Uni Relations and Mail Merge

[technical.angel]

While I was babysitting one of our work study students on a work order (it was a mac, he uses mac, they were made for each other), I got called over to look at an "excel" issue.

In actuality, she was doing mail merge letters in Word.

It started out with the biggest mail merge mistake. Changing the names of the set mail merge fields. This makes them not mail merge fields anymore. I told her she had to fix all the ones she changed through the mail merge tool.

While showing her what to do, I saw she had a huge folder of spreadsheets in it. She explained the process she was taught, which was that she had information for one person per spreadsheet. It was pretty much just a step from changing everyone's name manually.

So I had to show her that she could take the original spreadsheet and make all the letters in one go. She was shocked and surprised.

*I* was shocked and surprised when she told me who told her to set it up that way. She should have known better. My guess is she had told this person one thing, who heard something completely different. From what I know of both of them, I'm pretty sure it's true.

[Kilamon]

*I* was shocked and surprised when she told me who told her to set it up that way. She should have known better. My guess is she had told this person one thing, who heard something completely different. From what I know of both of them, I'm pretty sure it's true.

Never underestimate the stupidity of people in groups.

[technical.angel]

After pondering it all weekend, I think I know what was said, and how it feasibly could be turned into what was heard. It's still a little shocking.

[earl colby pottinger]

But I already told you

What gets me, if I think I may have misunderstood someone and ask some confirming questions, they look at me as if I am stupid and insist that they already told me everything.

If they still refuse to answer my follow-up questions and I go ahead with what I thought I heard, half the time it is all wrong and hours if not days of work get wasted.

And they still get upset the next time I try to ask a confirming question.

[technical.angel]

Well, then when you go back with everything screwed half way to Nantucket, you can say, "well, I tried to make sure I understood what you said, but you didn't let me!"