There Goes Another Night

By Timothy R Butler | Posted at 6:08 AM

I've just spent the night trying — well, I guess I shouldn't post quite yet, since I post under my real name. Let's just say sometimes I feel even more reassured than normal that I am doing the best thing getting out of the consulting business.

I'll also say that this incident can be blamed for it being at least tomorrow before I'll get the new site design up here. sigh

Fellow consultants and others that must deal with “users” trying to figure out computers, feel free to share your “war stories” below.

Tags: Work

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5 comments posted so far.

Re: There Goes Another Night

I’ve told this story millions of times, but it’s still my favourite:

Lady in her late 50’s comes into my office and says the tutorial CD she has got won’t work. I ask her if she’s sure she has inserted it correctly and she says “yes”. We walk into her office, where I press the button for the CD tray. Out comes an empty tray. I ask the lady for the disk, but she says it’s in the computer. “But there’s nothing here”, I tell her. She looks as if I’m being rude and insists that she put it in the computer. It turns out she had squeezed into the fine slot between the CD unit and the shell of the computer, so I had to take the computer apart to get it out. :)

Posted by Flip - Feb 22, 2005 | 9:51 AM- Location: Sweden

Re: There Goes Another Night

Sorry, no horror stories. However, I can remark on my amusement that you are shifting gears the same time I am. I’ve been called to move away from hobby computing and focus more on my ministry work. It’s as if I am being prepared for a situation wherein I’ll have no time for a computer hobby.

Go where you are led, and with my prayers for your peace.

Posted by Ed Hurst - Feb 22, 2005 | 3:34 PM- Location: Rural SE Texas

Re: There Goes Another Night

If you haven’t seen http://rinkworks.com/stupid/ already, go there and cry. Cry, that is, at how stupid some people can be when it comes to computers.

Okay, so maybe I’m being a bit harsh. But, still. It’s funny. :D

Posted by Ciaran - Feb 22, 2005 | 4:59 PM- Location: England, UK

Re: There Goes Another Night

That’s quite a story, Flip. I can’t believe someone would actually try to squeeze a CD in between the pieces of plastic molding!

Ed, I think we are definitely heading the same direction in that regard, although I’m moving there much more slowly. But, incidents like this help keep me on track, nonetheless.

Ciaran… that does indeed show how bottomless the pit of computer stupidity can be. :-)

Posted by Timothy R. Butler - Feb 23, 2005 | 5:18 AM- Location: MO

Re: There Goes Another Night

I think WIT?!?!? wins an award for stupid-computer-user stories…

Posted by kevin - Feb 23, 2005 | 5:28 AM- Location: Milwaukie, OR

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