ELECTRONIC CONSPIRACY!

[Hyena Dandy]

About ten times in the last several weeks, I have had a variant on this conversation.

TS: Tech Support
HD: Me.

TS: Hello, [company] Tech Support, my name is [name] how may I help you?
HD: Everything works fine, sorry to bother you.


This is REALLY starting to annoy me, as I'm sure its annoying them. This hasn't just happened with one thing, either. My laptop, desktop, modem, and 360 have all done this to me. They refuse to work, at all. I try turning them on, hit the right buttons, whatever. Then I call the tech support number. Then I get a little automated guide, which tells me to do basically what I just did. Then it asks me if it works. It does not. Then they connect me through to tech support. This usually takes five minutes. I sit in front of a blank screen for five minutes to see if it works. It does not.

Then the tech picks up. And then it turns on.

This has happened with all four of those things. Multiple times.

My only logical conclusion is a conspiracy of the electronics in my house to slowly drive me mad.

[Gerrinson]

Ah, you've just been hit by ye olde IT 'magic touch'. When we touch it (or even talk to you about it over the phone) it works!

At least that's better than having to ship your 360 back to Microsoft for repairs, right?

[JoitheArtist]

That happens to me too, most notably with my work computer. It likes to lock up, restart, have random errors, etc...but as soon as the IT guy comes near it, it behaves.

IT guy didn't believe me until he had my computer while I was away. It behaved for him the whole time...until I came back and stood by his desk, at which point it gave a weird error and rebooted.

He's given up on me, and just says my personal magnetic field must be off or something. Actually, he's probably right: I can't wear watches, either. They lose time like crazy and start acting weird within a month of me wearing them, then die. I decided to have mercy on them and just not try to wear a watch anymore.

[lordlundar]

One of the laws based off of Murphy. Can't fight it.

When it happens though, please explain what happened and how it resolved. Part of the techs job is to resolve the issue as permanently as possible (barring human intelligence, or lack thereof). The problem could very well occur again, and all that will do is piss you off.

[Hyena Dandy]

One of the laws based off of Murphy. Can't fight it.

When it happens though, please explain what happened and how it resolved. Part of the techs job is to resolve the issue as permanently as possible (barring human intelligence, or lack thereof). The problem could very well occur again, and all that will do is piss you off.

I can't explain how it resolved, OR what happened. Just stopped working, now it works again.


I did get a new modem, though. And it works like a dream.

[ta2ooed1]

I love those calls!

It's the best to pick up and have someone say, "Oh, it's fixed sorry to bother you"

I don't get them nearly as often since i moved from general tech support to buiding interfaces between medical databases.

Which makes it all the sweeter when it does happen!

[SG15Z]

haha. This happens at work. A register starts acting up and they call me over and all the sudden it starts working. It helps to threaten them .

[Racket_Man]

haha. This happens at work. A register starts acting up and they call me over and all the sudden it starts working. It helps to threaten them .

I had that happen ALL the time when I was MIS manager for the jewelry stores. this was esp fun during Christmas. a store's register would mysteriously fuzz out. the protocal was to call me day or night. at home I would see my caller ID and start swearing. as soon as I picked up the phone the register would right itself. never could figure it out unless it involved my unknown psychic abilities projecting maheim at the machines

[smileyeagle1021]

I can't wear watches, either. They lose time like crazy and start acting weird within a month of me wearing them, then die. I decided to have mercy on them and just not try to wear a watch anymore.

holy crap, you too
my boyfriend has the same problem, he has to reset his watch about once a week because no matter what watch he wears it will start running fast... once I even saw his watch start running backwards

[Setsunaela]

holy crap, you too
my boyfriend has the same problem, he has to reset his watch about once a week because no matter what watch he wears it will start running fast... once I even saw his watch start running backwards

me three. And my mom four. Both of us have a similar problem. I remember being all mad at my mom when I was little and couldn't wear one of those cute girly digital watches all the other girls had

on a more on-topic note, my wireless router is notorious for stopping working, and i wait for it to kick back on by itself, and i wait, and i finally decide to go reboot it manually, and my hubby calls down as soon as i get into the room it's in.

[csquared]

Relax, the electronics are not conspiring against you.

It's the Gnomes. They are using the electronics against you.

Lordlundar is right. Report the problem. Even if it solves its self. When your warranty expires, it might help if you can show a history of problems the pre-date the end of warranty. And stop playing with it once you call support.

I can't wear watches, either. They lose time like crazy and start acting weird within a month of me wearing them, then die.

What do you call the opposite of the "Midas Touch?" My brother in law has that. He works in Quality Control. As part of his job, he would do random testing of parts. It was well know where he worked that if there was one defective part in the bin, it would be the one he would pull for testing. As it failed, all the other parts in the bin would have to be tested. No other parts would fail.

One time a coworker was complaining that she did not feel well and did not want to work. He rubbed his hands over one of the monitors of a "two person" test station. Within an hour, that side of the test station failed.

[MsCrankypants]

Relax, the electronics are not conspiring against you.

What do you call the opposite of the "Midas Touch?" My brother in law has that.

I don't know if this is the official name, but I call it the "Cat Poop Touch." I seem to have it far too often for my liking.