Rant: Dumb users

[theholycow]

Email conversation...

User: The department director has requested that adjuncts contact you to set up an e-mail address.
Me: Your username is {...} and your email address is {...}. You will have to call me for your password. To use the system:
1. Go to {website} and click "resources"
2. Click "email"
3. Enter {domain\username} in the "Domain\Username" field
4. Enter your password in the password field.

Next day, receive phone call:
Me: Your password is {password}. You can change it after logging in by clicking 'Options'.
User: How do I login to the system?
Me: {reads email that I sent to him}

Next day, email:
User: I spoke with you yesterday and received a password. I logged on and checked e-mail but the system does not work today. Is that a problem with the system or has my password been changed?
Me: The system is working properly.
Your password has not been changed, unless you changed it. Can you describe the failure? For example, are you getting an error message?
If you'd like, I can reset your password to the one I told you on the phone, again.
User: I did not know it had changed.



Was my last email unclear, where I answered his questions and asked what his error was?

---------- Post added at 10:45 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:40 AM ----------

Oh, and this guy is emailing me from a WPI address. Worcester Polytechnic Institute, known second only to MIT for being full of computer geniuses. He teaches at WPI.

Me: Have you changed your password?
User: No
Me: Ok, your password has not changed.
Can you describe the failure? For example, are you getting an error message?

[BillyJeanKing]

@ the WPI guy

[stonehenge]

We had one similar to this:
Guy: I need to upgrade the version of PHP on the web server you setup for me.
Us: Okay, but doing this can cause certain things to break until you update them to work with the new version. If you want, we can move your current site to a VM and point the website to it while you work out any kinks in the actual server with the new PHP version.
Guy: Nah, its okay, I've looked into it and checked my site and everything will work fine after the upgrade.
Us: Okay.
[updates PHP]
Guy: MY SITE IS BROKEN
Us:

---------- Post added at 08:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:22 AM ----------

or this one:

Guy: I've attached a list of files I'd like you to delete from my personal drive.
Us: You listed your public_html folder, are you sure you want to delete this? It would make your website inaccessible.
Guy: Yeah, you can delete it.
Us: Okay, I'll delete them shortly.
[Deletes]
Guy: OMG MY WEBSITE WON'T LOAD ANYMORE

[BillyJeanKing]

Not an IT guy but this made me lol



Blonde Password...

During a recent password audit, it was found that a blonde was using the following password: MickeyMinniePlutoHueyLouieDeweyDonaldGoofyAustin

When asked why such a long password, she said she was told that it had to be at least 8 characters long and include at least one capital.

[stonehenge]

---------- Post added at 09:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:01 AM ----------

I think this fits and it makes me jest pretty hard sometimes:


Video page
Full screen

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by theholycow

Me: Have you changed your password?
User: No
Me: Ok, your password has not changed.
Can you describe the failure? For example, are you getting an error message?

So, he ignored my last email. Going back to Have you changed your password?:
User: Sorry - still not possible to log on.
Me: Are you getting an error message?
User: No - it doesn't recognize either my user name or password.

So he calls and I try logging in as him and it works fine. I ask if he's forgotten to use the domain before the username as described in the first email I wrote him (which remains quoted at the bottom of every email we exchange). Turns out that's the problem. Then he asks me how to do it! So I said I'd forward to him the original email I sent him with instructions.

[stonehenge]

Tell him that you have a 3 strikes rule. After 3 dumbass moves you will no longer respond to his email for 2 weeks (this period can be adjusted to your liking, I use 1 month).

[theholycow]

Ah, I wish I could.

I can understand the problem with remembering to type in the domain. It's unintuitive, and the "Domain\Username" label next to the box isn't in huge bold letters nor is it equipped to slap your face with a hammer. However, the fact that TWICE this idiot has needed me to read (or re-send) him that first email, which remains quoted at the bottom of every email we've exchanged...

[stonehenge]

Originally Posted by theholycow

Ah, I wish I could.

I can understand the problem with remembering to type in the domain. It's unintuitive, and the "Domain\Username" label next to the box isn't in huge bold letters nor is it equipped to slap your face with a hammer. However, the fact that TWICE this idiot has needed me to read (or re-send) him that first email, which remains quoted at the bottom of every email we've exchanged...

Yeah I know exactly what you mean. Of course I'm jk about ignoring them although I'd love to do it also lol