WebTV, Yea, I Had To Touch It

[slamjet]

Yes, I had to go help a person with one. I couldn't believe there was still one out there. I swear, the worst pile of technology out there. I can go another 10 years without ever messing with one again. It seems that there is a grounding issue that if you tough the chassis, it reset itself. Thankfully, her son got her something that is more inline with real computing.

To me, this is the lowest of the low of computer technology I've had the unfortunate privilege of working on. Even lower than Apple Computers What is your worst technology or experience? War stories anyone?

[Iggy]

You did say technology right?

I worked in a True Value Hardware store for nearly 9 years. We had an elderly woman come in to buy an oversize remote universal control for her TV. She said her TV was a Panasonic, so I made sure the remote was compatible.

The next day she came in with the remote, it wouldn't work. So the boss took it to her home, she had a Panasonic, got it to work, and sent the customer home.

She came right back- she was so mad - I suggested that perhaps she may need to clean off the area on the TV where the remote triggers the control. I showed her the red "eye" on another TV, told her what to clean it with and sent her home.

Not 20 minutes later she was back, Now we have myself, the boss, boss's husband and the two cashier's involved. Finally someone asks her to please bring in her old remote (thinking perhaps it is just the batteries that need to be replaced or the infrared "eye' on the remote needs cleaning). She gives us a blank look, then a puzzled look. Never had a remote- she is just tired of getting up and down to change channels and adjust the volume!

We sold her a new TV- and the boss's husband delivered it, AND made sure the extra large remote worked!

[slamjet]

Iggy, that's just priceless!

[scdoyle]

A few years ago a I got a call about one of my school's TeleParent computer that wasn't making it's outgoing phone calls to parents. I found it tucked away in the corner of someone's office and after logging in I found that it was running OS2 Warp. I kindly told them that the computer was dead and that they needed a new one.

[RipplecutBuddha]

My father sold two-way radios for nearly 40 years. Most of his clients were either emergency responders/law enforcement or oil companies and related contractors. In order to do business, he was required to be licensed through the FCC for authorization to use the transmission frequencies he needed. However his FCC license had nothing at all to do with am/fm radio, satellite, or cable transmissions.

Now, I told you that story to tell you this one.

My grandmother (dad's mother in law) was having issues with her cable box. Some of the channels were fine, others weren't, and still others totally disappeared. She called the cable company to ask if they could come look at it. Of course they promised to be there sometime between three pm and the next tuesday. Needless to say they didn't show. So she called them again. Same promise, same result.

Now my grandmother was a very tenacious woman. When she was faced with a problem, she never walked away from it. So...she called my dad and asked if we'd like to come visit her that weekend. He said sure (since we all loved going to grandma's). Then she called the cable company again and once more asked if someone could come look at her cable box. This time the person taking the call said they wouldn't be able to get out to her for a few days. Her response, and I quote; "Well that's okay. My son in law is licensed with the FCC and he's bringing his family over for the weekend. I'm sure he'll be able to fix it when he gets here."

Twenty minutes later, a repairman arrived at grandma's house and swapped out the cable box. When we got there for the weekend, we all enjoyed the free two-year upgrade she got for her troubles.

[HoosierGuy]

I had a webtv back in the late 1990s. I noticed many PC users back then had a strong hatred for webtv users. I find that funny since the TV companies are now pushing internet-TVs. Is that not really an updated webtv?

[slamjet]

I had a webtv back in the late 1990s. I noticed many PC users back then had a strong hatred for webtv users. I find that funny since the TV companies are now pushing internet-TVs. Is that not really an updated webtv?

You are banished to the corner for heresy, shame on you!

Actually, they are very different. WebTV was a glorified way to access Hotmail. It didn't have much in the way of browser capability, nor was it a media center. Now there is MSN TV2 where Micro$oft is trying to resurrect their investment. I don't know much of anything about it but I'll recommend folks to stick with a PC. They can be made into some nice, quiet media center computers. Especially with the new AMD APU's now out.

[ztodd]

...So the boss took it to her home, she had a Panasonic, got it to work, and sent the customer home.

She came right back- she was so mad...

I'm confused by this part. The boss took it to her home and got it to work, but then it didn't work when she tried it?

[Iggy]

I'm confused by this part. The boss took it to her home and got it to work, but then it didn't work when she tried it?

The Boss's panasonic was way newer than the customers. At the store we only sold RCA & Sony's. In the Boss's guest room she had a Panasonic that her grandchildren gave her as a christmas gift- it was only 2 years old.

[ztodd]

Oh!... I thought you mean the customer's home, but you meant the boss' home. LOL at myself

[Blocky]

I had my mother in law call in tears before. She was so upset because her DVR died, loosing about 100 hours of saved soap operas and movies and episodes of who knows what that I 'just had to watch.' She went on and on about how it was dead and stupid Comcast should give her money for all her lost shows and how they were probably going to charge her for it.

Once I was able to get a word in I asked her if it got turned off. Her reply was of course not, she didn't even know how to do that. I asked her to go to the dvr and push the power button. All was well. The days shows even got recorded.

[dahlia]

True story - Back in the early days of Windows, my sister was having a problem with her computer. I was trying to diagnose the issue over the phone. Finally in frustration I said, "Well, maybe it's just frozen up on you."

To which Miss Genius replied, "Maybe. It is kind of cold in here."

Another one from years ago - my stepfather pulled me aside and said he'd seen commercials about 'banking online.' He just wanted to know, "How do you get the money out of the computer?"

[RipplecutBuddha]

True story - Back in the early days of Windows, my sister was having a problem with her computer. I was trying to diagnose the issue over the phone. Finally in frustration I said, "Well, maybe it's just frozen up on you."

To which Miss Genius replied, "Maybe. It is kind of cold in here."

Another one from years ago - my stepfather pulled me aside and said he'd seen commercials about 'banking online.' He just wanted to know, "How do you get the money out of the computer?"

There's an app for that

[Kindan]

I teach people how to use software over the phone. Once a customer had a question I didn't know the answer to, and I said

"I don't know, let's Google that"

and she said, "I don't remember where to go to do that."

[Iggy]

Is a vacuum cleaner in the technology department?

I took a call at the Hardware store from an extremely agitated, irate customer.

He had been in earlier, tested several of the vacuums. He didn't want a "floor" model, so we got one in a box, put it together for him and sent him home.

When he finally shut up long enough for me to talk I asked him:

ME: What is the problem.

HIM: The machine just won't suck.

ME: Does it turn on at all?

HIM: Yes, but it doesn't suck- it just makes noise.

ME: Turn it on so I can hear the kind of noise

HIM: Turns it on, sounds normal to me.

HIM: It just isn't sucking- whine, whine, high pitched whine.

ME: Do you see the cord on the back of the handle of the vacuum?

HIM: Yes.

ME: Follow it down and see if it got unplugged from the back of the vacuum.

HIM: {high pitched whiney voice) I have it plugged into the wall, where the electricity is- do you mean it has to plugged in twice?

ME: No, but the power bar and the vacuuming part need to have the electricity get to it. So is it plugged in?

HIM: Well, I am looking, ah, oh, . . . (the machine had been running and it changed in pitch- the suck part had been engaged) c l i c k.

He hung up on me.

Now, the funniest part was, he was talking so loud that I had the phone away from my ear and the cashiers & my Boss heard the entire conversation- when he abruptly hung up- it was so funny. Took us quite a while to quit the giggles.

[Mahone]

It's funny how so many people fail to ensure power is actually reaching a device before assuming it is broken.

In a place I've helped out at in the distant past, the cleaners did a thorougher sweep of the building over the weekend. In order to plug things like vacuums in, sometimes other things (i.e. computers) had to be unplugged. These were often not plugged back in again after the cleaners had finished. I think we had about 20 people contact us for help, all of which were resolved by plugging them back in again.

At the same place, I'd get a few calls where people would inform me they had checked the plug and it still wasn't working. Once I get there, I see that they have checked the plug is actually in the socket, but obviously forgot to check the cable was connected to the device itself. Extension leads plugged into themselves are more common than I'd like to think too.

In another place I've worked at in the distant past, we had a power dip for half the day. This meant that we had enough power for the lights, and for a lot of the workstations, but the power hungry stuff like servers and the networking equipment just couldn't draw enough power to operate - we had to shut them all down eventually as we couldn't risk them being damaged. Try explaining that there is a problem with the electricity board, and thats why the network isn't operational when most of the other electrical devices across school are still working.

Edited July 30, 2011 by Mahone

[Iggy]

When i worked at the local little grocery store, they put in scanners and computerized the registers. Also they put in new Credit/Debit scanners at the registers.

During a Rip Snorter of a winter storm, we lost power. All we had was battery lights and the battery backup to the computers. We had to do all the credit/debit cards with the slide machines and call to get approval codes. We used an intercom phone to the upstairs office, one of the employees sat there and made the calls and then relayed the approval to us via the intercom.

A young woman who worked at the Bank, came in and did her shopping- Bank is 100% computerized, no power=bank closes. Before I start to ring her up(no scanning, have to input all bar code numbers by hand) I tell her that the card machine is out, and I can not take Oregon Trail (food stamp) cards, but I can do Credit & Bank Debit cards. Okay- she says she understands.

This gal has done her weeks shopping, including WIC. After 25 minutes of ringing up each WIC check items, we get to the rest of her groceries. She is sliding her Oregon Trail card in the machine. I tell her again, because of the power outage it won't work- she will have to pay cash, or use a bank card.

She points to the computer cash register monitor and says - that is working, it's computer, then make this work!

I explain that the monitor & cash register computers are on battery back-up. Our battery backup will not power the credit & debit scanners.

After about 5 minutes of this, the Boss comes to the register and explains again- Finally he says: Say, I recognize you- you work at Local Bank- they closed because of the power outage right? You can use your Oregon Trail card at the ATM there and get cash to pay for your groceries- you call OT to get authorization. She says, well I already tried that and the ATM machine isn't on battery backup. BINGO!

You know, she still didn't get it. At the bank, their monitors were NOT connected to battery backup. She thought that if the monitor is on, then everything is on.

Oregon Trail will not authorize payment over the phone to anyone EXCEPT the card holder. We have to take the card holder to the office upstairs to make the phone call. 98% of the OT cards refuse to give us their pin. (with all the other numbers we have to remember- we won't remember yours) With no power, no lights upstairs, have to use flashlights and the store owners didn't want to risk it- insurance reasons.

Edited July 30, 2011 by Iggy

[Mahone]

When i worked at the local little grocery store, they put in scanners and computerized the registers. Also they put in new Credit/Debit scanners at the registers.

During a Rip Snorter of a winter storm, we lost power. All we had was battery lights and the battery backup to the computers. We had to do all the credit/debit cards with the slide machines and call to get approval codes. We used an intercom phone to the upstairs office, one of the employees sat there and made the calls and then relayed the approval to us via the intercom.

A young woman who worked at the Bank, came in and did her shopping- Bank is 100% computerized, no power=bank closes. Before I start to ring her up(no scanning, have to input all bar code numbers by hand) I tell her that the card machine is out, and I can not take Oregon Trail (food stamp) cards, but I can do Credit & Bank Debit cards. Okay- she says she understands.

This gal has done her weeks shopping, including WIC. After 25 minutes of ringing up each WIC check items, we get to the rest of her groceries. She is sliding her Oregon Trail card in the machine. I tell her again, because of the power outage it won't work- she will have to pay cash, or use a bank card.

She points to the computer cash register monitor and says - that is working, it's computer, then make this work!

I explain that the monitor & cash register computers are on battery back-up. Our battery backup will not power the credit & debit scanners.

After about 5 minutes of this, the Boss comes to the register and explains again- Finally he says: Say, I recognize you- you work at Local Bank- they closed because of the power outage right? You can use your Oregon Trail card at the ATM there and get cash to pay for your groceries- you call OT to get authorization. She says, well I already tried that and the ATM machine isn't on battery backup. BINGO!

You know, she still didn't get it. At the bank, their monitors were NOT connected to battery backup. She thought that if the monitor is on, then everything is on.

Oregon Trail will not authorize payment over the phone to anyone EXCEPT the card holder. We have to take the card holder to the office upstairs to make the phone call. 98% of the OT cards refuse to give us their pin. (with all the other numbers we have to remember- we won't remember yours) With no power, no lights upstairs, have to use flashlights and the store owners didn't want to risk it- insurance reasons.

That entire scenario sounds like a logistical nightmare - I feel for you. How long did that powercut last? I think I may have been tempted to decline any method of payment other than cash. I guess it depends on how many customers you get per day, but 25 minutes sorting payment out sounds infeasible

[Iggy]

That entire scenario sounds like a logistical nightmare - I feel for you. How long did that powercut last? I think I may have been tempted to decline any method of payment other than cash. I guess it depends on how many customers you get per day, but 25 minutes sorting payment out sounds infeasible

Power came back on 4 hours later, then went out again during the night. It was out for 2 days then.

As long as we could call the credit card companies to get approval on cards, the owners wanted to stay open.

It was worse for them, they had triple the bookkeeping- :)