IT Geeks. Gotta love 'em.

[WRT]

We have spare modems, but none that are set up to accept dial in calls. Hell, we dont even have a phone line in the server room. We can do remote access over VPN, but it requires setting up a program on the client PC - and its definately not an end-user installable app. I could give the lady a blank floppy disk - would that help? Actually, might have to make that a blank CD, we are getting less and less PC's here with FDD's in them (thank fk).

[Wolf]

Haven't read all of this thread but I will add this...

IT people have pulled the wool over so many companies and held them to ransom with their bullshit. But this is only because so many NZ companies have very poor or no corporate governance. IT is just a tool and should be used to create portability and transparency to make doing business easier and improving customer support.

This is one reason service in NZ sucks big time. Try ringing a large company and get any meaningful information out of them. You can't. Most of the blame can be proportioned to companies that are driven by IT and not the Business. Too many disparate IT systems built without any vision. I see this every day, it's what I do.

Let the business decide what they need and IT should facilitate this.

Can you please post examples of some of these companies that are driven by IT and not Business, I should very much like to work for one.

But yeah, it's all them IT bastidges fault, eh, they should "proactively" just do what every Tom, Dick and Harry says when they're told to, irrespective of company policy, funding, security and whatever other tasks might be on the job list - that way you can blame them again when sales drop because this wasn't done on time and for the budget over-runs for IT equipment etc etc. Silly IT people, should know when to go over the manager's head and authorise expenditure and reprioritising, eh.

[WRT]

Careful there Finn, you'll upset them and they'll band together in their musty little rooms and think up ways of getting even.
Meanwhile the rest of us will keep enjoying life.

Actually, he does have a point. Its not just NZ tho, and its not just companies. Nor is it just IT. Some dude has just been in the news because he was trying to tell his customers that they needed to replace perfectly good parts in their washing machines. Where ever you go, some one in business will be trying to "pull the wool". You cant group all washing machine repair men under the same label tho, neither can you do that with IT guys. I'm nothing like the BOFH or whatever the hell he's called.

And despite what most people say about mechanics, you just try asking Motu when the last time he "pulled the wool" some dude who's car he fixed. See what sort of response you get!

[Lou Girardin]

And despite what most people say about mechanics, you just try asking Motu when the last time he "pulled the wool" some dude who's car he fixed. See what sort of response you get!

This didn't start with accusations of wool pulling, probably it was more laziness. As evidenced by the fact that fear got the job done.
It's more that IT people have achieved an importance beyond reality, but deep down they still have that fear of being accused of nerdiness.
So you get a rabid reaction when that fear is triggered by any criticism.

[WRT]

It didnt start with the term "pulling the wool" in your original post, but you will note that we have moved on from that now and both you and I referred to Finn's post, where he did use the term "pulling the wool".

And you can call me what ever you like. I dont consider myself a nerd (nor am I one to normally go by other peoples labels), but I have worked with IT "Professionals" who have been proud to wear the label "nerd" or "geek" - each unto their own I guess.

I dont actually think that any of my posts have been "rabid" either. Any rabies involved with them would have to have been on the part of the reader, not the writer. As for laziness - sure, if you want to jump to conclusions with out checking facts first, then you can think the IT team were being lazy, so long as you are prepared to let them think your wife lazy for not just coming into the office to do her report.

[Drunken Monkey]

Fair enough Lou, you got "us" there.

Well, you've got give the IT Geeks at least one slag-off thread, because I lost count of how many threads there were complaining about crap service from bike shops...

[Lou Girardin]

I dont actually think that any of my posts have been "rabid" either. Any rabies involved with them would have to have been on the part of the reader, not the writer. , so long as you are prepared to let them think your wife lazy for not just coming into the office to do her report.

Actually, it wasn't your posts I thought rabid. Those were obvious.
As for her being lazy, well I think she's bloody lazy too. Having an operation on both feet is no excuse for not crawling to the nearest bus stop or taxi and then crawling into work so that she can sit at her desk.
But what the hell. She should've just said I'm on sick leave, fuck you all, do without me. That seems the acceptable attitude these days.

[WRT]

LOL, yeah fair enough. But I know how she feels, there are still a few of us prepared to go a little bit further for the sake of getting the job done, whatever the industry (IT included, believe it or not).

[mdb]

If we added up everyone's 2 cents worth we would have $1.66. Of course that has to be rounded down to $1.65. But it costs approx $120.00 for the average finance dept to raise a cheque so we'll make it $121.65. Of course the govt wants at least 1/3rd of that in tax so you'll end up with $80.00. At the current cost of petrol $1.70.9 I would get just under 47 litres (91 grade fuel). That would take me 890km away from work (which sounds as though it isn't a very happy place for some people)!

[Biff]

I stood before a crowd of middle aged men recently, talking about IP networks, and I said the word 'router'. Now being as I'm Welsh, and as Wales is closer to England than NZ, we tend to pronounce the word properly. Not like the Kiwis who pronounce it 'rowter'.

Anyway - a couple of guys giggled when I said 'router', I asked what was funny? Thay said the way I pronounced 'router' sounded funny, like "root her".

So I called them childish twats. They asked me what a twat was. I gave up.

[Wolf]

I stood before a crowd of middle aged men recently, talking about IP networks, and I said the word 'router'. Now being as I'm Welsh, and as Wales is closer to England than NZ, we tend to pronounce the word properly. Not like the Kiwis who pronounce it 'rowter'.

Anyway - a couple of guys giggled when I said 'router', I asked what was funny? Thay said the way I pronounced 'router' sounded funny, like "root her".

So I called them childish twats. They asked me what a twat was. I gave up.

It's only pronounced "rowter" here to prevent us from being giggled at by childish twats. We know the correct way to pronounce it but the Umerkin version is used deliberately to avoid confusion with "root 'er" or "someone who roots".

We also know that the correct device spelled "router" and pronounced "rowter" is a power tool with a fast-spinning cutting blade that routs channels into wood.

[Big Dave]

They asked me what a twat was.

A: See 'Beckham, David.'

[SN4PD]

Quote:
Another user rings.

"I need more space" he says

"Well, why not move to Texas?" I ask

"No, on my account, stupid."

Stupid? Uh-Oh..

ROFLMAO

[MOTOXXX]

i can see this being a typical IT vs User shit fight.

One thing ive learnt is that politics around setting up remote connections. one of my clients wants his accountant to get remote access so he can use quick books etc. Hes running a 2k3 sbs server, runs a "ISA" firewall and has had no backups since october last year.

when i ask the accountants IT people how he connects to other sites they tell me he uses a PPTP connection and makes the accountants client sign a form saying any damage to the sight from hacking etc is not his fault.

dang

[Edbear]

I'd like to thank most of you on this thread for helping me learn a lot more about IT than I knew. It has been very entertaining and informative. Now if we could all take a moment to consider how we could avoid misjudging one another quite so much we could all have a group hug.