My day (so far) in review

[technical.angel]

"Your password needs to be something different than it is currently, and cannot be your first or last name."

• "Can it stay the same?"
• "Make it my last name."
• "How about my last name and first initial?"
• "Do I tell you what I want it?"
• "OMGWTFBBQ! I can't use my old password? What kind of racket are you running here?!?!? I'm going to DIE if I have to use another password!!!"

"I need something like an unoffical transcript. Can I find something like that?"

Have you tried the Unoffical Transcript section?

"I need my username and password for this website that you've never heard of."

So, I go to this site, and it's for our new online portfolio system that I've only heard of in passing. In bright big letters, filling 3/4ths of the screen is a message that if you need help with this, call Helpdesk. No one's ever told us anything about this, we have no idea how to get usernames and passwords, we know NOTHING about this. Dept head is out, as her daughter leaves to go back to college tomorrow. I is pissed.

[Shabo]

Ooh! My school plays that game too!!!

We have a department set up to reset passwords for any system run by the school. So instead of listing a number to reach them, the password troubled users are given my office's number. We literally can not do anything for them. Most of the time, if we get them halfway through resetting one password, they don't know their email password and so off they go to the password reset team again. Sure, there's a password reset tool, but for that to work, it would involve the people following the directions listed on the page. I guarantee that most people who are unable to reset their password have a problem because they are not following the rules. And yes, it does suck. Every time I get the, "Yeah, it's saying my password is expired, and I can't log into *system*, and I tried to reset it, but it's telling me there has been a problem and to call you." My first question is always, "is your new password completely different from your old ones?" Nine times out of ten, the answer is, "Oh, it has to be completely different?" No, it just says that in the print on the page for good measure.

And let's talk about how no matter the reason for the password reset tool not working, it always gives the error message "There has been a problem changing your password. Contact" blah blah blabbity. Why is it so hard to give useful information in an error message?!?!