What She Told Me is Too Hard! (Long)

[mintjam]

Before I get started on this story, I just want to say that I've been lurking here for a long time (my first post!) and you guys are all great. Your stories keep me laughing and remembering that I'm not the only one dealing with the SCs out there!

So, on to my story. I work as a "lab consultant" at a university library; it's a fancy title for a lab monitor - I fill printers, answer simple questions, and get annoyed by people that I thought would be smarter, being at a university and all.

Yesterday, I had a doozy. Woman approaches my desk, peers at the sign ("The lab consultant is in!"), looks at me, at the sign, and then finally asks if I can help her. Probably not... but I say yes and we walk to her computer.

CL = Clueless Lady
Me = Me, obviously
RL = The halpless Reference Librarian that gets caught up in it all

CL: My PDF isn't printing right. Look, the print out is really light.
Me: (after looking at the printouts) Let me check the printer. (I check the printer... toner is fine, so it's not a problem with the toner.) Let's look at the document...

Turns out the PDF is a bad scan of a magazine... where many parts are washed out... thus they're going to print lightly. There's nothing I can personally do to fix this, and I tell her so.

CL: That's okay. I'll just e-mail it to myself, then I can read it at home!
Me: Okay. (starts to walk away)
CL: Can you show me how?
Me: Okay. Log into your email...
CL: Okay (does so)

We set it up, and go to attach the file... and it's too big! I explain to her why she cannot send it using her email account.

CL: Then how can I get it at home?
Me: We have a system called MyDisk...

This system allows a user to save files on our server and then, with a simple log in, retrieve them from ANYWHERE. The log in is the same as her email... which is also the same thing she needed to log onto the computer in the first place. She KNOWS what this username is. I spend 10 minutes explaining this to her. Finally she seems satisfied.

As I leave to do my hourly rounds to check the printers and the copiers, I see CL pestering RL about how to email a file. I scoot and head upstairs, hoping CL will be gone when I get back.

No such luck.

RL is waiting for me and directs CL to me, again. Before either RL or myself can say anything CL blurts out...

CL: What she told me was too hard!
RL: (barely containing laughter, especially funny from a woman that never laughs at patrons) Then I suppose we can't help you, can we?

I started snickering. I love it when the librarians back me up. And what is this lady going to do? Get me fired? We're short staffed as it is and because I can actually do my job, my boss loves me and isn't going to fire me.

[BookstoreEscapee]

OK, if she gave me her login and password, *I* could probably log into the system just from what you wrote here...

[IT Grunt]

Quoth mintjam

So, on to my story. I work as a "lab consultant" at a university library; it's a fancy title for a lab monitor - I fill printers, answer simple questions, and get annoyed by people that I thought would be smarter, being at a university and all.

I feel your pain. I worked in my college's computer lab for my work study, and that was pretty much the same duties I had. Keep the printer full, fix problems with the PCs, and answer questions. NON-homework related, that was the stipulation. You wouldn't believe how many people tried to get me to do their homework for them by phrasing it as a question about a PC problem.

That story sounds like some of the people I had come through my lab. One that makes me snicker thinking about it even today:

A guy comes into the lab and sits down at one of the machines. For about ten minutes, he pokes around in the File Manager (these machines still had Windows 3.11 on 'em). Finally, with a look of total confusion, he comes and gets me.

Him: I can't find the file I saved.
Me: Ok. Do you remember where you saved it?
Him: To my hard disk.
Me: Alrighty. Is this the same PC that you used last time?
Him: Yeah, it was this one.
Me: Ok, we should be able to search for it. What was the filename.
Him: Termpaper.doc
Me: <searches... nothing> It's not showing up on the system. Are you sure that is the right filename?
Him: Oh yes, I'm sure.
Me: Ok. Are you sure it was this PC?
Him: Yes, I'm sure it was this one.
Me: Ok. You're certain it was to the hard disk, right?
Him: Yeah, it goes in here. <points to the 3 1/2" floppy drive>
Me. Oh.... you mean you saved it to a floppy. Do you have it with you?
Him: No, it's back in my room. Do I need it?
Me: <biting back laughter> Yep... you'll need it. If I'm still here when you come back I'll help you find it, ok?
Him: Ok. Thanks dude.

That was the most memorable one. The guy wasn't sucky about it or anything. I knew the guy wasn't sure of his terms, but I couldn't help but find it funny that he thought you didn't need the disk to retrieve files from it. This one was related to me by a co-worker:

There are signs on every wall, such that no matter where you are in the lab you can see them, that state in BIG BOLD LETTERS: SAVE YOUR WORK! The rest of the sign read: "It is recommended that you save your work every couple of pages while you are writing your papers. We are not responsible for lost work due to computer failures, power outages, etc."

So, one day, this girl is writing a 14 page term paper, and she didn't save a single letter of it. Just as she's about to finish it... bloop! Power failure. At this point, she went mega-SC. She got into my co-workers face, spitting with anger as she yelled at the top of her lungs, "YOU are going to re-write ALL 14 PAGES of my term paper, because YOU made me lose it!" He simply shrugged, pointed at the sign, and told her to take it up with the power company.

[mintjam]

Quoth IT Grunt

I feel your pain. I worked in my college's computer lab for my work study, and that was pretty much the same duties I had. Keep the printer full, fix problems with the PCs, and answer questions. NON-homework related, that was the stipulation. You wouldn't believe how many people tried to get me to do their homework for them by phrasing it as a question about a PC problem.

I have that problem too. I'll help them figure out how to use word/excel/power point if they don't know what they're doing... but I will not, CANNOT do the assignment for them. Ever. I don't want to be kicked out for violating academic integrity policies.

[scary cary]

oh man i know it sucks for the girl writing that paper. but then again if you've got signs.... ehh, we all know SC's never read.

[Horsetuna]

Anyone remember Wordperfect? I remember 3.1 and how it autosaved every few minutes for you. I miss that feature...

[Gurndigarn]

Quoth Horsetuna

Anyone remember Wordperfect? I remember 3.1 and how it autosaved every few minutes for you. I miss that feature...

The feature I found somewhat... eerie, though really nice? Rebooting my computer after a powerdown and getting a message along the lines of "You were working on this file before power was interrupted. Would you like to restore it?"

[Pagan]

Quoth Horsetuna

Anyone remember Wordperfect?

Whaddya mean "remember"? I'm using WordPerfect 12 right now! I think that's the latest one. Actually, I prefer it. What what really hilarious, my mom used to be the Admin to a Vice-Provost at NMSU. Whenever reports had to be submitted to the President's office from various department on campus, they were all callin' my mom for help. Why? The President's office used WordPerfect, they were all using Word, except for my mom!

I've got a better one: Anyone remember Lotus 1-2-3? I don't know what the NMSU Biology Dept did after I left. I did departmental billing and was the only one who could write formulas in it!