's standard, though putting it right out in the open on a loading dock is pretty retarded... ours is under shatter-proof glass near an emergency exit in a hallway that sets off an alarm if anyone even walks 3' into it.

if the entire building is going up in flames and all hope is lost, the last person running out of the building should flip the switch.

Why?

MotionMan

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: MotionMan

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: zixxer

Your datacenter doesn't have any kind of battery backups? The power for your datacenter is controlled by an easily accessible switch in a warehouse?

my data center has a master power switch... basically turns the entire building down, generators or not. I assume it's standard, though putting it right out in the open on a loading dock is pretty retarded... ours is under shatter-proof glass near an emergency exit in a hallway that sets off an alarm if anyone even walks 3' into it.

if the entire building is going up in flames and all hope is lost, the last person running out of the building should flip the switch.

Why?

MotionMan

I assume it's something to do with the fire department or town regulations.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel

Originally posted by: child of wonder
Actual ticket.

(names altered to protect the stupid)

NOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH MY EMAIL???

Yesterday afternoon I tried to send an email to Bob Johnson with scans of two letters to the FDIC, one was 2.33mb and the other was 2.17mb.......I got an error message and had to send TWO separate emails to get the letters to him.

Now I'm trying to send an email to Wendy Williams with a Notice of Levy......she needs to get this TODAY! It's 4.95mb and the error message says it exceeds my limit of 2.44mb. This just started happening yesterday afternoon after Tim Meadows said he changed the capacity of my email account because I'm constantly getting that message about exceeding capacity.

THESE THINGS NEED TO BE RESOLVED! THIS IS HOW WE COMMUNICATE WITH STAFF AND OTHERS...BY EMAIL AND ATTACHMENTS. THESE CONSTANT ERROR MESSAGES ARE A TOTAL WASTE OF MY TIME AND PREVENT ME FROM DOING MY JOB. I WORK FOR THE REGIONAL PRESIDENT, I'M CONDUCTING THE BUSINESS OF THE BANK. PLEASE GET THESE ISSUES RESOLVED ONCE AND FOR ALL.

I can't stand when people send tickets with tones like that. I wish we could just tell them to F off and ask nicely, or just ignore it totally. We get lot of those.

His tone was inappropriate, but I feel his pain and I'm guessing this isn't the first time he has raised this issue. Unreasonably small mailbox sizes are a hindrance to people. IT should be an enabler, not a hindrance.

 

[StinkyPinky]

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: MotionMan

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: zixxer

Your datacenter doesn't have any kind of battery backups? The power for your datacenter is controlled by an easily accessible switch in a warehouse?

my data center has a master power switch... basically turns the entire building down, generators or not. I assume it's standard, though putting it right out in the open on a loading dock is pretty retarded... ours is under shatter-proof glass near an emergency exit in a hallway that sets off an alarm if anyone even walks 3' into it.

if the entire building is going up in flames and all hope is lost, the last person running out of the building should flip the switch.

Why?

MotionMan

I assume it's something to do with the fire department or town regulations.

The Fire Dept would probably prefer they don't burn to death looking for a switich in dense smoke

 

[MotionMan]

Originally posted by: StinkyPinky

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: MotionMan

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: zixxer

Your datacenter doesn't have any kind of battery backups? The power for your datacenter is controlled by an easily accessible switch in a warehouse?

my data center has a master power switch... basically turns the entire building down, generators or not. I assume it's standard, though putting it right out in the open on a loading dock is pretty retarded... ours is under shatter-proof glass near an emergency exit in a hallway that sets off an alarm if anyone even walks 3' into it.

if the entire building is going up in flames and all hope is lost, the last person running out of the building should flip the switch.

Why?

MotionMan

I assume it's something to do with the fire department or town regulations.

The Fire Dept would probably prefer they don't burn to death looking for a switich in dense smoke

I was not aware that the fire department wants the electricity turned off in such situations.

MotionMan

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: vshah

Originally posted by: Deviant Grasshopper
I'll start off with something that happened this morning - I'll add a lot more tonight.

A user made a shortcut to her departments network folder on her desktop. She opens the shortcut, and deletes everything she doesn't need.. <facepalm>

why did she have write access??

It sounds like this is a network folder that everyone in the department has read/write access to... That's not uncommon.

 

[2Xtreme21]

Had a user call the helpdesk complaining her internet was slow. The helpdesk tech remoted in to her pc (because they can, and they do even if they don't need to) and told her he thinks her docking station is causing the issue. Ticket is forwarded to us, I head down, she's adamant that her dock is causing her internet to be slow. Mind you, it's slow, but she has Google Toolbar, Yahoo Toolbar, Random buttfuck toolbar, 9 instances of IE open, firefox open, and she's surfing at lunch time where 2000 (literally) other people are surfing as well. I tell her I can speed it up for her and attempt to remove the toolbars, to which she snaps at me saying how dare I touch her "work tools" and to just "replace the damn dock."

I politely explain that her dock has no bearing on internet speeds and it's the multiple web browsers she has open, the unsanctioned software she's running, and the fact that she's surfing at lunch time that would slow her browsing speeds down. She says she doesn't have time for it now, that she'd call my supervisor, and she'd see me later. Yesterday I get a call from my big big boss who's located in Indiana (I'm in PA) telling me to replace her docking station.

-_-

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: MotionMan

Originally posted by: StinkyPinky

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: MotionMan

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: zixxer

Your datacenter doesn't have any kind of battery backups? The power for your datacenter is controlled by an easily accessible switch in a warehouse?

my data center has a master power switch... basically turns the entire building down, generators or not. I assume it's standard, though putting it right out in the open on a loading dock is pretty retarded... ours is under shatter-proof glass near an emergency exit in a hallway that sets off an alarm if anyone even walks 3' into it.

if the entire building is going up in flames and all hope is lost, the last person running out of the building should flip the switch.

Why?

MotionMan

I assume it's something to do with the fire department or town regulations.

The Fire Dept would probably prefer they don't burn to death looking for a switich in dense smoke

I was not aware that the fire department wants the electricity turned off in such situations.

MotionMan

I'm sure they would prefer it... one way or another, I think the power is going to have to be cut before a fireman walks into a burning data center.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Saulbadguy

Originally posted by: lucasorion

Originally posted by: shoRunner

Originally posted by: lucasorion
We use a program for filling out expensesheets, which needs to be configured to point to an mdb file on our financial server before a user can use it. There is a text box for the path, with a browse button next to it. Every time I install this program I type in "\\server\share\database.mdb". Today I found out that my unofficial apprentice in the IT department, who makes only about $3/hr less than me (much to my consternation), has been mapping a Y: drive on people's computers to the \\server\share and then filling in that box with "Y:\database.mdb" because he couldn't figure out how to browse to the server and share, and apparently didn't know how to type in the full path (don't ask). Today I was remoting into computers and disconnecting these superfluous Y drives, and putting in the full path in that text box. I don't mind dumb stuff done by engineers and administrative assistants, but when it is done by fellow IT guys, it really bothers me.

not sure this is that big of a deal, it was working right?

it allowed them to open the program, sure, but they have this mapped drive to the directory on the financial server, which they really don't need, and it just bothers me because it betrays a certain level of dumbness that I hate to see in a fellow IT guy.
Logically, it is sort of like the software equivalent of the surge protector story above.

Mapped drives are convenient, I don't really see a problem with what he did. I suppose the only problem with a mapped drive is it requires a constant connection to the server.

Edit: Do they only need the path to the server once upon installation, or does the program require you be connected to it every time the application is run? If the former I could see why the mapped drive is annoying.

They're convenient if you need them. If it's something you don't need (sounds like these users would never use this Y drive at all) there's no reason to have them. They'll just make your My Computer screen take a little longer to load.

 

[zixxer]

Originally posted by: MotionMan

Originally posted by: StinkyPinky

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: MotionMan

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: zixxer

Your datacenter doesn't have any kind of battery backups? The power for your datacenter is controlled by an easily accessible switch in a warehouse?

my data center has a master power switch... basically turns the entire building down, generators or not. I assume it's standard, though putting it right out in the open on a loading dock is pretty retarded... ours is under shatter-proof glass near an emergency exit in a hallway that sets off an alarm if anyone even walks 3' into it.

if the entire building is going up in flames and all hope is lost, the last person running out of the building should flip the switch.

Why?

MotionMan

I assume it's something to do with the fire department or town regulations.

The Fire Dept would probably prefer they don't burn to death looking for a switich in dense smoke

I was not aware that the fire department wants the electricity turned off in such situations.

MotionMan

I think they probably do it for when the building is vacant. Otherwise you have to run around flipping breakers to make sure everything is off.. But I dunno.

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel

Originally posted by: child of wonder
Actual ticket.

(names altered to protect the stupid)

NOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH MY EMAIL???

Yesterday afternoon I tried to send an email to Bob Johnson with scans of two letters to the FDIC, one was 2.33mb and the other was 2.17mb.......I got an error message and had to send TWO separate emails to get the letters to him.

Now I'm trying to send an email to Wendy Williams with a Notice of Levy......she needs to get this TODAY! It's 4.95mb and the error message says it exceeds my limit of 2.44mb. This just started happening yesterday afternoon after Tim Meadows said he changed the capacity of my email account because I'm constantly getting that message about exceeding capacity.

THESE THINGS NEED TO BE RESOLVED! THIS IS HOW WE COMMUNICATE WITH STAFF AND OTHERS...BY EMAIL AND ATTACHMENTS. THESE CONSTANT ERROR MESSAGES ARE A TOTAL WASTE OF MY TIME AND PREVENT ME FROM DOING MY JOB. I WORK FOR THE REGIONAL PRESIDENT, I'M CONDUCTING THE BUSINESS OF THE BANK. PLEASE GET THESE ISSUES RESOLVED ONCE AND FOR ALL.

I can't stand when people send tickets with tones like that. I wish we could just tell them to F off and ask nicely, or just ignore it totally. We get lot of those.

His tone was inappropriate, but I feel his pain and I'm guessing this isn't the first time he has raised this issue. Unreasonably small mailbox sizes are a hindrance to people. IT should be an enabler, not a hindrance.

While that's true...it sounds like in this case it was the fault of receiving mail server. (from a follow up post in this thread) Which of course, he doesn't really have any control over. I bet she was even informed this the first time. I can envision her, nodding with narrowly contained rage while not listening at all to what the guy was trying to explain and just assuming he was saying that he fixed his huge fuck up. Then when it happened again like he said it would she went ape shit all over again because "he lied to her!".

It used to be frustrating when an uppity user would demand "why?" something wasn't working as if you were hiding some secret from them and then immediately go dead behind the eyes when you launched into a futile explaination that you knew they weren't even going to try and understand.

 

[her209]

User's reason for getting admin. rights on his computer: He's a vet that spent 3 years getting shot at in Vietnam.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
Had a user call the helpdesk complaining her internet was slow. The helpdesk tech remoted in to her pc (because they can, and they do even if they don't need to) and told her he thinks her docking station is causing the issue. Ticket is forwarded to us, I head down, she's adamant that her dock is causing her internet to be slow. Mind you, it's slow, but she has Google Toolbar, Yahoo Toolbar, Random buttfuck toolbar, 9 instances of IE open, firefox open, and she's surfing at lunch time where 2000 (literally) other people are surfing as well. I tell her I can speed it up for her and attempt to remove the toolbars, to which she snaps at me saying how dare I touch her "work tools" and to just "replace the damn dock."

I politely explain that her dock has no bearing on internet speeds and it's the multiple web browsers she has open, the unsanctioned software she's running, and the fact that she's surfing at lunch time that would slow her browsing speeds down. She says she doesn't have time for it now, that she'd call my supervisor, and she'd see me later. Yesterday I get a call from my big big boss who's located in Indiana (I'm in PA) telling me to replace her docking station.

-_-

LOL I can totally see that. People will FIND things to complain about, even though they need to pick a certain time such as "rush" hour where the internet is slow. I've seen the exact same thing, someone with like 20 tool bars insisting that they NEED them to work.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Originally posted by: PingSpike
..snip...

It used to be frustrating when an uppity user would demand "why?" something wasn't working as if you were hiding some secret from them and then immediately go dead behind the eyes when you launched into a futile explaination that you knew they weren't even going to try and understand.

Hmm I never thought of that one, I have to try that.

"Why can't I print?"
*reply to ticket email*
tech: "Due to lack of information I cannot determine the exact reason. However after looking at the user configuration files on the server under your account of SSID S-34-42-f3b9fhbd8000463 I determined that a vector calculation was incorrect due the the DST settings on your computer. There was a time sync error causing the authentication token to fail. Due to the print spooler not being run in debug mode the backtrace may be incomplete, but with what I have, this is my guess. Someone will call you to resync the real-time-clock-interface to proper settings. Another reason might be because you're a noob and picked the wrong printer.

-IT"

Ohhh that would be so fun if I won the lottery.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: Deviant Grasshopper
I'll start off with something that happened this morning - I'll add a lot more tonight.

A user made a shortcut to her departments network folder on her desktop. She opens the shortcut, and deletes everything she doesn't need.. <facepalm>

"I'm sorry, you're clearly not qualified for an office job, so we're transferring you to Janitorial Services. Report to the basement tomorrow to receive your plunger and elbow-length gloves."

Originally posted by: pontifex

and why 2.44 mb? seems like an odd number. ours here are set to 5 mb.

There's probably a story behind that.

For example.

The original policy was 1.44MB, so that you could send the contents of a floppy.

Later, people complained that it was too small.

So they added 1 MB.

IT logic.

 

[Saulbadguy]

Originally posted by: ric1287

Originally posted by: zixxer
After reading these I've concluded that ATOT has a bunch of sorry dumbarse IT staff forum members.

You don't map drives unless there's a reason for an always-on connection (i.e. a program needs a drive and won't take a server name). You'll end up with a ridiculous amount of unneeded mapped drives and that server will always have an active connection.

2.44mb attachment limit? WTGDF?

Your datacenter doesn't have any kind of battery backups? The power for your datacenter is controlled by an easily accessible switch in a warehouse???




I guess this is what an industry that is dictated by certs rather than experience will end up being like. Shameful.

you realize all the things you used as examples were not done by ATOT members, right?

Gasp - SHAMEFUL!

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: Deviant Grasshopper
I'll start off with something that happened this morning - I'll add a lot more tonight.

A user made a shortcut to her departments network folder on her desktop. She opens the shortcut, and deletes everything she doesn't need.. <facepalm>

"I'm sorry, you're clearly not qualified for an office job, so we're transferring you to Janitorial Services. Report to the basement tomorrow to receive your plunger and elbow-length gloves."

Originally posted by: pontifex

and why 2.44 mb? seems like an odd number. ours here are set to 5 mb.

There's probably a story behind that.

For example.

The original policy was 1.44MB, so that you could send the contents of a floppy.

Later, people complained that it was too small.

So they added 1 MB.

IT logic.

I do believe that would be upper management logic more likely.

The IT dept would want it as high as possible without causing too much network bandwidth issues.

 

[hiromizu]

user: my icons are not showing up
helpdesk to user: hmm...please escalate this to management
management to user: have you tried rebooTing your comPutah?
user to management: I already did that
management to uesr: it says here that your comPutah has been online for 56 days - are you certain?
user to management: oh..
*reboot*
user to management: ..it works now! It's funny because I already tried rebooting yesterday and it didn't work. My daughter is having a birthday and my dog is sick etc. etc. etc.
management to user: ...good day missus.

 

[bobdole369]

"they never bothered to power cycle the printer. "

Why are you using a piece of equipment that must regularly be power cycled to operate correctly? Why would you not replace this hunk a junk with something that does work?

 

[sdifox]

If you hate someone, staple their network cable.

 

[ultimatebob]

Originally posted by: bobdole369
"they never bothered to power cycle the printer. "

Why are you using a piece of equipment that must regularly be power cycled to operate correctly? Why would you not replace this hunk a junk with something that does work?

Because they would have to pay for that, and they have no money in the budget for hardware upgrades. They've been planning on replacing this crazy 10 year old warehouse management system for years, but it keeps getting put off every year...

 

[finite automaton]

I was told by a coworker today about a woman who used a CRT monitor to heat up a pretzel. She wrapped the CRT monitor in saran wrap, put the pretzel down on the wrapped monitor, then wrapped the monitor again with saran wrap.

You all can probably figure out how that ended.

 

[kedlav]

Originally posted by: zixxer

Originally posted by: MotionMan

Originally posted by: StinkyPinky

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: MotionMan

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: zixxer

Your datacenter doesn't have any kind of battery backups? The power for your datacenter is controlled by an easily accessible switch in a warehouse?

my data center has a master power switch... basically turns the entire building down, generators or not. I assume it's standard, though putting it right out in the open on a loading dock is pretty retarded... ours is under shatter-proof glass near an emergency exit in a hallway that sets off an alarm if anyone even walks 3' into it.

if the entire building is going up in flames and all hope is lost, the last person running out of the building should flip the switch.

Why?

MotionMan

I assume it's something to do with the fire department or town regulations.

The Fire Dept would probably prefer they don't burn to death looking for a switich in dense smoke

I was not aware that the fire department wants the electricity turned off in such situations.

MotionMan

I think they probably do it for when the building is vacant. Otherwise you have to run around flipping breakers to make sure everything is off.. But I dunno.

That way no one gets electrocuted when they try to enter to save people/building/etc. Its a 'master' off switch that controls batteries, main feeds, diesel backup, etc. and tells all of that to go 'OFF.' That loading dock was built in after the center was built and the cut in the wall went right next to the switch, and god help me, no one thought 'durrrr, this is a bad idea guys'.

 

[stag3]

to many good stories

the cdrom/cupholder always makes me chuckle