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Me: ever-patient student tech support
SF: Silly Faculty
Me: "Techdesk, Impetrix speaking, how may I help you?"
SF: "Hi, I'm trying to get this thing working for a friend. He had dial-up, and got DSL, and now he can't get his email."
Me: "Hmmm, was he using webmail or an email program?"
SF: "Eudora."
Me: "Well, the settings in Eudora should work regardless of the type of connection you have... Are you getting other webpages?"
SF: "Yes, but then when I try to dial in to Bucknell to get the email, it says there's no dial tone..."
Me: "Er, if you already have an internet connection, you don't need to dial in..."
SF: "Ohhhh. Ok, let me try again.... nope, I click to get mail, and it gives the error 'could not obtain network address'".
Me: "Hmmm, and you're sure you're able to access web pages?"
SF: "Yes."
Me: "....alright, why don't we try using Webmail? That's at webmail.schoolname.edu"
SF: "Ok, sure, I'll try going through the website. What's the school home page?"
Me: "Erm, schoolname.edu"
SF: "Schoolname.edu.... huh. s-c-h-o-o-l-n-a-m-e.edu... huh, it's not going."
Me: "..."
SF: "OH! I didn't have the modem turned on.... OK, there's the website."
Me: "....y'know, why don't we try Eudora again..."
SF: "Since we're going through the school website now? OH, because I didn't have a connection before. Ooo, it's working now."
Me: "Great!"
SF: "Thanks for holding my hand like this.... it was kinda the blind leading the blind over here..."
Me: "No problem, have a nice day!"
*click*
Me: (to coworkers and the heavens) IT HELPS IF YOU TURN THE MODEM ON!!!!
(Again, note that she's setting it up for another faculty member, presumably less computer-savvy. It could have been worse.)
SF: Silly Faculty
Me: "Techdesk, Impetrix speaking, how may I help you?"
SF: "Hi, I'm trying to get this thing working for a friend. He had dial-up, and got DSL, and now he can't get his email."
Me: "Hmmm, was he using webmail or an email program?"
SF: "Eudora."
Me: "Well, the settings in Eudora should work regardless of the type of connection you have... Are you getting other webpages?"
SF: "Yes, but then when I try to dial in to Bucknell to get the email, it says there's no dial tone..."
Me: "Er, if you already have an internet connection, you don't need to dial in..."
SF: "Ohhhh. Ok, let me try again.... nope, I click to get mail, and it gives the error 'could not obtain network address'".
Me: "Hmmm, and you're sure you're able to access web pages?"
SF: "Yes."
Me: "....alright, why don't we try using Webmail? That's at webmail.schoolname.edu"
SF: "Ok, sure, I'll try going through the website. What's the school home page?"
Me: "Erm, schoolname.edu"
SF: "Schoolname.edu.... huh. s-c-h-o-o-l-n-a-m-e.edu... huh, it's not going."
Me: "..."
SF: "OH! I didn't have the modem turned on.... OK, there's the website."
Me: "....y'know, why don't we try Eudora again..."
SF: "Since we're going through the school website now? OH, because I didn't have a connection before. Ooo, it's working now."
Me: "Great!"
SF: "Thanks for holding my hand like this.... it was kinda the blind leading the blind over here..."
Me: "No problem, have a nice day!"
*click*
Me: (to coworkers and the heavens) IT HELPS IF YOU TURN THE MODEM ON!!!!
(Again, note that she's setting it up for another faculty member, presumably less computer-savvy. It could have been worse.)
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