Things you hate because they're pointless and stupid - continued.

[korialstraz]

That sucks Techno! I hope he becomes better soon.

[jmervyn]

Network + Telco - High end (If the networks down you better have some subset of phones taking calls at another site) % uptime goal Traditionally is 5-9's = 99.999%

If I get a emergency call day or night it's $$$+ because that the level I work at, and It's no fun hearing the people in the background crapping themselves over it, or worse thinking they can improve the situation by grabbing the phone from the tech on-site and yelling about the millions or $ per minute they are losing.
But that really does not happen much because the level of competence you are dealing with is normally pretty high. Unless the owner/chief executive with the type A personalty is around, and when we do the Root cause analysis afterward if they held of us up getting it fixed by throwing a fit that amount of delay and what it cost them is included in the report.

That's the bast way to shut them up, So it's costing you $$ to be down OK so far you wasted $$$ yelling at me - do you want to yell some more or can I work on the problem?

That's the essential difference between private sector and public sector. My customers are public sector, so they figure that their little world (mostly K-8 education) should fall within the "High end" you describe above. By comparison, when I worked for a general contractor specializing in process piping for major oil companies, the situation was far more dire (not only fiscal but often involving safety) yet the sense of entitlement and officiousness was FAR less.

The workers mostly don't have outright tantrums with me any longer; my HQ is disconnected from the people I serve. But they never hesitate to let me know just how much my not being able to resolve their personal issues offends them, particularly if & when I have the unmitigated gall to use my overabundance of vacation time (called "use or lose"). The more serious parts of my work aside, just how critical is it that a 3rd grade teacher have 24/7 high-speed access to their workspace & e-mail? Honestly?

EDIT - perfect example; this is one of the "computer teachers" asking me about Discovery Learning's download capability - a web function with which I have no familiarity:

"The teachers have individual logins but all use the same access code. I don’t feel as bad, but still need to talk about this. If teachers are downloading to share items on the grade level are they able to post to a common drive for teacher access? Mrs. XXXXXX was not able to when she attempted. I just need to be sure that I have the information correct before I tell everyone what to do. (Shared drive – Q? , K ….) I also need to work through transfer of files from the download drive to the video drive. Will you be able to walk me through the steps sometime after 9:10 and before 10:20?"

So in other words, I'm being asked to provide tutoring to the doctorate-accredited computer teacher regarding basic file management concepts. Yet I'm not paid as an "educator" (their salary generally dwarfs mine).

*********************************************

I don't feel like trying to play doctor on here, I'm too exhausted (yes, he smoked, past tense, now), but I just needed to say something.

I'll not say anything snarky in response, for once. Yes, Asthma sucks giant rocks; I'm not asthmatic but I had an attack once as a child (I suspect there was a cloud of chaff from wild chamomile AKA dogweed in the air). Kind of like the feeling waterboarding gives, but you really <AREN'T> getting the air.

[jmervyn]

It gets worse. Dr. Computer Teacher's latest, regarding what I suspect is a mashed SVGA connector:

Subject: RE: Hot issue for parent meeting coming up today
It worked just before I moved it….. perhaps it was squashed…… I just need to make it work!

[Technomancer]

Thanks everybody! Yeah, he's feeling a lot better already. They've got him taking a bunch of asthma medications now, but he's still a little out of whack from the whole thing. Over the 3 nights, he probably got 8 hours of sleep, so he's still getting that straightened out. He feels pretty confident that things are going to be good though, and we're all working on ways to help him quit smoking. He's on the patch, which seems to be helping tremendously, so we're just trying to find things to replace his triggers and habit. Our sister quit smoking around this time last year, so she's being a great help too.

I'm so damn glad I never picked up smoking! Now, if we can just get our dad to quit. He's quit before, but more in the Mark Twain spirit of it:
“It's easy to quit smoking. I've done it hundreds of times.”

Oh yeah, back on topic: Smoking/Tobacco. I'm all for freedom to do as you will to yourself, but that is just so f'n pointless and stupid.

[BobCox2]

Oh yeah, back on topic: Smoking/Tobacco. I'm all for freedom to do as you will to yourself, but that is just so f'n pointless and stupid.

Addictive as well.

MEH Back on topic with Religion
Hey you guys are all close to equally messed up mostly based on beliefs IMHO, but on your terms and behavior I judge you; If you know what I mean, and I have Buddhists in the least offensive group and Islam in the most offensive on that scale.

So this kind makes me think a slap down is in order by those of us just trying to get along without it.
Something like taking out the local Islamic groups that did it or did not condemn it at least ,or called for it at most in the area. I'm OK with any group thats not a Asshat, but the Asshats need the smack on head they asked for here.

[Stevinator]

Today, I heard a christmas shopping season commercial on the radio.

It was for Farm and Fleet, and they technically said Holiday SHopping, but I know they didn't mean Halloween or Thanksgiving. And even if they did, Halloween is a month away! But Christmas commercials on Oct 1?!?!?!? Christmas is by far the most annoying holiday, until that afternoon when all the dumb presents and everything is over and it's just my close family, a bunch of food and a football game. everything up to that just sucks.

[Technomancer]

Christmas is awesome! I wish it started in July!!

Or is this the wrong thread to say that?

[Ash Housewares]

if Christmas could stay the hell out of the way of other holidays and just stick to its own damn month there wouldn't be a problem, but it has to butt in months in advance, I hate that ****

[krischan]

We have some kinds of Christmas cookies from early September on. Everybody says he finds it silly, but somebody is buying them, right? If it's not specifically tied to Christmas, like cinnamon stars (I'm not sure if you know them), then it's OK, but e.g. chocolate Santas? No.

[kestegs]

I like Jesus as much as the next guy* but man do I hate Christmas. Shopping, presents, family, and socialization are a few good reasons I hate it.

*this is likely not actually true, but it's a saying and I said it.