InsideTech

Do you find yourself working in an atmosphere where there is a positive teamwork environment, but it only takes one manager or supervisor who brings the moral down because of no, or barely a sense of humor?

I was working one early morning when I attempted to send an email.  It just hung there and didn't go anywhere and after a minute I got the error message that the message could not be sent.  It seems that the Exchange Server needed rebooted however although the IT department team were logged into IM, none were responding to my Instant Messages, nor were they answering their phones.  Needing the problem resolved, I went upstairs to the IT department and cornered them who then proceeded to resolve the issue.  When I got back to my desk, my supervisor asked where I was "goofing off" at.  When I told her what was going on, she stated that I shouldn't have gone up there and that I should have sent an email to the IT Team.

Another thing she almost popped a blood vessel over.  I touch type and never look at the keys when I am typing and this included the number keys, so one day when I was going to train someone I reversed the numeric key pad replacing the top row with the bottom row as a joke to the new employee, (yes, I am a prankster.)  I had a good laugh with the new guy and actually he thought it was quite funny after realizing he wasn't going insane.  Unfortunately, as said I touch type and forgot to change the keypad back.  I was off the next two days and when I got back I got chewed out because I changed the keys, (someone used my PC while I was off and whined about it.)  She said that I shouldn't have left it like that and didn't want to disturb our IT Team about it.  I switched the buttons back to normal thinking to myself, "She is a technical supervisor?"

Heh, yeah I screw around with people's minds all the time.  It's pretty laid back around here.  I'll VNC to their box and backspace when they type or change their pw to "iforgot" after they forget it, three times.  It breaks up the monotony but yeah there's always someone who can't take a joke and makes a big deal so I'll just leave them alone, they're suffering enough already.     

@razak  I have to do that pw thingy, haven't done that on.  Thanks for the tip.

@tech_know  I do the key re-arranging, but on the number pad.  Apparently I was one of the few that could touch type the keypad at work.  And I have also done the monitor rotation.  Try Cont+Alt+the down arrow.  It will rotate it 180 degrees.  And as far as sounds go, I changed my Instant Messenger, which was used at lot at work.  Whenever I got a message, instead of the default tone, mine would make a "squeeky toy" sound; it drove everyone batty.

That is who I did it to.  Mainly new hires and interns.  It would freak them out.  I told one, (he was not a tech) that if the keyboard is left dormaint for a period of time without the system being shut down or locked down it would cause an "inversion of the video feed" which would require a reformat.  I told them the best solution at least for the day is to turn their monitor upside down.  I stopped them before they actually did it though.

Yea, I would say the least.   Some people.  I have actually known people who were told to staple ethernet cables to the baseboard using a stapler and then would call me when they lost connectivity due to the staple passing through the cable.  Oh, I just thought of something else, but it belongs in another forum.  Bonehead moves forum.

HOLD THE BOAT!!  I AM in that forum.  @Barry, I know what it means to be operating on one brain cell.

I knew someone who had a damaged RJ45 connector.  It wouldn't stay seated in the NIC.  He ask me what was the best fix.  I told him I could cut the end off and install a new RJ45, but I would charge him...OR...get a new cable.  The next day he called saying that he couldn't get online.  I asked if he replaced the cable and he said no.  He coated it with epoxy and pushed it into the NIC, taped it down over night and the cable was now secure.  Dohhhhh!

Oh yeah... BTW...

The beach is great for flying... You can even fly sailplanes, but you should get some experience first. The wind can be a great ally, or a wing snapping nemisis...

Recently, a guy hit a city council member with a plane. Since then, signs banning RC Flight have gone up everywhere...

Geez, one little 80 mph collision and some people just get alllll bent outta shape.

I see dumb people...

Sometimes... they don't even know they're dumb...