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Main Forums => Flamer's Corner => Topic started by: xolik on March 02, 2007, 03:46:02 PM

Title: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on March 02, 2007, 03:46:02 PM
ITT we post rants about anything and everything work-related.

Fuck Trendmicro. Their shitty Officescan software is a poorly written piece of monkey shit that can't manage tmp files to save its life. Average tmp file size is supposed to be ~800kb. The fucking thing shat out a 5GB tmp file, then two minutes later another 4.5GB tmp file. Looking through the disk, I realize that it's just not an option for it to, you know, actually delete tmp files on its own after it's done with them. Oh no. That would be too easy. We'll keep writing new ones every few minutes until the disk fills and the server crashes. Time for me to go in and manually start deleting things. That's when I got this delightful message:

(http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/5497/wtfcp7.jpg)

Wait, what? I want to delete the files to free up disk space, but you're telling me you can't delete them because the disk is full and you reccomend deleting files.

My head asplode.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 03, 2007, 01:40:04 PM
That's one of my favourite Windows-isms.  "I can't delete files.  There isn't enough disk space to do that."   :roll:

One of my other favorites is "cannot delete: directory not empty".


I KNOW that directory isn't empty!  THAT'S WHY I'M TRYING TO DELETE THE FUCKING THING!   :x

And another is not allowing an Administrator level user to delete or access something.

Xolik, I know you don't always appreciate my "Linux is better than Windows because..." rants, but this is one thing that, philosophically anyway, Linux gets right and Windows irks me about to no end.

At work I manage many many Windows Server 2003 terminal servers.  I am a domain admin on all of our domains.

On a regular basis I will try to go into a user's roaming profile directory (like to copy in a config file for some 3rd party software, or to troubleshoot a problem) and be told "Access is denied".

Access.  For a domain admin.  To a folder on a server in that domain.  DENIED.


(http://www.guildhaven.org/images/smilies/crazy2.gif)

That does not compute.  It totally makes NO FUCKING SENSE.

On a regular basis this happens, at random, and I have to kick that user off the server, take OWNERSHIP of that directory, and then manually re-assign folder permissions and ownership to the user (and the Domain Admins group, so that I can still access it afterward), just so I can get into it.

In the Linux world, if you are root, there is no such thing as "access is denied".  Period.  I never have to take ownership of a folder just to see its contents.  I never have to reboot a box just to delete a directory or a file.

Philosophically speaking, that is a fundamental flaw in Windows, and it drives me fricking nuts.  Administrator is god.  But not on a Windows box.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: jeee on March 03, 2007, 04:12:23 PM
WINDOWZ COMEZ FRUM AMERICA !








 :wink:

You're totally right Demo, I am a windows admin but since a few months we have a few Linux boxes for our payroll software, so far I am suprised by their convenience
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Nosferatu on March 03, 2007, 05:47:56 PM
It totally makes NO FUCKING SENSE.

That's just Windows all over.

Been doing a "Supporting Users and Troubleshooting a Desktop Operating System" class in my college course.  It boils down to Microsoft tech support.  Users, groups and permissions is the biggest headache I've ever experienced.  The lecturer (Who's MS Certified) even had trouble explaining most of it.

For being the industry standard, Windows realy needs to be scrapped and re-written from scratch, there's only so long you can duct tape new things on to an old product before it starts falling appart.  (Never used Vista though, so I can't comment on that)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on March 03, 2007, 07:23:12 PM
Isn't vista basically XP that degrades performance and tells on you?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on March 03, 2007, 11:25:01 PM
Demo, I totally agree with you on this one. Root access kicks ass. For Domain Admins to get an Access Denied error that means the user was either smart\dangeous enough to figure out how to remove group memberships from their folders. Screw that. I don't mind 'Unix is better than Windows because of...' type of responses, honestly. What I hate are the "LOLZ INSTALL UNIX PROBLEM SOLVED M$ SUCKS LOLOLO" as a response to ANY Windows related issue. This actually is crap I read on some tech forums I visit and it bugs the shit out of me.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on March 04, 2007, 04:32:48 AM
I agree. I have had that same problem with permissions happen to me on several occasions, and it doesn't make any sense. It's really a pain in the ass to have to change the ownership, too. Especially if it's on a bunch of directories with a lot of crap in them. :cry:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Nosferatu on March 04, 2007, 08:10:56 PM
Isn't vista basically XP that degrades performance and tells on you?

From what I've heard, they've embedded some widgets and made the windows semi-transparent.

Revolutionary stuff from the offices of Microsoft, right there! =P
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 13, 2007, 05:26:22 PM
I agree. I have had that same problem with permissions happen to me on several occasions, and it doesn't make any sense. It's really a pain in the ass to have to change the ownership, too. Especially if it's on a bunch of directories with a lot of crap in them. :cry:

*nods*

The absolute BEST is when I need to take ownership of a folder JUST SO I CAN GET INTO IT (  :x ), do what I need to do, and then give ownership back to the user to whom this roaming profile belongs, and re-assign the permissions on it that I hosed up by taking ownership.... only to find that they REFUSE to propagate to subfolders and files.

I have -- and I shit you not -- had to manually re-assign folder permissions on subfolders one at a time at times, even though inheritance is turned on, and even though "Replace permission entries on all child objects with entries shown here that apply to child objects" is fricking CHECKED in the "advanced security settings" for the top-level folder.

What's funny is that most of the time that works just fine and I don't have to do that.  But sometimes it doesn't.

I'm just convinced that filesystem security, permissions, and ownership are all broken in Windows.  Linux isn't perfect for everything.  But ferfucksake, it can at least handle simple things like that elegantly and reliably.   :roll:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on March 13, 2007, 05:36:16 PM
Quote
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

--Arthur C. Clarke

Quote
Any sufficiently bolloxed up technology is indistinguishable from a petulant teenager.

--Ivan
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 13, 2007, 05:42:04 PM
Any technology not indistinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Vespertine on March 16, 2007, 05:06:55 PM
You know, when you tell someone that you're going to get back to them mid-week, how FUCKING HARD IS IT TO DO THAT??????  For chrissakes!  If you're gonna leave me hanging in the wind, JUST FUCKING SAY THAT UP FRONT!!!!  If mid-week rolls around, and you're not ready to have a follow-up conversation, and you need more time, SPEND 10 SECONDS WRITING A FUCKING EMAIL TO TELL ME THAT!!!!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on March 16, 2007, 05:12:54 PM
I usually try to push my deadlines as far out as possible, that way when I beat them I look good.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: TheJudge on March 19, 2007, 07:06:00 AM
I just tell people "yeah, I'll do that for you. But right now, I'm can't. I am overwelmed with other priorities, but I'll get to you thing. It's on my to do list".

When it wasn't really important to begin with, they forget about it. When it was important, then they get back to me a few weeks later and that's my cue to strat thinking about doing it. V would totally hate me.  :-D
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: jeee on March 19, 2007, 07:50:48 AM
(http://www.ruggedelegantliving.com/a/images/Steve.Jobs.iPod.2005.jpg)

Bitch !
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Agent_Tachyon on March 19, 2007, 08:12:04 AM
I usually try to push my deadlines as far out as possible, that way when I beat them I look good.

In the biz we call this 'pulling a Scotty'.

Update: I checked wikipedia for an exact quote and discovered that this actually isn't something I pulled from my ass (I promise I didn't write the article).
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on March 19, 2007, 11:02:41 AM
In the biz we call this 'pulling a Scotty'.

That was the first thing I thought of when he posted it.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on March 19, 2007, 01:01:59 PM
Scotty: I'm givin' 'er all she's got, Captain!  If I push 'er any more, she'll surely blow.
Captain Kirk: Ok.
Scotty to another engineer: In 10 minutes, give it the remaining 20% that we've been holding back.  I'm going to take a nap.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on March 19, 2007, 01:54:26 PM
I just tell people "yeah, I'll do that for you. But right now, I'm can't. I am overwelmed with other priorities, but I'll get to you thing. It's on my to do list".

When it wasn't really important to begin with, they forget about it. When it was important, then they get back to me a few weeks later and that's my cue to strat thinking about doing it. V would totally hate me.  :-D

I've probably blown off hundreds of assignments this way.  It's nice having a boss with a short memory who doesn't write things down.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Vespertine on March 19, 2007, 03:08:12 PM
The thing is...this wasn't an assignment or a deliverable.  This was to inform me of the outcome of the interview (internal job move) that I had with them.  AND I'M STILL PISSED!!!  AND I STILL HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THEM!!!!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on March 19, 2007, 03:17:02 PM
Well that's just plain rude.  Work that will never amount to anything can be put off indefinitely, but screwing with someone's livelihood is just plain wrong.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on March 19, 2007, 03:58:51 PM
That IS rude.
Good luck, girl.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Agent_Tachyon on March 19, 2007, 04:19:47 PM
screwing with someone's livelihood is just plain wrong.

Unless they REALLY deserve it.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: hackess on March 19, 2007, 09:24:10 PM
Goddamn. Breathe fire down their necks until they start talking. Good luck, V!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Vespertine on March 21, 2007, 06:45:01 PM
Thanks all for your well wishes.  Alas, I did not get the job.  I have no idea why.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on March 21, 2007, 06:47:39 PM
Those bastards!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on March 21, 2007, 09:16:15 PM
Can I still go do the "fire on their necks" thing?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Vespertine on March 21, 2007, 09:35:56 PM
If I cared enough to get worked up about it, I'd say go for it.  I'm just worn down and let down, and can't really be bothered to do much at the moment.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on March 21, 2007, 10:30:09 PM
How 'bout a massage on the neck, then? Then when you feel better, we can go do the fire on their necks thing. How's that?

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: TheJudge on March 22, 2007, 07:02:11 AM
Thanks all for your well wishes.  Alas, I did not get the job.  I have no idea why.
Sorry to hear that. No being selected for a job you really want truely sucks and it would be good for you to find out "why". Call the manager and ask him/her.

There will be other opportunities. Don't let it get you down.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: hackess on March 22, 2007, 08:23:07 PM
That sucks, V. :(
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on April 06, 2007, 04:23:25 PM
I was informed last week that a set of test machines from a remote site that we housed locally where no longer needed, all the code data had been transferred, and that the machines could be decommissioned. So I went and removed them from the domain, did the normal decom procedure and then powered them off. Earlier this week Boss told me to go ahead and wipe them out entirely, gut them for spare parts and then chuck the machine onto the 'haul this shit away' pile. No problem. Ran the HP System Erase utility, removed the hard disks and put them in the spare cabinet, yanked out the RAM and the RAID card, then tossed the rest.

10 minutes ago I get a voice mail stating that some production machines were dependent on a process that was running on a certain test machine and that it needs to be turned back on so the guy who codes the job could move the job off the machine and onto a new server.

Ok, no need to panic. The machine is pretty much non-existent at this point, but I've got tape backups of it and I know for a fact that it was being backed up because last Thanksgiving I had to restore some files from tape to this machine so I'm not too worried yet. I fire up the restore console and browse to the machine name and see when the last back up took place.

Last backup date was the week after last Thanksgiving.

PANIC TIME!

 :? "Hey, boss, why did *server* stop getting backed up? Who unchecked it from the backup policy?"

(http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/2994/emotdownswordsjp3.gif) "Oh, I did. We ran out of backup licenses and I didn't want to pay for more of them so I took all the remote site test servers out of the backup pool to save money. AREN'T I BRILLIANT?"

 :x "What the hell? They need a restore done now for an important application! What am I supposed to tell them?"

(http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/2994/emotdownswordsjp3.gif) "SUCKS TO BE THEM LOL! By the way, do you like my new laptop? DUAL CORE!"

 :x "Yeah, it's much nicer than the one you bought yourself last month. And the one you got yourself at the end of last year because we had left over budget and you had to spend it all. What happened to those two anyways?"

(http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/2994/emotdownswordsjp3.gif) "EBAY LOL"

(http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/4520/emotsuicidecq7.gif)



I'm pretty sure he was kidding about the ebay thing, but why buy yourself new laptops and cellphones when we could have used the money for extra backup licenses? (http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/3987/emotiiamyn1.gif)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on April 06, 2007, 04:52:10 PM
I love that babbling smiley. Very expressive.

I feel your pain, d00d.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: jeee on April 06, 2007, 05:07:39 PM
Damn that sucks Xolik, you have my sympathy.

I spent 4 hours reconfiguring our DSL router. Some dumbass did a password reset. Just because he wanted to get into the linked pop box (not that we ever use it). After 3 hours I found out that although you don't use the firewall on the router, you still have to enable it with zero rules else it won't allow incoming data to the ip adress pool. So much for logic.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Agent_Tachyon on April 06, 2007, 05:13:13 PM
My condolences dude. I'd recommend a big slurpee and some MST3K.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on April 06, 2007, 06:32:33 PM
OH GOD THE BACKUP TAPE IS UNREADABLE
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on April 08, 2007, 10:08:00 AM
Try it backwards?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on April 10, 2007, 11:32:15 AM
OH GOD THE BACKUP TAPE IS UNREADABLE

Check your PMs. I sent you a little something...
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on April 10, 2007, 01:33:41 PM
(http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/2994/emotdownswordsjp3.gif) "Before you install this very complicated auditing software, you absolutely positively MUST read the 'getting started guide' ok, Xolik? You won't be able to do shit until you go over what is covered in this guide. For God's sake, read it cover to cover!"

 :-D "You got it, chief!"

*time passes as I search over every single .pdf sent to me for the 'getting started' guide*

 :? "Hey, boss, I don't see any 'getting started guide' in here"

(http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/2994/emotdownswordsjp3.gif) "Oh, we had a problem with this in the past. That document may not actually exist."

 :x "I hate you with the intensity of a thousand suns"
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Pyrenus on April 10, 2007, 04:56:47 PM
Translated:

QA:  Why doesn't this do what we want it to do but never asked for?
Me:  Hmmm.  Because you didn't ask for it.
QA:  Is it because we had you do something completely unrelated to this?
Me:  No, that doesn't affect this situation at all.
QA:  Would you have time to look at it and tell us why it isn't doing what we want but never asked for?
Me:  Yes.
... Time elapses...
QA:  Did you figure out why it doesn't do what we never asked for?
Me:  Yes.
QA:  Why?
Me:  Because you didn't ask for it to do that.
QA:  Interesting.
Me:  Indeed.
QA:  How hard would it be for you to make it do what we never asked for?
Me:  Hmm.
QA:  If you have time, can you make an estimate of what it would take to make it do what we never asked for it to do?
Me:  Yes
... time elapses ...
QA:  Did you make an estimate.
Me:  Yes, it will take approximately 3 minutes.  It took longer to figure out where the change was needed.
QA:  Ok, we'd like you to go ahead and do that.
Me:  Ok.


Sometimes I just want to bang my head against the wall.  OF COURSE, if I had just DONE what I knew they would want in the first place, they would log a million bugs about how my program "wasn't coded to specifications." 
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on April 11, 2007, 08:30:34 AM
The girl who took over my job when I left here is out sick today.  So now everyone thinks that I can just do my old job AND the job of the woman that I'm actually filling in for this week. 

Well sure, I CAN....but I don't want to.  This is my vacation.  I want to sit here and answer the phone and sort the faxes and surf the internet.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pickled kitten on July 23, 2007, 11:44:12 AM
[RANT]

NO. I CANNOT MAKE YOUR SHACK LOOK LIKE A CHALET.
There is only so much photo editing I can do before it's just flat out lying to vacationers. Also, since I didn't have 5 MILLION dollars to spend on a villa in the Puerto Villarta I obviously have no sense of money. I live paycheck to paycheck and CLEARLY can't comprehend the importance of money. /sarcasm.

Jesus Christ playing ping pong, people! Just because you fall in that 1% of people that hold most of the money in the US doesn't mean you have to be such a douche. Maybe if you spent a little of that money on a digital camera instead of sending prints from 1974 you could book your whole ski season or summer season. Maybe, JUST FUCKING MAYBE, if you would shut your fucking mouth for 5 seconds I could explain to you how to point and click on the button that says "CLICK HERE TO UPLOAD PHOTO". AND MAYBE.....JUST FUCKING MAYBE.....you'll spend some of that money on a computer that runs something better than NETSCAPE 3.0 OR GET THE FUCK OFF AOL! THAT might just fix your view ability problems. JUST A THOUGHT!

[/rant]

I really hate when I have to take tech support escalations on photo issues. I know I started out in tech support but I'm the photo editor now. [whine] I really shouldn't have to take these calls anymore when tech support is perfectly capable of telling these people the same shit I'm going to tell them.[/whine]
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on July 23, 2007, 11:50:33 AM
Isn't the first thing that you tell them "Shut the computer down and wait two minutes.  Then restart your computer".

That should solve almost any problem, this according to most tech support I've ever spoken with.   :w:  :wink:

At any rate it should give you four or five minutes, longer on older machines, to think how best to screw around with them next.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pickled kitten on July 23, 2007, 12:29:15 PM
Well, that's the thing, I don't do tech support anymore. I scan, upload and edit all photos for our site and deal with *complex photo issues. These kinds of things aren't issues I need crammed into my day since I'm pretty busy as it is with ski season coming up ;_;

*meaning when people don't understand uploading at 320x240 or need to go through all the legal processes when trying to upload copy written photos. Or even deal with actual bugs with the site not displaying the photos properly. The size issue is really dumb but takes me all of 2 seconds to fix so usually it's just easier to have them e-mail the photos to me and let me upload them. I HATE talking to customers now.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on July 23, 2007, 03:19:44 PM
One of our Board Members is on AOL.  I can't believe I have to send reports to an AOL address.  Complete and utter idiot too. 
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on July 27, 2007, 02:55:54 PM
I swear I'm the only person that checks the goddamn server logs in this place. We've had a machine running with a disabled DIMM bank for two years, nobody cares.  :x
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Scheherazade on July 27, 2007, 07:05:20 PM
I swear I'm the only person that checks the goddamn server logs in this place. We've had a machine running with a disabled DIMM bank for two years, nobody cares.  :x

You've had a machine for two years? The Board of Ed would love you.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on July 27, 2007, 11:08:48 PM
What I like the best about my job is the 'suprise maintenance' aspect. Especially when it's brought about by my own stupidity. The cables in one of the racks are just a total rats nest. I'm slowing moving servers out of one rack and placing them in another while doing a proper cable job because the guy before me was a total fartknocker. Well, this one pair of cables was so tightly wrapped up around each other that it looked to me like one big ball of twine. So I think 'fuck it' and give it good hard pull. They came out alright, along with the power cord to one of the SQL servers.  :-o

I learned a few things here: One is that you don't just blindly pull on cables even if it looks like you've got their layout all figured out and the other thing is that Compaq (HP) is run by a bunch of damn dirty liars. This server had two power supplies, both plugged in and getting juice, yet amazingly enough when one supply lost power the whole fucking thing shut down. When it comes back up again, it tells me the F: can't be found, which is not good because C, D, E, G, and H are all there and everything is local disk. After freaking about about 15 minutes going over reboots and trying to remount the failed disk, the log tells me that the F: bought the farm about 10 months ago and nobody noticed\cared and our monitoring software didn't do a goddamn thing about it.  :x

I'm going to make it my mission to go over all the ancient equipment in our data center and see what other gems I can find. Hell, today alone I found a bad DIMM and failed volume. Who knows what Monday will bring? It's like Christmas!   :lol:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on July 30, 2007, 10:28:20 AM
(http://www.musichouse.biz/desktop/images/vznosmoke.jpg)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on July 30, 2007, 10:10:14 PM
(http://www.musichouse.biz/desktop/images/vzHEH.jpg)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: JuggaloGeek on July 30, 2007, 11:09:11 PM
Wow they must hate visitors. 
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on July 31, 2007, 12:23:20 AM
Nope. Just that stupid.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: JuggaloGeek on July 31, 2007, 12:26:02 AM
Or maybe they don't want people who don't where stuff is to be there.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on July 31, 2007, 12:47:03 AM
Or maybe they don't want people who don't where stuff is to be there.
I'm sorry. . . but  WHAT?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Crystalmonkey on July 31, 2007, 02:43:37 AM
I'm sorry. . . but  WHAT?

He showed you!  :lol:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: RelandR on July 31, 2007, 04:27:11 AM
Or maybe they don't want people who don't where stuff is to be there.

"We're sorry, but the thought you were trying to impart could not be completed as dialed ... please hang up the crack pipe and try again when your circuits aren't so scrambled".
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: JuggaloGeek on July 31, 2007, 03:48:21 PM
It's not a crack pipe, it's a glass bong.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on August 01, 2007, 11:35:03 AM
Is this National Hardware Failure week or are all my servers just crap? I swear, I've had to call in two new disk drives, a DIMM, a cooling fan, and just now a RAID controller battery pack. These are supposed to be new machines, less than a year old!  :x
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on August 10, 2007, 06:17:03 PM
I love HP support. I order a replacement cooling fan for a server and the tech assures me he knows what the part number is and will send it out right away. I get the fan and it's the wrong fan entirely. Not even close. So I write down the part number of the correct fan, call them up and order it again. The fan gets here and it doesn't work. Blades try to spin, but just dies a terrible death. We're paying a lot of money for this four hour response time support and I'm wondering if our contract with HP also includes a red nose and big shoes?  :x

This also happened to me today on a different issue. There happens to be a known problem with a certain firmware and 6i RAID controllers that will make it report a battery failure even though it actually didn't fail. This is corrected by a simple firmware update. Today, the batteries in one of these 6i boards failed even with the latest firmware, so I call in support.

The guy on the other line cuts me off halfway into my telling him whats wrong with "I KNOW THIS ITS FIRMWARE UPDATE YOUR FIRMWARE ITS YOUR FIRMWARE, WATCH SEND ME THE ERROR REPORT AND I'LL PROVE IT TO YOU." So I send him the diag report and he's says "SEE RIGHT HERE UNDER FIRMWARE REVISION YOU....oh. You're up to date. Obviously the batteries are bad and you need new ones." No shit.  :roll:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on August 17, 2007, 04:38:18 PM
A perfect description of what I have to deal with is attached.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: jeee on August 21, 2007, 04:52:37 PM
I am so gonna save that for future references  :-D
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on August 24, 2007, 03:37:43 PM
I already saved that one a while back.  However it is missing how the marketing people marketed it.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Anyanka_was_framed on August 30, 2007, 04:54:23 PM
I figure my first post after summer break ought to be one involving my job.

I work at a bookstore, in the children's section.

This summer, I have seen my share of women changing their babies in the middle of the kids' section (hello, what if it's a boy and it pees all over the books while you're doing this???  That's not what we mean when we say flood insurance).  The worst I'd say is finding a used diaper "shelved" among books, as though our store is one giant garbage can.  We have bathrooms with changing tables, so what's the big? I have no qualms with women breast feeding in public, but take your kid's shit somewhere else.  There are two women in particular who insist on changing their little girls in our dept at least once a week, and see nothing wrong with this.  We keep telling them there are bathrooms for it, but they don't seem to get it.  Quite frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if the bathrooms are cleaner than the kid's dept.

A few favourite customer quotes:

"Do these books go anywhere in particular?"

"Do you carry Scholastic books?  If so, where are they kept?"

"I'm looking for a book without words.  Where are those?"

"I see this computer terminal says 'employees only'; I don't work here, can I just check my email real quick?" -->we don't have internet access

Didja miss me?  :-D
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Dark Shade on August 30, 2007, 04:55:43 PM
Nice story, I'm sure you get all kinds of interesting questions.  :roll:

And yes, we did!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Crystalmonkey on September 02, 2007, 04:23:00 AM
Nice story, I'm sure you get all kinds of interesting questions.  :roll:

And yes, we did!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on September 07, 2007, 12:04:10 PM
Boss - "Hey we got the larger hard disks in for one of the mail servers. Go swap out one of the disks with the new model, let it rebuild, then swap the other one out. After that extend the partition to use the extra space. It's hardware mirrored so the users won't even know about it."

Me - "Sure thing, boss!"

This particular email server can only hold two hard disks and I've done this type of thing before lots of times so I figure it'll be an easy swap job. I get down there, pop out the drive and LED on the one above instantly changes from green to amber.

 :-o

Server has just crashed big time. So the old drive goes back in and I get all kinds of POST errors about how the top drive is failing and needs to be replaced. Thank goodness it booted up off the first drive alright, but that scared the ever lovin'shit out of me.

I love technology.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Crystalmonkey on September 07, 2007, 06:37:09 PM
I love technology.

In Soviet Russia, Technology Loves You. (*Shrug* With all the inane posts recently...)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on September 07, 2007, 06:58:23 PM
Executive - "Hey my single page .pdf file that somehow spawned a 1.2GB job on the print server isn't printing yet. I know, I'll keep mashing the print button and see if that help!"

Me - "Why is the print server so slow? Let's look in the queue and see what's holding up the woGOOD SWEET BABY GANESHA!"

Coverpage.pdf        1.20GB
Coverpage.pdf        1.20GB
Coverpage.pdf        1.20GB
Coverpage.pdf        1.20GB
Coverpage.pdf        1.20GB
TestPage                 14KB
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Paladin on September 08, 2007, 02:27:35 AM
Like it's the first time you seen that. I see it all the time, somebody tries to print a document 700 pages, and when it doesn't start right away they try it 7-8 more times, just to be on the safe side.


My problem is with back-ups. Why is it that the user's general attitude is: "Backups? We don't need no stinkin' backups!" And that's after i explain them how to copy the essential files on the samba partition on the server that i made just for that (and why they must do it). And put the procedure (copy+paste) on a file on the desktop. And put a post-it note on the side of the monitor. And calling from time to time to ask if they did it.

Is it wrong for me to be secretly glad they lost their work after that?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: d_money on September 08, 2007, 08:40:22 PM
I love it when I work on somebody's machine at work and login with the administrator name and password, because about 90% of the time I get a call the next time they go to log in telling me their computer is broken and they can't login, and why did I break their machine? When I go down there it is always the same thing, they're trying to use their password to login under the administrator name because they're too dumb to realize they have to retype their login name in.

Or the "MY PASSWORD ISN'T WORKING" and you walk down to find the caps lock is on.

I swear everyone I work with is destined for greatness.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Crystalmonkey on October 05, 2007, 12:08:00 AM
Alright, so I work in retail. (You can already imagine I've had several fun experiences.)

A woman comes in looking to get some pictures developed, and wants to take advantage of a free picture CD with a coupon. Alright, simple enough. So she uses the digital picture machine to create the order, and we start the process to make the CD.

Now apparently, she's already tried this a day or two before, so she's a little pissed at this point, and she's in a rush to pick up a pizza. (Or something, the main idea is that she's extremely impatient.) Well it's taking a few minutes for who knows what reason. (It was supposed to be only... 50 prints or so. At one point she says 150 though, so perhaps she did more.) Eventually, it asks for you to put the CD in, and that's simple enough. A little while later, an error pops up.

Now by this point I've already had to call the manager over a few times because I have no idea how the machine works, and while I was sure it was simple enough, I didn't want to fuck up this person's order. So he's walking to check out something a supervisor brought to his attention, and I call him to see if he could check out the error. The woman starts calling him too, but it sounded like she was calling a little kid.

In the time it takes him to check out whatever he was checking out, she's gotten impatient enough that she just hits the "Ok" button that is at the bottom of the error message. It took him... not even a minute to get over here, and she was just so impatient that she closed the error. I didn't even get a chance to really look at it, because I figured it would still be up when he got there. Of course, I couldn't even describe the error, and by this time you could easily see she was pissed.

Greatest thing about this little encounter? She probably blames us (or me specifically) for it, when it was clearly a STUPID idea to close the error. At the very least, she should have just left the machine alone.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Paladin on October 05, 2007, 02:02:50 AM
Oh yes, i thought about this, if i'd make an OS i'd let only the root account click OK on an error message. I've had to guess the errors so many times it's not even annoying anymore.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: TheJudge on October 05, 2007, 08:10:34 AM
That's why they invented error logs.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Pyrenus on October 26, 2007, 04:28:38 PM
Management:  This SQL server crashed and now the data is corrupted and we need you to get it all back.
Sure thing, where do you keep your backups?
Management:  We've never done backups on that server.
Why not?
Management:  The data isn't that important.  So when can you have it back online?
Uh... not sure...


Oh, and this just came in as I was typing.
Message pops up from coworker (we have an inter-company instant messenger)
"Please check your email, I just sent you a question and I need an answer ASAP."
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Agent_Tachyon on October 26, 2007, 04:41:25 PM
Sounds like your havening a rough time of it.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on October 26, 2007, 05:27:23 PM
The only thing I hate more than the hectic OMG DO IT NOW times here are the absolute dead times, like now. Is it time to go home yet?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on October 26, 2007, 06:32:57 PM
There's never really any in between in IT, is there?

I hate that too.  It's always OMG THE WORLD WILL END IF THIS DOESN'T GET DONE -- and 50 people all saying that about different things at once.... or there's absolutely NOTHING to do for days.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on October 27, 2007, 03:20:32 PM
.... or there's absolutely NOTHING to do for days.
Then that's what everyone remembers about you and your job
 "LOL! Y'all don't really do anything anyway, though, right? Wish I could just hang out in the air conditioning..."
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on October 27, 2007, 07:12:51 PM
Then that's what everyone remembers about you and your job
 "LOL! Y'all don't really do anything anyway, though, right? Wish I could just hang out in the air conditioning..."

Ugh.  EXACTLY.   :roll:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: TheJudge on October 29, 2007, 06:58:59 AM
Message pops up from coworker (we have an inter-company instant messenger)
"Please check your email, I just sent you a question and I need an answer ASAP."


I HATE that. I get people who e-mail me, IM me, then phone me to tell me about the e-mail they sent. I KNOW! I Have a blackberry and your thing, while it may be important to you, isn't a priority for me as I have other obligations. Hence the lack of response from my part. Fuck I hate it when people do that. I can manage and prioritise my own work load, thank you.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Socrates on October 29, 2007, 07:08:55 AM
There's never really any in between in IT, is there?

I hate that too.  It's always OMG THE WORLD WILL END IF THIS DOESN'T GET DONE -- and 50 people all saying that about different things at once.... or there's absolutely NOTHING to do for days.

What really gets me is if it's like that for days, or weeks, in a row and then it all just stops suddenly.  You go from 90 mph to a dead stop.  No meetings.  No action items.  No deadlines.  Thank FSM for the internet.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Vespertine on October 29, 2007, 12:29:44 PM
Please explain to me why the EOL of your system is happening in crisis mode!!!??!!!  You knew a year ago that support for the software you're running was going to end at the close of 2007.  How is it possible that you are SO FREAKING UNPREPARED for this that now you're having to EOL a data warehouse in an emergency, last minute fashion?  Bastards.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on October 29, 2007, 06:03:27 PM
I HATE that. I get people who e-mail me, IM me, then phone me to tell me about the e-mail they sent. I KNOW! I Have a blackberry and your thing, while it may be important to you, isn't a priority for me as I have other obligations. Hence the lack of response from my part. Fuck I hate it when people do that. I can manage and prioritise my own work load, thank you.
I've found that many times people will accept just an acknowledgment of their issue in some way.  I'll often reply to an email with something like,...
Quote
Hey Tanya,
I understand the issue and I've put it on my list of items that need to be worked into my current workload.  I'm not sure when I'll be able to give you a definite timeline as to when I'll get to this, but you'll be the second person to know.

Thanks
Pete
Now, working an item into my current workload may be as simple as adding it to my to-do list and I may get to it quicker than they even expected.  Usually not.  A message like this implies that I'm super busy but it at least lets them know that I'm aware that they've peed in their pants and they need to be changed.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Pyrenus on November 01, 2007, 04:01:56 PM
Haha, I love some of the posts here.  Good stuff.

Two more work pet-peeves:

1.  Don't call me if you haven't yet figured out what you need to ask.  Formulate your question first, then pick up the phone.  Better yet, use email.

2.  You don't need to set up a meeting with me for a question that can be asked and answered in less than 50 words. 

I'm still laughing at the IT workload thing.  We are like that too.   I can't stand sitting here without having work to do.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on November 02, 2007, 12:59:07 AM
I like waking up at 3am for work and finally leaving work at around 4pm to eventually go to class from 6 to 9pm, and then afterwards go home and go to sleep for a few hours and wake up in the middle of the night to unload a truck and get home at around 6am.

Some days I have to return for work at 11am for another 9 hours of work and then go home, go to sleep and wake up at 9am for work again the next day.

Yup, I like that.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on November 02, 2007, 12:36:40 PM
1.  Don't call me if you haven't yet figured out what you need to ask.  Formulate your question first, then pick up the phone.  Better yet, use email.
Shit... I'd rather have them not have a clue what they're going to ask.  Probably 45% of my job is finding out what the customer really needs.  Not what they want, but what they need.  Sure, most of them think they know what they want, but most of the time there's little or no connection to what they need.

"Why?" is the single most important word in my career.
Why do you need this?
Why do you get the inputs in this format?
Why do you send the output in that format?
Why are you using this program?
Why etc., etc., etc.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on November 03, 2007, 01:33:09 AM
I'm so glad I'm not a programmer for a living anymore.  I don't miss that part of it.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Socrates on November 05, 2007, 08:03:22 AM
Shit... I'd rather have them not have a clue what they're going to ask.  Probably 45% of my job is finding out what the customer really needs.  Not what they want, but what they need.  Sure, most of them think they know what they want, but most of the time there's little or no connection to what they need.

"Why?" is the single most important word in my career.
Why do you need this?
Why do you get the inputs in this format?
Why do you send the output in that format?
Why are you using this program?
Why etc., etc., etc.

I learned from a past boss that you need to ask "Why?" five times to get the real answer.
It's worked very well for me as a Business Systems Analyst.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on November 07, 2007, 04:13:18 PM
I can't bitch about my (night) job today.  I called in sick.

I CAN, however, bitch about the fact that I'm sick.  Still probably better than night school though.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on November 07, 2007, 04:14:53 PM
/me sends chicken soup


Hope ya feel better soon!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on November 09, 2007, 11:55:53 PM
No bitching here.  My new job kicks ass!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on November 10, 2007, 12:32:31 AM
Just give it a little while. Maybe upwards of around a year.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on November 10, 2007, 12:39:15 AM
Yeah, job does imply work and work by definition sucks.  But compared to my last gig, I'm in paradise.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Leonidas on November 13, 2007, 09:39:50 PM
What if we don't have a job?  Because that's kinda sucking ass for me right now when I have bills to pay.

Not working sucks.  I should get a job...
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Anyanka_was_framed on November 13, 2007, 10:59:46 PM
I have a secretarial job. It's not the best job in the world, and my pay was better at the bookstore (but the local store in the chain here wouldn't even talk to me....ugh), but it could be worse.  I have minimal contact with people which means I have no good stories, no people to bitch about, nothing.  I'm not a fan of 4 graduate classes and working about 16 hours/week though.  At least I have 3 day weekends, and maybe one day, one of those days will be just for me, and I can sleep in or something.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on November 14, 2007, 04:16:52 PM
I know that feeling. I work on the average of about 55 hours a week and am taking 3 classes right now. I was taking 4 but was forced to drop one of them.

I'm toying with the notion of taking one or two online courses next semester to see if it helps any.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: jeee on November 14, 2007, 06:18:01 PM
I run my own since 6 months and it is still the best decision I ever made. Downside is I can't complain to the boss anymore.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on November 15, 2007, 02:55:58 AM
I know that feeling. I work on the average of about 55 hours a week and am taking 3 classes right now. I was taking 4 but was forced to drop one of them.

I'm toying with the notion of taking one or two online courses next semester to see if it helps any.

I put myself through undergrad and grad school working on average 60 hours a week.  Keep it up, the schooling will mean a lot and you can relish the knowledge that you were able to overcome adversity and get it done.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pickled kitten on November 15, 2007, 06:06:43 PM
my old boss just fucked me out of my bonus for Q3.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on November 16, 2007, 01:41:44 AM
my old boss just fucked me.

I stopped reading that post after the word "me".
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on November 16, 2007, 11:22:31 AM
What if we don't have a job?  Because that's kinda sucking ass for me right now when I have bills to pay.

Not working sucks.  I should get a job...

Have you thought about working for a slave trader? (temp agency) I had to do that for awhile when they closed down the plant I used to work at a few years ago. It wasn't fun, or steady work, but it did help with the bills for a time.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Anyanka_was_framed on November 16, 2007, 11:53:16 PM
What if we don't have a job?  Because that's kinda sucking ass for me right now when I have bills to pay.

Not working sucks.  I should get a job...

Try Barnes & Noble.  They'll hire anyone.  It's actually in their policy to do that, and if you can work full time for a certain amount of time their benefits are really good.  Of course, they'll try to suck you in, so there's that.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Scheherazade on November 17, 2007, 11:26:27 PM
Try Barnes & Noble.  They'll hire anyone.  It's actually in their policy to do that, and if you can work full time for a certain amount of time their benefits are really good.  Of course, they'll try to suck you in, so there's that.

Bullshit. I've been trying to get a job at Barnes & Noble for the past two years and they won't freaking hire me. Fascists.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on November 19, 2007, 04:46:24 PM
Today is much better. Get to rack a new server, make updated firmware CDs, and fix everything that broke over the weekend.

I guess the only gripe I have is....stuff broke over the weekend.  :-)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on November 19, 2007, 06:40:53 PM
I got to deal with Dr. Asshat from $client who feels that the emergency mailbox (which auto-notifies whomever is on-call by calling that person's cell phone) is his personal after-hours helpdesk for any little thing.

The dickweed woke me up at 6:30 this morning.

Yes, there's a 6:30 in the morning too. 

 :roll:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on November 19, 2007, 07:27:32 PM
I got to deal with Dr. Asshat from $client who feels that the emergency mailbox (which auto-notifies whomever is on-call by calling that person's cell phone) is his personal after-hours helpdesk for any little thing.

The dickweed woke me up at 6:30 this morning.

Yes, there's a 6:30 in the morning too. 

 :roll:

I know the feeling. I sometimes got calls at like 3 or 4 in the morning when I used to work in a restaurant in New Jersey. Now all I get are occasional calls at normal human hours, thankfully.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: MISTER MASSACRE on November 20, 2007, 07:02:16 PM
I've been jolted awake by a pager twice this week, and one time was on the weekend and there wasn't even a problem so I cried.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on November 20, 2007, 07:27:40 PM
Okay, how many times do we have to tell this client that your goddamned smartphone not syncing IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE REASON TO LEAVE A MESSAGE IN OUR EMERGENCY MAILBOX?

(http://www.guildhaven.org/images/smilies/banghead.gif)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: MISTER MASSACRE on November 20, 2007, 10:10:36 PM
Why do they call it a smartphone it is so stupid make it work

i am so angry right now

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: RelandR on November 21, 2007, 02:06:17 PM
I bought a Stupid Phone ...

I am satisfied because my expectations have been met.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on November 29, 2007, 05:48:18 PM
 :-) - "Hey, Xolik, are you running any backup jobs right now?" <-note this is our "backup admin."
 8-) - "You mean other than the ones I sent an email out about three hours ago about restarting the Exchange group?"
 :| - "So, it's not the tuesday group?"
 8-) = "No. It's the Exchange group. Some failed, so I'm re-running the ones that failed."
 :| - "Not the Tuesday group?"
 8-) - "No. The Exchange group. Some failed last night."
 :? - "Hey, do you know why there is a big red x next to the Exchange job group from last night?"
 :x -"Yes, I do. The Exchange group, that I'm currently re-running because of last night's failures, had some failures last night. So I'm re-running the failed jobs. From the Exchange group. Because they did not complete."
 :-( - "Oh, the Exchange group failed?"

*stabbing spree ensues"
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on November 29, 2007, 06:56:47 PM
I know of some great ways to hide bodies.

Let me know.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Anyanka_was_framed on December 05, 2007, 12:40:51 AM
"Ok, so that email you sent.  I read the part with my name, but the rest, including the attachment....not so much.  I need hte information I feel like reading to be up front, because again, with the whole not reading thing..."

What my boss would say if he even realized this is what goes on in his head.  To his credit, he is really busy.  I just don't understand why I have to send the SAME DAMN THING four different times.  Also, if I edit it (and mention in the email in the bit he didn't read) then don't print out an earlier version and ask why none of the changes have been made.

And procrastinating and then dumping the projects on me isn't cool either.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on December 05, 2007, 12:44:35 AM
Again, I know of some great ways to hide bodies.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on December 05, 2007, 01:07:06 AM
Can I have the branes?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Anyanka_was_framed on December 06, 2007, 11:18:54 PM
Yes.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Agent_Tachyon on December 06, 2007, 11:21:45 PM
I no longer have a job to bitch about.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on December 06, 2007, 11:24:11 PM
I no longer have a job to bitch about.

!!!!

Dude!

You okay?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on December 06, 2007, 11:34:46 PM
Sorry dude.  Good luck with the search.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Agent_Tachyon on December 07, 2007, 12:52:50 AM
Thanks for the kind words, I'm doing okay. I'm trying out this whole positive thinking thing and I think this could be a good thing in many ways. I realize now that much as I enjoyed my actual job and most of my co-workers I was constantly resenting the management and the very concept of it in general, and I was probably a lot more negative all together because of it. Maybe I should try something different.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on December 07, 2007, 12:55:16 AM
That kind of situation sure can bring you down.
Good luck dude.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Dark Shade on December 07, 2007, 02:04:57 AM
Sorry dude.  Good luck with the search.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: MISTER MASSACRE on December 07, 2007, 10:44:12 AM
Jobs are like clothes - outgrow 'em and get new ones.

And that's my platitudinal contribution for today.

At my last job, there was this incredibly annoying trend of saying things like "It's not a problem, it's an opportunity." The big boss of the company was this really angry guy, and had I not feared being fired on the spot, I would have told him to calm the fuck down lest he develop heart opportunities.


Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Agent_Tachyon on December 07, 2007, 12:57:54 PM
calm the fuck down lest he develop heart opportunities.

That's pretty much me right there. Having all this free time is helping with that though. BACK IN SLACK!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Anyanka_was_framed on December 08, 2007, 07:20:12 PM
Good luck with everything, and enjoy whatever slack time you can get ;-)

When my dad was looking for a job (he was laid off for being a manager over the age of 50, male, and white.  this company took affirmative action and decided its translation was having quotas) he had fewer stress-related illnesses, and was able to get back into a lot of his hobbies.  Now he's at a company that appreciates him and he makes time for doing things he likes to do.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on December 20, 2007, 05:25:24 PM
Is it so hard to document the critical information about the core things we do for our clients?

Yesterday, one of our larger clients had their T1 -- which we manage -- drop for them.  We host terminal servers for them where they do 100% of their work, so while their T1 is down, they have pretty much all of their employees unable to do anything at all.

Our main telecom guy was out of the office, and didn't have his cell phone on him, so I was looking into it.

Couldn't find any information about it on our intranet site, where such things are supposed to be documented.

The T1 info and circuit IDs for it in the client's spreadsheet were for their OLD T1, which I found out when I called that provider and they told me "well those circuit IDs were cancelled by you guys 6 months ago".

I wasted an HOUR chasing my tail just trying to find the basic information on this critical service we provide this client, and was no further along after that time than when I had started.  When our telecom guy finally came back from lunch I unceremoniously turned this over to him -- something about which he actually expressed irritation (http://www.guildhaven.org/images/smilies/huh2.gif) -- and went to lunch myself almost an hour later than my normal lunchtime.



And today... I get a request from a different client to reinstall some application that we host for them on a terminal server.  It's hosed up and apparently this happens occasionally, and a reinstall of it is "normally enough to fix it".

That's all fine and good, but

A) I couldn't find any documentation that we even hosted this app for this client

B) There's no reference to it in our billing system, so they probably have never even been billed for it

C) There's no installer for it or any info whatsoever on the subject in their client folder


I send an email out to all of our data center staff asking if anyone has any idea what this is or how it got on their server and receive no response.




And with regards to YET ANOTHER client, we get reports that their SQL server is running really slow and it's causing problems.  This is a pretty new client, so I go to their page on our intranet so I can find out how to connect to their VLAN and find no information at all.  I look in their client folder on our main company share and try to find what VLAN it's even on, and nothing.  I open their spreadsheet and find it's completely empty.  I had to run downstairs to the server console and log in from there, only to find that nobody bothered creating anyone on my team any accounts in their domain.   :roll:

How the fuck is my team supposed to do its job if the team doing deployments isn't doing all of theirs?  This kind of shit is a major pet peeve of mine and it's just running rampant around here lately.   :x

(http://www.guildhaven.org/images/smilies/banghead.gif)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on December 21, 2007, 02:54:42 AM
Y...y...you work for Vz too???
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on December 21, 2007, 10:10:54 AM
Y...y...you work for Vz too???

Sometimes I wonder.   :roll:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on December 21, 2007, 07:10:49 PM
I really like my new job and co-workers.  Thanks for making me appreciate it/them even more!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on January 01, 2008, 11:54:16 AM
VLANS. Who needs 'em?

More importantly, who needs theirs fixed?

More importantly, who needs theirs fixed on new years day?

More importantly, why the hell do they have to ask me to do it!?!?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on January 04, 2008, 04:47:26 PM
I don't understand why we get about one of these a month or so, but we do.  Here's one that I dealt with today, just a little bit ago.



Client: I'm calling because I just noticed that we're getting billed for 5 accounts we shouldn't be.

Me: Oh?  Which accounts are they?

Client: Janet, Kay, Kathi, Linda, and Jill.  None of them work here anymore, so we don't need their accounts and shouldn't be getting billed for them.

Me: Okay, I can go ahead and terminate those accounts.

Client: (irritated) I don't understand why we've been paying for them all this time.  I mean, Janet and Linda haven't worked here since May.  And Jill... she left back in 2006!

Me: Yeah, I'm definitely seeing those accounts still enabled and in our billing system.  And you asked for them to be terminated back when those users left?

Client: :?

Client: What do you mean?

Me: When those users left.  You requested that we terminate their accounts.  So that you don't get billed for them.  Right?

Client: Well, no.  We didn't.

Me: Uh.  Okay.  Well, I'll go ahead and remove them now.

Client: What assurance do I have that this won't happen again?

Me: Excuse me?

Client: Well suppose one of our other users leaves?  Will we end up getting billed for their account for over a year in that case too?

Me: Uh.  No.  Not if you let us know that they're no longer with your company. 

Client: :?

Client: You mean we need to do that EVERY TIME someone leaves?

Me: Well... yeah.  Otherwise we have no way of knowing.

Client: Well that seems kind of ridiculous, don't you think?

Me: No?

Client: *sigh* Well, I guess that's just what we'll have to do, to make sure we don't end up paying for accounts WE HAVEN'T USED IN OVER A YEAR. *click*



(http://www.guildhaven.org/images/smilies/banghead.gif)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on January 04, 2008, 04:49:12 PM
Genius!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on January 04, 2008, 04:49:58 PM
One of my coworkers suggested "hey, we should just be proactive and disable ALL of their accounts, just in case they're no longer using any of them.  We wouldn't want to be billing them for accounts they don't use, after all."
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on January 04, 2008, 04:56:02 PM
Either that or you should bombard them with an email whenever an account hasn't been active in the last hour.  Saying something to the effect of--

We noticed this account hasn't been in use lately.  In the event that this user is no longer with the company, we have disabled the account so that you won't be unnecessarily billed.  In order to reactivate the account please call and choose options 1 followed by 3 followed by 2 followed by 7 followed by 2 followed by 1 followed by 3 followed by 2 followed by 8 followed by 1 followed by 4 followed by the users account number followed by 3 followed by 7 follwed by 4 followed by 2 to reactivate the account.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on January 04, 2008, 04:59:13 PM
That is a really, really good idea.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on January 04, 2008, 05:17:35 PM
Yeah, automation would make it so they don't bother you at all.  Plus coming up with a telephone tree like that would be a blast.  The absurdity of the options could be endless.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on January 04, 2008, 06:04:10 PM
There is a degree of uncertainty with automated services. There have been times when I've been asked to poll users to find out which services are no longer needed. That's always a bad idea, because no one will ever say, "Oh, yeah, I haven't looked at that in months, go ahead and turn it off."

So instead, periodically, I turn EVERYTHING off for EVERYONE.

The ones who need something turned back on eventually call.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on January 04, 2008, 06:26:19 PM
Yeah, automation would make it so they don't bother you at all.  Plus coming up with a telephone tree like that would be a blast.  The absurdity of the options could be endless.

I'm our phone system administrator.  I could easily route a DID/DNIS number to a mailbox with a 20-level deep numeric menu that I could have the client go through to reactivate each account, with the end result being emailed automatically to our ticketing system.

You have no idea how tempting that is.

There is a degree of uncertainty with automated services. There have been times when I've been asked to poll users to find out which services are no longer needed. That's always a bad idea, because no one will ever say, "Oh, yeah, I haven't looked at that in months, go ahead and turn it off."

So instead, periodically, I turn EVERYTHING off for EVERYONE.

The ones who need something turned back on eventually call.


That's pretty much our policy for things like that.  We've pruned huge chunks of our POP email server that way and it's surprising how few phone calls we've gotten when we go and clean house like that with old accounts.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on January 04, 2008, 06:30:52 PM
I'm our phone system administrator.  I could easily route a DID/DNIS number to a mailbox with a 20-level deep numeric menu that I could have the client go through to reactivate each account, with the end result being emailed automatically to our ticketing system.

You have no idea how tempting that is...

Well if he calls back you could offer that up as a solution and see if he goes for it  :evil:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on January 07, 2008, 02:50:20 PM
I just overheard this discussion between a coworker of mine and an incompetent third party IT tech who was on-site with a client of ours.  My coworker had the tech on speaker, so I was listening to this discussion as I was going through my emails after getting back from lunch today.


Coworker: Okay, what's the IP address of the new printer?

Tech: 10.2.14

Coworker: Ten dot two dot fourteen.... dot what?

Tech: Ten dot two dot fourteen.

Coworker: Yeah, I got that part.  What's the last octet?

Tech: The last whatnow?

Coworker: The last octet.  Ten dot two dot fourteen... dot what?

Tech: Dot fourteen!

Coworker: Ten dot two dot fourteen... dot fourteen?

Tech: No, just ten dot two dot fourteen.

Coworker: ???

Me: (to my coworker) Try something out here... see if you can ping 10.2.1.4.

Coworker: Yep.  Pings just fine.  Think I should try setting up this printer to point at that?

Me: Yeah.  Try it.

Coworker: *sets up printer to print to 10.2.1.4*

Coworker: (to incompetent tech) Okay, I just sent a test page to that printer at that address.  Is anything coming out?

Tech: Yep!  Looks good!

Coworker: The IP address I set this up to print to was 10.2.1.4, not ten dot two dot fourteen.

Tech: That shouldn't matter.

Coworker: (http://www.guildhaven.org/images/smilies/crazy2.gif)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on January 07, 2008, 04:00:05 PM
Hectar!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on January 07, 2008, 08:21:27 PM
I guess I got into the right business if someone is paying that person.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Vespertine on January 07, 2008, 08:56:32 PM
I've got this guy who sits next to me at work.  He's a total know-it-all, and a prick to boot: completely arrogant, condescending and nasty to people.  I overheard him on a phone call today.  He was "authoritatively" telling someone how the Global Ultimate IDentifier was the key to the infallibility of some system.  He must've said Global Ultimate IDentifier about nine times.  I laughed every time.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Agent_Tachyon on January 07, 2008, 11:38:14 PM
No chance he was fucking with the customer? We used to tell the customers all sorts of ridiculous things (the usual in jokes, flux capacitors and the like mostly) just to liven things up, and we were all pretty big assholes a lot of the time too.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Vespertine on January 08, 2008, 12:24:39 AM
No, we don't speak to our customers.  He was just in a regular old meeting, trying to get buy in on some idea he had.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on January 24, 2008, 12:10:30 PM
Client: Okay, this is very important.  It needs to be done as soon as possible!

Me: Not a problem, what do you need?

Client: We installed new firewalls in all our locations and had to change our IP addressing scheme the other day, and now in one of our offices one of the network printers doesn't work from the terminal server.

Me: Which printer?

Client: I'm not sure.

Me: Well, do you know which office it is in?

Client: No...

Me: Okay... well do you know what the new IP address of the printer should be?

Client: I don't have that information yet.

Me: So some printer, somewhere, needs to have its IP address updated to... something?

Client: Er... yeah.

Me: I'll get my best guy on it!

Client: Thanks! *click*


 :roll:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on January 28, 2008, 03:09:23 PM
I just love troubleshooting a critical hosted application for a big, complicated new client and looking in the client spreadsheet for them for any information about them at all, and finding it COMPLETELY FUCKING EMPTY.   :x

(http://www.guildhaven.org/images/smilies/banghead.gif)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on January 30, 2008, 05:29:51 PM
I just had this discussion with a pain-in-the-ass client of mine.

Client: Mark has his Outlook configured to retrieve mail from his Hotmail account and put it in a separate mailbox in addition to his Exchange mailbox.

Me: Okay.

Client: He doesn't really use his Exchange mailbox, so everything should be going to his Hotmail account.  But sometimes things will end up in his Exchange mailbox instead.

Me: *shadow's Mark's session, looks at the handful of emails in his Exchange mailbox*

Me: These emails were sent to Mark's Exchange email address, not his Hotmail address.

Client: Well this is unacceptable.

Me: (http://www.guildhaven.org/images/smilies/confused.gif)  If Mark needs people to email his Hotmail account, he should tell them to send emails to his Hotmail account instead of his Exchange address.

Client: He missed several important messages because of this.

Me: (http://www.guildhaven.org/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif)  Okay, tell you what.  I'll set up a forwarder on his Exchange account to forward everything to his Hotmail account if someone accidentally emails the wrong address.

Client: No, we don't want that.

Me: Mmkay... then let me know if there's anything we can do.  Thanks, bye.

*click*



And NOT 10 MINUTES LATER, I hear the coworker who sits in the cubicle next to me saying "... well, the reason those messages ended up in his Exchange mailbox was because that's the email address to which they were actually sent.  If you like I can set up a forwarder to Mark's Hotmail account...."

 :x

They do this all the goddamned time.  They call with something that's essentially a non-issue, waste a half-hour or so of someone's time with it, refuse any of the reasonable things we suggest as workarounds, and then call someone else on our end and act like it's a "new issue".

Fuckers.  I wonder if they'll keep doing this if they start getting billed for it?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on January 30, 2008, 05:38:39 PM
What's his hotmail account, now?  :evil:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on January 30, 2008, 06:00:13 PM
What's his hotmail account, now?  :evil:

Don't think I'm not tempted.   :w:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: MISTER MASSACRE on January 30, 2008, 10:17:56 PM

Me: (http://www.guildhaven.org/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif)  Okay, tell you what.  I'll set up a forwarder on his Exchange account to forward everything to his Hotmail account if someone accidentally emails the wrong address.

Client: No, we don't want that.

(http://www.trysynergism.org/share/attachment.gif)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Dark Shade on January 31, 2008, 08:57:41 PM
Hey! Long time, no see!  :-D
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on January 31, 2008, 09:23:59 PM
All I can say is that I love waking up at 3AM for work 5 days a week, and waking up at 7AM the other days of the week for classes.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Anyanka_was_framed on January 31, 2008, 11:11:22 PM
All I can say is that I love waking up at 3AM for work 5 days a week, and waking up at 7AM the other days of the week for classes.

I tried to do that math...but then my brane asploded.

I don't know if you know this, but that is a crap schedule. DAMN.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on February 01, 2008, 01:55:51 PM
The fact that he's working food service is even more impressive.  Nothing but respect for my fellow food service breathren (even though I now work for a software firm, I still put in my 20 years of food service).
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Anyanka_was_framed on February 01, 2008, 02:42:57 PM
Any form of retail is not always fun, but I know I could not come out of the food industry unscathed.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Agent_Tachyon on February 02, 2008, 11:38:33 PM
I was a dishwasher for a few weeks and I nearly lost my mind. I was eventually losing my mind so I quit. I now have a temporary job until I can pass the medical exam to join the reserves.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: sociald1077 on February 03, 2008, 12:40:32 AM
I was a dishwasher for a few weeks and I nearly lost my mind. I was eventually losing my mind so I quit. I now have a temporary job until I can pass the medical exam to join the reserves.
I was a dish washer for 2 1/2 years in hike-skool. After that I swore I would never work in the food service industry again. But I'll tell you I was a damn good dish washer.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on February 03, 2008, 03:17:47 AM
Food service isn't that bad; It's just the hours that start getting to you, and the fact that no matter what, you're going to have work to do because people never stop eating and shopping. Where do they get all this money is beyond me, but it keeps me employed so I don't care if they're up to their necks in debt.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Dark Shade on February 03, 2008, 05:25:28 AM
I was a dish washer for 1 1/2 years in hike-skool. After that I swore I would never work in the food service industry again. But I'll tell you I was a damn good dish washer.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Agent_Tachyon on February 03, 2008, 11:20:38 PM
Food service isn't that bad; It's just the hours that start getting to you, and the fact that no matter what, you're going to have work to do because people never stop eating and shopping. Where do they get all this money is beyond me, but it keeps me employed so I don't care if they're up to their necks in debt.

I felt like a space monkey.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on February 04, 2008, 04:18:12 AM
Gleep!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Anyanka_was_framed on February 05, 2008, 09:53:07 AM
Just a theory:

Theoretically speaking, if one was able to take two small trash cans (full), put them just inside the office door, take two large post-its and a marker and take the time to label said cans "Trash-put in hall", one would, theoretically, have the time to put said cans in said hall...no?  What, too good to put the damn cans in the hall?

I know it's a little thing, but sometimes I just cannot stand our species.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on February 05, 2008, 10:29:38 AM
This morning at work I was greeted to this nice, big, hot cup of Stupid.



User: I'm getting this message when I open $app that says "Only one admin user can be logged in at a time" and then it kicks me out.

Me: Are other users logged into this program?

User: Yes, Jane is.

Me: Does Jane's account have admin rights in this application?

User: Yep, the same rights my account has.

Me: And when you have her log out that didn't fix it?

User: Uh... I didn't have her log out.  Why would that make any difference?

Me: Because the error message you're getting says that only one admin user can be logged in at a time.

User: Well I didn't get this error yesterday!

Me: Was Jane logged in yesterday?

User: No, she was out sick yesterday.

Me: Then that's probably why.

User: But that doesn't make sense.

Me: Have Jane log out of $app and you'll be able to log into it.

User: That won't work!

Me: I'm pretty sure it will.

User: Okay, hang on.

User: ...

User: Okay, she's logged out.  I'll try logging in.

Me: Ok.

User: It worked!

Me: All right.  The next time that happens, try having Jane log out and that should do it.

User: No, I still think there's something else going on here.  If this happens again I'll call you guys.

Me: No, the reason it wouldn't let you log in with your administrative account was because Jane was logged into it with hers.  If that happens again, check to see if Jane's logged in and if she is, have her log out.  If she's not and you still get that message, THEN call us.

User: Well I don't think that has anything to do with it.

Me: Sure.   :roll:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on February 05, 2008, 11:17:22 AM
Just a theory:

Theoretically speaking, if one was able to take two small trash cans (full), put them just inside the office door, take two large post-its and a marker and take the time to label said cans "Trash-put in hall"...

I would read it as trash that you found in the hall.

But I don't know why you would bring it into the office.  If you had left it in the hall someone may have emptied it.   :w:

Now had you said Put this trash in the hall...
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Anyanka_was_framed on February 05, 2008, 11:52:27 AM
Funny.

They were full, supposed to be put in the hall to be emptied, but rather than do that, someone put the cans together inside the office, labeled them, then ???.  I figure, you have enough time to do that, the hall isn't more than 2 feet away.  Honestly, is it that hard to drag them into the hallway? (which I did when I opened the office this morning even though it should have been done last night as per maintenance).  At least I left the pile marked "Trash/Recycling" where it was (on a chair, also in the office).  I'm not sure he/she whoever did this understands that there is a difference.

Is that better, dcrog?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on February 05, 2008, 12:08:55 PM
Is that better, dcrog?

Better than what?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on February 09, 2008, 11:57:15 AM
I love having my pager go off first thing in the morning telling me one of the blade servers failed. This will be the start of a glorious weekend for sure!

*UPDATE*

A few hours later the HP guy shows up, tears the thing apart, slaps in a new system board starts to rebuild it and says "oops, I brought the wrong board. Whelp, guess I need to go back and get the right one. Be back in an hour."

That was three hours ago and he's still not back.  :x
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on February 11, 2008, 06:34:15 PM
Does anyone else imagine Wesley Snipes serving someone when they hear the term blade servers?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Pyrenus on February 20, 2008, 10:35:34 AM
I must admit that raising a child has increased my patience at work ten fold.

QA:  What does this error mean?  "The value entered was not numeric.  Please enter a numeric value."
Me:  The value you entered was not numeric.  You must enter a numeric value.
QA:  Oh, ok.  Thanks!
Me:  No problem.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on February 20, 2008, 10:39:19 AM
I must admit that raising a child has increased my patience at work ten fold.

QA:  What does this error mean?  "The value entered was not numeric.  Please enter a numeric value."
Me:  The value you entered was not numeric.  You must enter a numeric value.
QA:  Oh, ok.  Thanks!
Me:  No problem.

I get at least one of those a day.

My all-time favourite went like this:


User: I can't get logged onto the terminal server!   :-o

Me: What happens when you try?

User: It says "The system could not log you on.  Make sure your User name and domain are correct then type your password again."

Me: Are you using the correct password?

User: No.

Me: Try using the correct password.

User: OMG THAT WORKED!  Thanks!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on February 20, 2008, 02:15:33 PM
Cu: I can't ping my switch.

Me: What is the switch's ip?

Cu: I haven't set up any vlans yet.

Me: Oh, well let's go ahead and do that. (Thinking: What the hell were you pinging?!)

Cu: Oh, OK, that worked.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on February 20, 2008, 02:17:07 PM
Code: [Select]
C:>ping my switch
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on February 20, 2008, 02:22:57 PM
Cu: I can't ping my switch.

Me: What is the switch's ip?

Cu: I haven't set up any vlans yet.

Me: Oh, well let's go ahead and do that. (Thinking: What the hell were you pinging?!)

Cu: Oh, OK, that worked.

Uh.  Are you sure you don't work here?


/me looks around suspiciously
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ydnamtnediserp on February 20, 2008, 02:23:40 PM
Code: [Select]
C:>ping my switch

you really should do that in the privacy of your own bedroom.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on February 28, 2008, 06:36:57 PM
Here's the argument I've been having with management for the past year and a half or so.

Them: Clients are complaining about hold times and turnaround time for requests.

Me: That's because we need more staff.

Them: No, that can't be it.

Me: *crunches numbers, shows management irrefutable data demonstrating how understaffed we are*

Them: *dismisses irrefutable data without so much as a glance*

Them: I think your processes are inefficient.

Me: You told me that my department's goal is to focus on quality, not efficiency.  For that we need more staff.

Them: You need to be efficient AND have high quality.

Me: *finds ways of squeezing every last drop of efficiency out of rapidly-burning-out staff members*

Them: Clients are complaining still.

Me: We need more staff.

Them: Must be something else.  The phone system or call routing or something.

Me: *streamlines the phone system, smooths out call routing*

Them: Clients are still complaining.

Me: That's because we need more staff.

Them: No, that can't be it.  Fix our ticketing system.

Me: Our ticketing system is already working perfectly.  Clients enter tickets.  We enter tickets.  We complete them.

Them: Clients are complaining even more now.

Me: Have we added staff?

Them: No.

Me: We need more staff.

Them: No we don't. 

Me: *crunches more numbers, shows management even MORE irrefutable data demonstrating how we're even more understaffed than before*

Them: Bah.  That doesn't mean anything.

Them: Clients are now complaining that we need more staff.

Me: ???

Them: They're saying "you don't have enough staff to keep up with requests/issues".

Me: That's because we need more staff.

Them: No, that can't be it.  It's probably the phone system.

Me: (http://www.guildhaven.org/images/smilies/banghead.gif) (http://www.guildhaven.org/images/smilies/banghead.gif) (http://www.guildhaven.org/images/smilies/banghead.gif)


Repeat ad nauseum.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on February 28, 2008, 07:42:50 PM
Business owners and operators are only getting cheaper and more dirt bagish as the years go on. Expect to try and do more and more with less and less as time goes on.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on February 28, 2008, 07:45:23 PM
BTW, In an effort to save money on web hosting, I plan on taking out all images from all of my sites starting next week. I also plan on moving to an older, yet still robust web server utilizing an old Pentium I processor with 64 megs of ram and 1 gig of disk space, connected to the internet with a 56k analog modem.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on February 28, 2008, 07:58:38 PM
So good, we might see an improvement.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Dark Shade on February 28, 2008, 09:19:59 PM
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a65/Dark_Shade_99/roflmao.gif)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on February 29, 2008, 12:01:58 PM
Business owners and operators are only getting cheaper and more dirt bagish as the years go on. Expect to try and do more and more with less and less as time goes on.

Oh I know.  I'm in the middle of just that.

I'm just trying to avert this crisis before we lose a major client over it.  That's what's looming on the very near horizon.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on February 29, 2008, 07:05:36 PM
I'm just going to have all my mail sent to my office. I'm here more than I am at home.  :x
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pickled kitten on March 03, 2008, 11:23:32 AM
WE'RE OUT OF COCOA AND BANANAS TODAY  :x

Fuck this job. No, Really.

All I wanted this morning was some cocoa and a banana to go with my cheerios and the bastards didn't go to the store this weekend as promised  :x

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on March 03, 2008, 11:40:02 AM
WE'RE OUT OF COCOA AND BANANAS TODAY  :x

Fuck this job. No, Really.

All I wanted this morning was some cocoa and a banana to go with my cheerios and the bastards didn't go to the store this weekend as promised  :x



My remote location server room AC system croaks, cooking all the servers and you're bitching about not having enough bananas?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pickled kitten on March 03, 2008, 05:59:44 PM
My remote location server room AC system croaks, cooking all the servers and you're bitching about not having enough bananas?
Well I work for a kick ass company so really that's about all I have to bitch about.

I just wanted to be in with the IN crowd and have something to bitch about too  :cry:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Dark Shade on March 04, 2008, 12:29:58 AM
I just wanted to be in with the IN crowd and have something to bitch about too  :cry:

Maybe think of something better than Cheerios next time. :P
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 04, 2008, 02:30:45 PM
Hey.  Lack of bananas is definitely something to bitch about.   :x
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on March 04, 2008, 03:14:49 PM
I like getting text messages from my boss telling me my hours for the next day have been changed, without even running them by me first.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 07, 2008, 04:47:53 PM
Oh FERFUCKSAKE!!!!!!!   :x


A fucking idiot with whom I work started process monitor on a production terminal server AND WALKED AWAY FROM IT.

 :roll:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ydnamtnediserp on March 07, 2008, 05:06:52 PM
one day soon, i hope to have the energy to post in this thread. it's exhausting just thinking about all the bitching i could do!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on March 07, 2008, 06:09:08 PM
Oh FERFUCKSAKE!!!!!!!   :x


A fucking idiot with whom I work started process monitor on a production terminal server AND WALKED AWAY FROM IT.

 :roll:

That's hilarious. I think I'll do that on my last day.

Did I mention how much I love churning out 100+ page documentation on SQL?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 07, 2008, 06:18:10 PM
Said idiot brought that terminal server to its KNEES.  Blasted the CPU to 100% and filled up the hard drive.

And when we asked him why he did that he honestly didn't understand why it was a problem.

Dumbass.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on March 07, 2008, 06:26:26 PM
That's rich!  TSOTEOTS!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on March 07, 2008, 07:07:00 PM
Hee-hee.

Time to change the admin password.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 10, 2008, 10:14:06 AM
Time to start disabling his admin-level accounts.

Believe me, the temptation is enormous.   :x
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on March 10, 2008, 12:13:51 PM
Time to start disabling his admin-level accounts.

Believe me, the temptation is enormous.   :x

Create, and then move, his account(s) into an "Idiots" OU.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 10, 2008, 05:47:47 PM
Create, and then move, his account(s) into an "Idiots" OU.


MUST.








RESIST!



 :x



Damn you, xolik.  As if I didn't already have trouble with the devils on my shoulders!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 12, 2008, 05:26:52 PM
Okay, I'm sorry, but if you're too STUPID to navigate our incredibly simple phone system, I have absolutely no sympathy for you that nobody got back to you about this incredibly urgent problem.

You left a voice mail on some mailbox that has absolutely nothing to do with the services we provide you.  In fact, considering that it was removed from our autoattendant greeting over a year ago (and the mailbox itself just hasn't been deleted yet), I'm not even sure how you got to it (except by mashing phone buttons, obviously).

So your stupid problem didn't get resolved.  Good.  Maybe next time you'll use some common sense instead of just mashing buttons and leaving your all-so-important message in a mailbox nobody checks.

Dumbass.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on March 12, 2008, 08:12:46 PM
Doesn't anyone use email?  I hate phone trees
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 13, 2008, 01:56:07 PM
Our phone tree is so simple it only barely qualifies to fall under the term "tree".
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 13, 2008, 01:56:54 PM
Also.

So you have been getting this error in Outlook for 6 months, huh?

And, somehow, NOT doing anything about it hasn't helped?

Really?

 :?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on March 13, 2008, 02:12:52 PM
Also.

So you have been getting this error in Outlook for 6 months, huh?

And, somehow, NOT doing anything about it hasn't helped?

Really?

 :?

Yeah.  How long does it take for that to fix itself? 

I've been waiting 5 months.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on March 13, 2008, 02:50:11 PM
Yeah.  How long does it take for that to fix itself? 

I've been waiting 5 months.

I see the 'ignore it and hopes it goes away' approach didn't work.  :-D
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on March 13, 2008, 04:09:20 PM
I see the 'ignore it and hopes it goes away' approach didn't work.  :-D
I haven't ignored it.  I read it every time.   :-D :wink:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on March 13, 2008, 05:19:11 PM
You're supposed to READ those stupid alerts?  I just hit "OK" as quickly as I can.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on March 13, 2008, 06:11:46 PM
I figure as many times as Vista updates itself a week that sooner or later it's bound to fix something.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on March 13, 2008, 07:35:09 PM
Bossman_v2.0- "Hey, Xolik, I need you to work with appdev to fix their broken SQL DTS packages, the advancement dept needs their server's fiber card driver updated without affecting their connection to the SAN, all our pre-sp1 servers need to be updated to SP2, I need a backup standardization plan documented and need all of this done by tomorrow. Oh yeah,your training classes need a cost justification submitted to finance by end of business day today, nevermind I'm telling you this at 5:00pm. You can do all that, right?"

Xolik - "Oh, I'm sure I can. I'll go get the wand...."
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on March 13, 2008, 11:49:12 PM
I just want to shine a light of hope in this thread real quick.

Me (initial call to customer 5 minutes after I took the case): Hello, this is [insert greeting here] regarding internal ticket number [rattle off digits and letters].

Customer: Oh ok, just a second. . . . Well it seems that ticket has been closed, they are happy with the status of the switch.

Me: Oh, well ok. I'll go ahead and close the case then. Thanks.



It could happen to you!

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 14, 2008, 10:02:25 AM
You're supposed to READ those stupid alerts?  I just hit "OK" as quickly as I can.

Are you sure you don't work for one of my clients?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on March 15, 2008, 08:23:10 PM
I love how I work with people who insist on taking as many pain killers and over the counter medications as they can find before coming into work.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ydnamtnediserp on March 18, 2008, 08:52:15 PM
me: why are you disputing this charge?

cardmember: because they weren't supposed to charge me.

me: they weren't supposed to charge you?

cardmember: yeah. they said it was free.

me: how did they get your credit card number?

cardmember: i gave it to them.

me: you gave it to them?

cardmember: ...

me: why would you give them your credit card number for something that was free?

cardmember: ...

me: did you receive any merchandise from this company?

cardmember: yes.

me: have you returned the merchandise?

cardmember: no.

me: so lemme get this straight- you ordered a product online/over the phone/through the mail that was "free," gave the merchant your credit card number, received the merchandise, have it in your possession... and want us to dispute the charge?

cardmember: they said it was free.

me:...

me: sir, we can't help you.



the nice, short version of the story i get several times a day. it generally involves the customer repeating the story many times, each a different way because they think i "don't understand," and usually ends with either:
1. i've been a cardmember for xx years (always a number higher than 10 years, even if they've only had the account for six months)
II. i want to talk to someone else. you don't understand me/it/anything
c. you're supposed to protect me. (sigh. yeah, okay..)
4. american express wouldn't make me prove anything.
V. why are you siding with the merchant?/are you calling me a liar?

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Vespertine on March 19, 2008, 09:00:38 PM
I'm going to give all you young females some advice on how to succeed in the business world.

1. Never be straightforward with either an answer or feedback.
1b. Preface all answers or feedback with self-deprecating or softening words like "i could be wrong", or "i don't want to offend anyone, but i have a question, and please ignore it if it's not valid."
2. If you're not naturally manipulative, learn how to be that way.
3. If you are naturally manipulative, and you feel like there's merit to stuffing that down and being straightforward and honest, STIFLE THAT FEELING!
4. Be warm and fuzzy and touchy-feely and all that good female shit.
5. NEVER EVER be assertive.
6. If you're assigned as a lead to a project or subject area, be wishy-washy and indecisive and incompetent.  If you feel like someone needs to step in and (unofficially) take a leadership role, make sure that someone isn't you.

Follow my guidelines and it will prevent you from getting completely fucked over at review time.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on March 20, 2008, 04:54:39 AM
Bad review V?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on March 20, 2008, 08:54:07 AM
Her boss is probably married; and is SOO pissed being reminded every day that no woman he could have would be half as hot as the V.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on March 20, 2008, 10:41:08 AM
I'm going to give all you young females some advice on how to succeed in the business world.

1. Never be straightforward with either an answer or feedback.
1b. Preface all answers or feedback with self-deprecating or softening words like "i could be wrong", or "i don't want to offend anyone, but i have a question, and please ignore it if it's not valid."
2. If you're not naturally manipulative, learn how to be that way.
3. If you are naturally manipulative, and you feel like there's merit to stuffing that down and being straightforward and honest, STIFLE THAT FEELING!
4. Be warm and fuzzy and touchy-feely and all that good female shit.
5. NEVER EVER be assertive.
6. If you're assigned as a lead to a project or subject area, be wishy-washy and indecisive and incompetent.  If you feel like someone needs to step in and (unofficially) take a leadership role, make sure that someone isn't you.

Follow my guidelines and it will prevent you from getting completely fucked over at review time.

This is why I'm voting for Hill. Past time for this bullshit to end.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Vespertine on March 20, 2008, 01:56:29 PM
Bad review V?
Not super bad.  I got a successful.  What I should have gotten was an exceeds expectations or an outstanding.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on March 20, 2008, 02:52:15 PM
That's why I want all those sexist baby boomers to retire.  Us gen-xers are more enlightened with the possible exception being Ivan
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on March 20, 2008, 03:08:16 PM
(http://www.ivandavidoff.com/misc/nigel.jpg)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on March 20, 2008, 04:04:43 PM
Not super bad.  I got a successful.  What I should have gotten was an exceeds expectations or an outstanding.

Well that still sounds like a bad one.  Hang in there kid.   :-D
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on March 20, 2008, 08:24:55 PM
I benefit from low expectatins.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Vespertine on March 21, 2008, 10:30:47 AM
As I pop in to this thread and scan new posts, re-reading my recent screwing over, a thought occurs to me...why don't more women go postal?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: LuciferSam on March 21, 2008, 10:31:30 AM
I have a theory about that, but it is controversial.

Edit: It would only enforce the stereotype of sexist baby boomers. Which isn't true, toots. But, you could show a little more leg, okay?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on March 21, 2008, 06:34:11 PM
As I pop in to this thread and scan new posts, re-reading my recent screwing over, a thought occurs to me...why don't more women go postal?

I think because they are more sneaky and can covertly kill their enemies.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on March 26, 2008, 01:03:29 AM
First let me say this:

I work third shift front desk at a hotel, not just any hotel, a five diamond golf and spa resort, so I not only get stupid I get rich and stupid, which, when combined, generally creates a really disturbing concoction.

Now, here's the scenario:

It's 2:00am. The phone rings, the guy asks for a room number, I transfer the call up to the girl's room. Not even 2 minutes later I receive another call from the same person, asking for the same room. I transfer the call. Another 2 minutes pass, and again, guy calls up asking for the same girl's room. This may go on for half an hour or longer. One night I transferred some poor man 37 times.
And this is not unusual. It occurs with both genders, although women seem to be more inclined to ask for the bar the second time, and when they find out the bar is closed, may only call back two or three more times, then they ask to have a message left for the guest. Men seem more inclined to just keeping fucking calling, as if she is going magically decide to answer. Even when we suggest leaving a message, they don't go for that, they want to just keep calling.

Here's my rant:

At what point do you decide to stop calling? How many times do you have to be transferred up to the room only to have the person not answer? Do you do this when they're at home? Because if you do you're a creep and it's no wonder they don't want to answer the fucking phone. If you don't, why the fucking hell do you feel the need to do it in a hotel? If you're that suspicious, hire a PI. The Night Audit crew has other things to do than transfer your sorry ass 37 times, by the fifth try it should be obvious they aren't picking up. Leave a fucking message, either with the desk or on the voice mail, and go the fuck to bed!

Rant finished.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on March 26, 2008, 01:23:03 PM
Since the mobile phone has become ubiquitous why would anyone call a hotel room?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on March 26, 2008, 02:55:40 PM
Since the mobile phone has become ubiquitous why would anyone call a hotel room?
"I KNOW you're there."
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on March 26, 2008, 04:15:59 PM
Thank you!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on March 28, 2008, 03:18:04 PM
I'm the only guy here today and my back is all fucked up because I'm an idiot when it comes to squats. Here's hoping the rest of the day goes by without me having to leave my chair.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on March 31, 2008, 05:17:54 AM
Got another dumb one...

Me: What form of payment will you be using today?

Guest: I thought I didn't pay until I checked out?

Me: If you choose to place a credit or debit card on the account, you will not be charged until you check out. However, if you do not have a credit or debit card, we will need to see cash or personal check now.

Guest: Okay. *hands me a debit card*

Me: We place a hold on all credit and debit cards for the duration of your stay for the amount you have charged. The hold is released the moment you check out and we charge you. But with debit cards the bank may continue to hold your money for a minimum of ten days, do you still want to use your debit card?

Guest: Yeah *impatient tone

Two days later after guest has checked out...

- Jacked up e-mail from my boss, -

- Guest so-and-so was complaining that we were still holding money on his bank account. Explained policy blah blah blah. Essentially the guest said they'd never been told such a thing. -

Quote
Me: We place a hold on all credit and debit cards for the duration of your stay for the amount you have charged. The hold is released the moment you check out and we charge you. But with debit cards the bank may continue to hold your money for a minimum of ten days, do you still want to use your debit card?

What the fucking hell did I miss? Was the statement unclear in anyway?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ydnamtnediserp on March 31, 2008, 05:05:18 PM
sigh. i know what you mean. our cardmembers are just as stupid. in fact, i'd bet you a gazillion dollars every person that you deal with that fits your example also holds one of my company's credit cards.

but- a question. merchants can call us to release authorizations (we mostly see it with hotel and/or car rental companies); can you not do that on a debit card? or is it just the principle at that point?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on March 31, 2008, 05:14:47 PM
This is my understanding, consider that it's limited.

Our system sends an automated message to the bank informing them that we have charged the card no longer require the hold. But since it's a debit card, it's the banks decision when and where to release the money. If the banks thinks it's necessary they will continue to hold the money. (Your bank will almost always see it as necessary.) Once we charge your card, the only thing we can do on our end is call your bank and make sure they got the automated message. After that, it's your responsibility to bitch to your bank.

It has a lot to do with the fact that you're dealing with real money in real time, as opposed to credit, this I do know. Our system sends a message to the credit companies as well, but because the whole point of credit is to pay for it later, it goes on your card account, the companies releases the hold, everything is hunky dory. But with banks, they don't want to over draw your account, blah blah blah, I'm sure you're familar with their routine BS. We can call banks all day long talking about how the hold release is valid, but it's still the bank's decision whether or not they release it.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ydnamtnediserp on March 31, 2008, 06:00:50 PM
i can't say much for debit cards- other than my own personal experience- but for credit cards, a hotel transaction works like this (in an ideal world, of course- a lot of merchants don't follow procedures):

1. you (the merchant) obtain an authorization to bill an account. this is simply a hold on the funds so you can ensure you get paid. the amount of the authorization is taken from the cardholder's available credit line, but is not included as part of the balance.
b. when the cardholder checks out, the merchant- using the same 6-digit authorization given at the time of the hold in step 1- actually charges the card. the authorization is now gone- it is officially a charge.
III. the merchant batches out at the end of the day, and the transaction is submitted to the credit card issuer for payment.
4. the credit card company pays the merchant bank.
V. the merchant bank pays the merchant. everybody's happy.

now- again- this is how it's supposed to work. more often than not, a hotel (or car rental company, or whatever other company would hold funds and bill at a later time, once the charge amount is determined and the services are rendered) doesn't use the same authorization code that was given at the time of the hold being put on the cardholder's account. they simply run the card through again as if it were a brand new transaction (much like say, wal-mart would- a regular point-of-sale purchase where the authorization and purchase take place within seconds of each other).. which is fine, but what the merchant fails to realize is not only did they charge the cardmember (correctly) for the services rendered, they also have an additional hold on the account, which prevents the customer from utilizing their full credit line. granted, authorizations on a credit card drop off on their own after 30 days, but it's inconvenient. and poor customer service, in my opinion.


to reiterate: i don't know about debit cards. in my experience with my own bank, any time i stay at a hotel, the authorization tends to drop off within 48 hours. on its own? probably. i can't imagine my bank going out of their way to release it.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on March 31, 2008, 06:15:09 PM
I've never seen a bank go out of its way to release a hold on a debit card. You're bank probably has a standard 48 hour hold time. Some have ten day hold times. And I have seen them go out of their way to KEEP a hold on a person's card (which makes no sense me whatsoever, don't ask me). Which is why we warn, "the BANK may continue to hold the money for up to ten days" (I say 'a minimum' as standard CYA policy).
 
This tidbit should make you happy... According to our computer support, as long as new card isn't swiped and the card you used at check in is the card we charge, it automatically uses the same 6-digit auth. code... Then again... as long as there's humans involved...  :-P I've seen my coworkers do some pretty moronic things in the past.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ydnamtnediserp on March 31, 2008, 06:37:49 PM
that makes me incredibly happy!

if more hotels operated that way, i wouldn't hate my jo..... nevermind. yes, i would.  :lol:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on March 31, 2008, 06:54:03 PM
Another reason not to have a visa debit card linked to your demand accounts.  I have old fashioned ATM cards for all of mine.  If a merchant doesn't accept ATM cards I just use a credit card.  For things like travel I almost always use a credit card anyway.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ydnamtnediserp on March 31, 2008, 07:04:12 PM
and you should. good luck finding any recourse outside of a credit card if something goes wrong.

speaking of, aloha airlines filed for bankruptcy today.. and apparently only notified their customers they wouldn't honor their flights via a message on their website. i probably had about 30 calls on this today; it's only going to get worse.  :x
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on March 31, 2008, 07:11:23 PM
and you should. good luck finding any recourse outside of a credit card if something goes wrong.

speaking of, aloha airlines filed for bankruptcy today.. and apparently only notified their customers they wouldn't honor their flights via a message on their website. i probably had about 30 calls on this today; it's only going to get worse.  :x

I feel your pain.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ydnamtnediserp on March 31, 2008, 07:39:54 PM
I feel your pain.

thanks. we had 2 similar situations in recent memory- stormpay & sunrocket. both sucked. stormpay was worse because we had pretty much no recourse. they're pretty much like paypal. their job is to simply move funds from point A to point B. they were moving money for customers, but the money was frozen by whatever 3rd party was being paid and the cardholders never actually received whatever service they anticipated. but because the funds were transferred, we couldn't assist. sunrocket was a little more doable. they're a phone company that went belly up but re-opened shortly afterwards under a different name. incredibly shady, yes, but they at least acknowledged cardmembers were due refunds (although pro-rated, of course) and didn't object to the disputes.

fortunately, though the excessive calls are going to suck, this situation will probably go the sunrocket route where we are, for the most part, able to obtain refunds.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: MISTER MASSACRE on April 01, 2008, 02:51:06 PM
I'm the only guy here today and my back is all fucked up because I'm an idiot when it comes to squats. Here's hoping the rest of the day goes by without me having to leave my chair.

What did you do? I want to know so I can't not do what you done did.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on April 01, 2008, 04:00:59 PM
What did you do? I want to know so I can't not do what you done did.

Duhhh.

Didn't you read his post?

He squatted.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on April 02, 2008, 10:05:12 AM
What did you do? I want to know so I can't not do what you done did.

You're supposed to have your back at an angle when you do squats. I forgot that part and kept my back straight. Don't EVER do this.  :|
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Pyrenus on April 02, 2008, 03:50:10 PM
After 10 years at my current job, I've come to a realization.

If you ever want to have any chance of promotion, you must be replaceable.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on April 02, 2008, 03:56:40 PM
Talk about your double-edged sword.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on April 02, 2008, 05:34:51 PM
Definitely.  I made that realization at my last job.  No mobility, mostly because I was indispensible.

Whoops.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on April 02, 2008, 06:00:29 PM
Yep.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on April 02, 2008, 06:16:32 PM
To employ this effectively, first make sure the guy above you is replaceable by you. Then start screwing up and blame everything on him.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on April 02, 2008, 07:16:59 PM
After 10 years at my current job, I've come to a realization.

If you ever want to have any chance of promotion, you must be replaceable.
Hopefully you don't subscribe to the old Employer/Employee "loyalty and compensation" model. The best way to get promoted is find another job.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on April 09, 2008, 05:54:24 PM
I've kept out of this for a long time, but:

Subject: Company based web email.

It started long ago that you typed in or bookmarked smtp.domainname.com

Someone changed something so for a while you typed in the ip address to get to the login page.

Then it changed to https//:mail.domainname.com/owa

For the last week and a half I've been trying to find out why mine won't work anymore.  I hate having to connect through VPN and then Remote desktop to check email that I can't even print on the jobsite, unless I forward it to an outside account.  I was told to not use my bookmark and try typing in the https//...  address back in.  No luck.  Monday the IT guy was supposed to be in and figure out what was up.  No luck.  I called back today to see if anyone had figured out the problem.  No luck.

Called another superintendent who has been on vacation to see how he had solved the problem and got his  working.  He said his bookmark stopped working so he tried typing in simply mail.domainname.com/owa and it went through.

I tried it.  Eureka, it worked.  But it is now simply an http:// url.  I called the admin to make sure he knew the mail was no longer on a secure server.  He tells me it is secure so no problem.

My main problem with all of this is that at no time when any of these changes were made was anyone notified.  Plus nobody ever seems to be sure how these changes take place, or why.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ydnamtnediserp on April 09, 2008, 08:51:06 PM
hello? airlines? could you please stop declaring bankruptcy and/or canceling flights? i'm sick of cleaning up your fucking messes at work every day. thank you.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on April 09, 2008, 09:24:41 PM
Holy shit I bet that DOES suck bad.  :-(
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on April 10, 2008, 04:27:03 AM
I've decided to join ydnamtnediserp's rant about airlines cancelling.

We, at the hotel, have been sold out for the last three days, and will remain sold out for the next three days due to a large marketing event that happens in the area twice a year. This event sells out almost every hotel in a 50mi radius of itself. Traditionally, there is a guest change-out that happens on day 4. Now, there are 240+ guests who want to know why they can't extend their stay another day to give themselves time to find another flight.

Our brilliant upper-management has told us to suggest that they 'rent a car'. Riiiiight. Like I'm going to look these people (some of whom are big wig upppity-up types) in the face and tell them to 'rent a car' and not get cussed out.

Fucking airlines.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: jeee on April 10, 2008, 08:33:53 AM
Fucking airlines.

There could be a market for those.....
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on April 10, 2008, 10:23:47 AM
I've kept out of this for a long time, but:

Subject: Company based web email.

It started long ago that you typed in or bookmarked smtp.domainname.com

Someone changed something so for a while you typed in the ip address to get to the login page.

Then it changed to https//:mail.domainname.com/owa

For the last week and a half I've been trying to find out why mine won't work anymore.  I hate having to connect through VPN and then Remote desktop to check email that I can't even print on the jobsite, unless I forward it to an outside account.  I was told to not use my bookmark and try typing in the https//...  address back in.  No luck.  Monday the IT guy was supposed to be in and figure out what was up.  No luck.  I called back today to see if anyone had figured out the problem.  No luck.

Called another superintendent who has been on vacation to see how he had solved the problem and got his  working.  He said his bookmark stopped working so he tried typing in simply mail.domainname.com/owa and it went through.

I tried it.  Eureka, it worked.  But it is now simply an http:// url.  I called the admin to make sure he knew the mail was no longer on a secure server.  He tells me it is secure so no problem.

My main problem with all of this is that at no time when any of these changes were made was anyone notified.  Plus nobody ever seems to be sure how these changes take place, or why.

We manage such things for most of our clients.  To be fair, it's really quite difficult to keep URLs consistent when it comes to managing webmail versus OWA versus whatever.  Heck, when we upgraded our main POP server to the next .5 version number it changed the fricking URL from http://mail.domainname.com to http://webmail.domainname.com... something we didn't even figure out for a couple of days.  We found out because we had a pile of clients calling us wondering when the webmail server was going to be back up so they could log in.

That said, we learned from stuff like that and now we test things and let people know when stuff changes -- BEFORE it changes.  Sounds like your IT guys haven't figured that out yet.

Also, if you're logging into OWA and it's not an "https", it's not secure. 
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on April 10, 2008, 11:28:28 AM
Also, if you're logging into OWA and it's not an "https", it's not secure. 

That's what I called to tell the company admin about.  Oh well.

If he mentions it to the IT I'm sure the url will change again.   :-o

To be fair I suppose, the IT guy works for some firm and is only there once every two weeks.  When he walks in there are at least a half a dozen people waiting on him with their own problems.  I try not to bother them if I can fix it on my own. 

Demo.  As far as VPN and Remote Desktop, other than to access email or programs on the server, is there any reason I should have to use both?  With VPN they tell me I shouldn't be able to drag and drop data from my local machine to the data drive on the server.  Even though I've been doing it for months.  They broke it last week to where I couldn't but it seems to be working again the last few days.  It certainly makes it easier moving files and printing hard copies locally.  Since they tell me with the all in one printer I have won't work even after installing the drivers on the server.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on April 10, 2008, 11:51:44 AM
That's what I called to tell the company admin about.  Oh well.

If he mentions it to the IT I'm sure the url will change again.   :-o

Don't believe them if they tell you it is secure.  It means they're not using a cert, so it's just connected over plain old vanilla http, which is only as secure as any other webmail.

Quote
Demo.  As far as VPN and Remote Desktop, other than to access email or programs on the server, is there any reason I should have to use both?

I'm not clear why you'd need a VPN and RDP.  Usually the only reason we set up VPNs for our remote desktop clients' users is if they have a local printer that needs to get secure print traffic to from the terminal server.

Unless I'm misunderstanding what you're doing.  Are you RDPing into a workstation on an office LAN or something?  Or a terminal server?

Quote
  With VPN they tell me I shouldn't be able to drag and drop data from my local machine to the data drive on the server.  Even though I've been doing it for months.  They broke it last week to where I couldn't but it seems to be working again the last few days.  It certainly makes it easier moving files and printing hard copies locally.  Since they tell me with the all in one printer I have won't work even after installing the drivers on the server.

I don't see why not... drive redirection is a simple check box on your object in Active Directory.  Enabled or disabled.  You can also enable or disable it with your Remote Desktop client (in the "local resources" tab if you hit the "options" button).  Drive redirection goes over your RDP connection, not over the VPN.

Granted, if some sysadmin disables it for your account in Active Directory, you can have it checked on your end and it still won't work.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on April 10, 2008, 12:29:12 PM
I think that the problem is that they used Remote desktop for so many years they don't understand what the VPN actually is.  When I questioned the admin about it he told me it was an added layer of security.  Log onto VPN, after connected open Remote desktop.  Which all I am doing is sending daily reports onto the terminal server.  Usually small excel files.  When they first switched to VPN my Remote desktop stopped working for a while.  My project manager was here with his laptop and wanted to get to some of his files on the server.  He plugged his laptop into my DSL line and connected through VPN.  Remote wouldn't work for him either.  But since his machine and mine have been on the office network physically the accessible drives are listed under My Computer as network drives.  He simply clicked on the icon he keeps on his desktop while working at the office and there he was, on the server using the server installed program.  That's how I figured out that I could do the same thing by simply creating a shortcut to the folder under my server profile and placing it on my own desktop.

As long as the VPN works like it does now, and I'm not compromising anything, it makes me a happy camper.  I can copy to or from the data drive on the server with no problem.  If I simply want to print something that is on the server my local printer has no qualms about it.  I figured this out after spending a few hours at the office with my printer, driver disc, and the IT guy trying to get Remote Desktop to allow me to print locally from the job site.  They initially told me to go buy a generic HP printer if I wanted to print down here.

Edit:
Is there a way to access my email through VPN?  Creating a shortcut from my remote desktop doesn't work.  It seems to be linked to the \\E drive on the server.  E is the drive letter of my DVD drive here locally.  So when I create and click on the icon it asks me to insert a disc.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: reimero on April 10, 2008, 12:45:18 PM
Many and Wunderkind, did either of you post over at customerssuck?  Because I could almost swear someone here did.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on April 10, 2008, 01:08:08 PM
Many and Wunderkind, did either of you post over at customerssuck?  Because I could almost swear someone here did.

I did for awhile, back when I was working at The Pit. I loved that site.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on April 10, 2008, 01:44:09 PM
I think that the problem is that they used Remote desktop for so many years they don't understand what the VPN actually is.  When I questioned the admin about it he told me it was an added layer of security.  Log onto VPN, after connected open Remote desktop.  Which all I am doing is sending daily reports onto the terminal server.  Usually small excel files.  When they first switched to VPN my Remote desktop stopped working for a while.  My project manager was here with his laptop and wanted to get to some of his files on the server.  He plugged his laptop into my DSL line and connected through VPN.  Remote wouldn't work for him either.  But since his machine and mine have been on the office network physically the accessible drives are listed under My Computer as network drives.  He simply clicked on the icon he keeps on his desktop while working at the office and there he was, on the server using the server installed program.  That's how I figured out that I could do the same thing by simply creating a shortcut to the folder under my server profile and placing it on my own desktop.

As long as the VPN works like it does now, and I'm not compromising anything, it makes me a happy camper.  I can copy to or from the data drive on the server with no problem.  If I simply want to print something that is on the server my local printer has no qualms about it.  I figured this out after spending a few hours at the office with my printer, driver disc, and the IT guy trying to get Remote Desktop to allow me to print locally from the job site.  They initially told me to go buy a generic HP printer if I wanted to print down here.

Ah, okay.  It sounds like you're just RDPing to your workstation in the office then?

Printing locally via RDP isn't too hard, but it can be tricky.  First, make sure you can print from your laptop to it locally.  Second, make sure the driver for that printer is installed on the machine you're RDP'd to.  Then when you log into the remote computer, open printers and faxes and the printer should show up.  If it doesn't, things get more complicated from there, believe me.

Quote
Edit:
Is there a way to access my email through VPN?  Creating a shortcut from my remote desktop doesn't work.  It seems to be linked to the \\E drive on the server.  E is the drive letter of my DVD drive here locally.  So when I create and click on the icon it asks me to insert a disc.

Not sure.  If you're just RDPing into a workstation that normally has Outlook set up on it under the profile you're logging into, it should work seamlessly.  Otherwise, I don't know.  It depends on how email is set up for you guys.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on April 10, 2008, 02:26:50 PM
First, make sure you can print from your laptop to it locally.  Second, make sure the driver for that printer is installed on the machine you're RDP'd to.  Then when you log into the remote computer, open printers and faxes and the printer should show up.  If it doesn't, things get more complicated from there, believe me.

I can believe that.  But that's what the IT guy tried.  It didn't work.  All in one printers don't seem to have much luck with Remote Desktop, so I'm told.  Through VPN by itself it works fine.

Quote
Not sure.  If you're just RDPing into a workstation that normally has Outlook set up on it under the profile you're logging into, it should work seamlessly.  Otherwise, I don't know.  It depends on how email is set up for you guys.

It does work fine as long as I open VPN along with RDP.  Oh well.  As long as they have the web access I'm good to go.  It's just a pain if I have to move an email to another folder so that I can print it with VPN.  But that only happens when the OWA isn't working.  That or do like before the VPN and email it to myself to an outside account.

Thanks Demo.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on April 10, 2008, 05:28:05 PM
That's BS.  I've set up literally hundreds of redirected printers, including dozens upon dozens of AIO's.  There's nothing intrinsically more difficult for them than anything else (though to be fair, the scanning functionality doesn't generally work from the remote machine, nor does the faxening), particularly if it's an HP or an Epson or a Canon printer in question.  If it's a Dell or a Lexmark, forget it.  Those are a nightmare, and even if you can get them to work, their drivers are so poorly written they can actually cause issues in completely unrelated printers on the same server.  Seriously.

One way to troubleshoot this is to import the reg key I PM'd you and then RDP to the remote machine, and then (on the remote machine) go to Start=>Control Panel=>Administrative Tools=>Event Viewer and look at the "System" events for when you logged in.  If it's a driver disparity, there'll be an error message in there saying "Driver HP LaserJet 3500 series required for printer HP LaserJet 3500 series is unknown.  Contact the administrator to install the driver before you log in again."  (or whatever printer model you have).

If that's the case, all you really need to do is install the driver it's complaining about and that should be it.

If you don't see ANY message in the event log about a printer at or around the time you logged on, you're pretty much screwed.  That means it's not even trying to redirect your local printer, in which case you might as well give up.   :-D
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ydnamtnediserp on April 10, 2008, 08:28:22 PM
Many and Wunderkind, did either of you post over at customerssuck?  Because I could almost swear someone here did.

i've never heard of it. i'll have to check it out this weekend.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on April 11, 2008, 12:39:24 AM
I would just like to say here and now, who ever the fuck thought up the system we use here should be strung up by his feet tarred, feathered, and lit on fire!

I had suspicions that the (software?) was flawed from the very moment when they started teaching us how to use it. I thought at first perhaps that it was installed wrong when it first started fucking up. After being patted on the head and reminded that I am "just a night auditor" I am utterly convinced these people having no fucking clue what is necessary to execute front desk functions.

As of this moment you cannot walk in to our hotel and get a room. Oh, it's not that we're a fancy shamncy place that you can only get into if you have a reservation. No. I can't 'walk you in' BECAUSE THERE IS NO WALK IN FUNCTION! I can't even make a reservation at the front desk! I have to take your information, walk to the back, looking suspicious as hell, sit down at a reservationist's desk (because their's are the only computers on which this thing seems to work properly) make a reservation, then walk BACK TO THE FRONT DESK to check you in! What the fuck were these people thinking?

And yeah, I've been assured that it's been installed properly and 'works fine'. Fine my ass!





I'm done.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on April 11, 2008, 12:58:14 AM
I feel your pain. I can't even begin to describe how fucked up every single application we use is. No exageration; at least two of the five apps we use crashes every night. E V E R Y night. Solution? Pepcid AC.
 :|
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on April 11, 2008, 07:16:23 AM
...One way to troubleshoot this is to import the reg key I PM'd you...

OMFG!!!!!!!!!11111ONE What did that program do to my machine?  All my desktop are FUXXORED!!!!!  JOU HAXXXORED MY BOX111!!!   :-D

Seriously though.  It is a Lexmark so I'm not even going to try.  I think when they tried to make it work I still had the Compaq machine and they put the drivers on the server but it wouldn't work.

That said, the current laptop is an HP with Windows Vista Business 32 bit.  Myself and one other unlucky person got Vista before they  started refusing to buy a machine with Vista on it.  It took me a few days with Lexmark to even get drivers for it when I changed machines.  :-o
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on April 11, 2008, 09:47:06 AM
To comment on the application thing . . .

Me (first one at work on Saturdays to supervisor when he shows up late to let me in): I can't check my backlog, is it down?

Him: Yes, it's all down today. We are going to work on webtickets now (gives url).

Me: Oh, well its just today I was supposed to help a customer run through some stuff as today is his only downtime. Also, I don't work after today until Tuesday. Is there any way to get to it?

Him: No, just don't worry about it. Take this web case.

Me: OK.

Flashforward to Tuesday . . .

Email I see as I log in: "Joey -- I noticed that you did not update your cases in 4 days. I have informed all the leads of this. You need to make sure to update your cases. BLAH BLAH BLAH I AM A TOOLBAG."

. . .  he really said it.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on April 11, 2008, 10:19:20 AM
OMFG!!!!!!!!!11111ONE What did that program do to my machine?  All my desktop are FUXXORED!!!!!  JOU HAXXXORED MY BOX111!!!   :-D

Seriously though.  It is a Lexmark so I'm not even going to try.  I think when they tried to make it work I still had the Compaq machine and they put the drivers on the server but it wouldn't work.

That said, the current laptop is an HP with Windows Vista Business 32 bit.  Myself and one other unlucky person got Vista before they  started refusing to buy a machine with Vista on it.  It took me a few days with Lexmark to even get drivers for it when I changed machines.  :-o

Aha.  Vista, huh?  So how do you like RDP6?   :-D

Myself, I fucking hate it.  Nothing quite like complicating the formerly-simple process of remote desktop with a bunch of bizarre extra steps that serve nobody any real purpose, huh?

Yeah, you're best off with a cheap HP or Epson when it comes to printer redirection via RDP.  Lexmarks have their uses, but most of them involve propping doors open or keeping papers from blowing off your desk.  They do both of those functions perfectly.

Printing, not so much.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on April 11, 2008, 11:36:40 AM
Yes, dear old Vista.  In a couple of years it might become an operating system instead of an in-operating one.

The only real difference I've seen with the RDP is when I go to log on it gives me a warning about the operating system (Server 2003 I think) is older than Vista and do I really want to connect anyway.

Just like all its other warnings that without hacking the registry or something they don't give you the chance to turn off.  Plus no matter how many times you tell it to open the damn program/folder/device manager/whatever it never remembers what you did last time.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: reimero on April 11, 2008, 11:49:29 AM
I'd like to point out that Lexmarks also make great theft-deterrent devices.  Last I checked, most people weren't too keen on having Lexmark printers thrown at them.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on April 11, 2008, 12:13:37 PM
(http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/5964/classicfillmoreak3.gif) - "Xolik, I need you to push out this patch right away. Think you can do that now?"
 :| - "What's it for? Has it been tested?"
(http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/5964/classicfillmoreak3.gif) - "No time for logic! Just do it!"
 :x - *puts on Happy Tree Friends theme and mashes the 'deploy' button*
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on April 11, 2008, 12:17:33 PM
GIS for "mash the button"

(http://www.unlimitedgamer.net/walls/d/642-1/mgs4-live-demo-001.jpg)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on April 11, 2008, 12:20:50 PM
Sexual assault with a concrete dildo?!?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on April 11, 2008, 12:28:52 PM
Is that an offer?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on April 11, 2008, 12:44:41 PM
Of all the scenes in The Naked Gun, that one was most memorable.  :-D
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on April 11, 2008, 01:17:44 PM
Here Wunderkind.  I saw this and thought you could hang it on the front desk.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on April 11, 2008, 01:19:41 PM
Sexual assault with a concrete dildo?!?

Concrete Dildo sounds like a Ska band.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ydnamtnediserp on April 11, 2008, 01:20:23 PM
this just in: frontier airlines files for bankruptcy protection.








shoot me?  :x
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on April 11, 2008, 01:50:35 PM
Here Wunderkind.  I saw this and thought you could hang it on the front desk.

Haha!

Hey, wait a minute. Maybe they'd understand that since they clearly don't understand plain English.

 :lol:
Thanks, dcrog.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on April 16, 2008, 02:34:44 PM
Rumor floating around has it that we're in for a round of layoffs. One of my coworkers says he doesn't care because he can just go work for his brother. I said I don't care if they lay me off either because I told them, I told Bill that if they move my desk one more time then, then I'm quitting, I'm going to quit. And I told Don too, because they've moved my desk four times already this year and I used to be over by the window and I could see the squirrels and they were married, but then, then they switched from the Swingline to the Boston stapler, but I kept my Swingline stapler because it didn't bind up as much, and I kept the staples for my Swingline stapler and it's not ok because if they take my stapler I'll set the building on fire.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on April 16, 2008, 03:31:00 PM
Quote
Sorry, you can't repeat a karma action without waiting 1 hours.

 :-D
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on April 16, 2008, 07:25:15 PM
Rumor floating around has it that we're in for a round of layoffs. One of my coworkers says he doesn't care because he can just go work for his brother. I said I don't care if they lay me off either because I told them, I told Bill that if they move my desk one more time then, then I'm quitting, I'm going to quit. And I told Don too, because they've moved my desk four times already this year and I used to be over by the window and I could see the squirrels and they were married, but then, then they switched from the Swingline to the Boston stapler, but I kept my Swingline stapler because it didn't bind up as much, and I kept the staples for my Swingline stapler and it's not ok because if they take my stapler I'll set the building on fire.

Hey Milton, what's happening . . . Uhhh, I'm gonna need you to go ahead and move downstairs into storage B . . .

Ah! I can't get started on this!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on May 08, 2008, 08:04:18 AM
Bored at work at 3:43am EST, 12ax7 decides to play a game.

  "Let's play .  .  .  Global Thermonuclear War!"  :evil:
/me does some hax0r1ng $tuff...   

(http://www.musichouse.biz/desktop/images/nasawhitesands.jpg)




 MUAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!! 

* ATDT1505761099   
 CONNECT 2400




Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on May 09, 2008, 10:19:30 AM
* ATDT1505761099   
 CONNECT 2400

You mean:
Quote
A-B-C-D-P-G-C
Who could it be, it's the D-O-double-G

Right?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on May 09, 2008, 01:23:43 PM
 Well, that's next; but I wasn't going to reveal that information.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ydnamtnediserp on May 09, 2008, 02:09:37 PM
i'm totally calling the nasa white sands testing facility!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on May 14, 2008, 05:01:36 AM
First they take away the tool that let's me do my job, then they bitch at me for not doing my job! How the fucking hell am I supposed to check in a guest into an airline flight if you blocked the airlines websites. And then you have the fucking balls to bitch at me when the guest complains that no one will print up his boarding passes. What in the fucking hell!

Fuck, fuck, shit, fuck, damn, fuck, fuck, damn, fuck, shit! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, damn, fuck, shit, fuck, fuck, damn, damn,
damn, damn. Fuck fucking fuckers!

*deep breath

God I feel so much better now.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on May 23, 2008, 07:23:20 PM
Me - "Ah, fifteen minutes until quitting time. It's great to have a three day weekend!"

Exchange Server - "Fuck you, I'm going down."
Database Server - "Yeah, what he said. You ain't going nowhere, nancyboy."

Me -  :cry:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: The_FOO on May 24, 2008, 12:12:11 AM
Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

Cept it started at 2am on the Saturday morning. After I thought I was home free.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on June 27, 2008, 11:13:53 AM
"Problem Description: The power over ethernet module is defected"

Quick! Someone take the case! The module is defecting!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: The_FOO on June 28, 2008, 01:13:18 AM
"Problem Description: The power over ethernet module is defected"

Quick! Someone take the case! The module is defecting!

In soviet Russia, module defects you!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on July 01, 2008, 05:25:21 PM
This pretty much describes every discussion I've had with management about staffing for the past 2 years.  (http://www.guildhaven.org/images/smilies/banghead.gif)

(http://www.guildhaven.org/images/how_now_brown_cow.gif)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on July 01, 2008, 11:27:31 PM
So I get to work tonight and find out that the power on floor 3-11 in the hotel are out. All floors with guest rooms.

So I call Engineering and it seems some dumb fuck in the same department responsible for clearing up the mess left a water hose running in the electric switchboard room and walked away. Now, it appears, there is an inch of water in the main room and none of our guests have power.

What the fucking hell! Are you fucking kidding me?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on July 01, 2008, 11:37:24 PM
.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Pyrenus on July 10, 2008, 04:56:51 PM
A coworker had to send her PC in to get a new hard drive.
"Make sure you have backups of everything you need," I told her.

Her pc comes back and she freaks out.
"All my files are gone from my PC!"
"Well yeah, its a new hard drive."
"But they are gone from my network drive too!"
"Your network drive?  Show me."

She had found her own PC on the network and copied all her files there before sending her computer in for a new drive.

I laughed, but she wasn't amused.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on July 10, 2008, 06:42:27 PM
Genius!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on July 14, 2008, 07:21:49 AM
.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on July 14, 2008, 05:02:54 PM
You forgot the one difference that brings it all home--Anal rape.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on July 14, 2008, 05:06:35 PM
You forgot the one difference that brings it all home--Anal rape.

Are you bringing that up as a positive or a negative?

Because that might affect my choice.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on July 14, 2008, 05:07:42 PM
I left it nebulous so that the individuals can choose for themselves ;)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on July 14, 2008, 05:44:16 PM
So basically we should punish criminals by giving them jobs.












Well, I'm all for it.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on July 14, 2008, 05:50:42 PM
So basically we should punish criminals by giving them jobs.

I think we should punish criminals by giving them OUR jobs.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on July 16, 2008, 04:09:43 PM
One of my students (I think it was that kid that got kicked out of summer school the first week for smoking pot on school grounds) wrote on the back of one of my whiteboards "Ms. Van Bergen has a dick that tastes good".

 :x
I MOST CERTAINLY DO NOT!!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on July 16, 2008, 04:19:13 PM
What?  Enrique tastes bad?

You might need to check who he's running with.   :-D
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on July 16, 2008, 07:51:08 PM
One of my students (I think it was that kid that got kicked out of summer school the first week for smoking pot on school grounds) wrote on the back of one of my whiteboards "Ms. Van Bergen has a dick that tastes good".

 :x
I MOST CERTAINLY DO NOT!!

How did he know your fake last name?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Joe Sixpack on July 17, 2008, 09:18:43 AM
Tomorrow I'm having to take time out of my schedule to go see Batman.  My boss bought the tickets, and it's at the draft house, and I'm getting paid for it, so I'm going to feel totally guilty.  Sucks.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on July 17, 2008, 01:48:32 PM
Glad I don't have your job...SUCKER!!!!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on July 30, 2008, 01:13:39 PM
Time for the semi-annual defrag! Fire up the disk defragmenter utility and get told "Hey, you should defrag this drive." Ok, go for it. About twenty minutes later I get the "All done!" notice. So I reanalyze the drive I just defragged and get told "Hey, you should defrag this drive." I JUST DID THAT! Took it about four defrags to get it all nice and blue\green again. One machine down, 150+ more to go. This is gonna be a fun day.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Socrates on July 30, 2008, 02:27:08 PM
Time for the semi-annual defrag! Fire up the disk defragmenter utility and get told "Hey, you should defrag this drive." Ok, go for it. About twenty minutes later I get the "All done!" notice. So I reanalyze the drive I just defragged and get told "Hey, you should defrag this drive." I JUST DID THAT! Took it about four defrags to get it all nice and blue\green again. One machine down, 150+ more to go. This is gonna be a fun day.

Many years ago before I was in IT the IT Guy where I worked used to run defrags and scan disks to fix just about every problem.  The worst part was that he would sit there and watch them.  The entire time.  I can't stand waiting for a program to install so I have no idea how he could handle it.  Course he wasn't very good which I guess would be part of it.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on July 30, 2008, 02:48:40 PM
We had a tech back when I worked at The Pit that would pop in a Compaq System Restore CD and then just sit there and stare at the damn thing for about an hour and a half waiting for it to finish. Screw actually letting it do its thing while you work on some memory installs or video card upgrades. Being productive is for suckas.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: scribcake on July 30, 2008, 03:08:55 PM
We had a tech back when I worked at The Pit that would pop in a Compaq System Restore CD and then just sit there and stare at the damn thing for about an hour and a half waiting for it to finish. Screw actually letting it do its thing while you work on some memory installs or video card upgrades. Being productive is for suckas.


Well knowing how reliable Compaqs are, he was probably making sure nothing went wrong during the system restore.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on July 30, 2008, 03:24:52 PM
Well knowing how reliable Compaqs are, he was probably making sure nothing went wrong during the system restore.

Compaq 7470. Fuck them. Half of the time the System Restore CD they included wouldn't work because it was the wrong CD for that system. They left the factory with the wrong fucking restore CD shipped. Goodness forbid you ever bought one of the white model 5000 series units. Those were horrible. But still, no competent technician just stares at a screen when there are plenty of other units you could be working on right next the damn thing that is doing the restore.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on August 01, 2008, 02:07:37 AM
"Is it simple enough for you and everybody to understand that you're all still followin' me
...
Should I talk slower like you're a retard
Should I talk slower like you're retarded"

That pretty much sums up my past week, mostly from co-workers. I don't think I need to explain any further.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on August 01, 2008, 04:49:31 PM
"Oh what the hell, people, can't you delete your old IIS logs? Grrr...logs from four year ago are still here. Ferfuckssake let's zip all these up into one file by year and then delete the logs."

*Highlights all logs (about 80) for 2004, right click, Send To Compressed Folder, waits a few minutes, renames folder, deletes log files*
*Highlights all logs (about 450) for 2005, right click, Send To Compressed Folder, waits several minutes, renames folder, deletes log files*
*Highlights all logs (about 600) for 2006, right click, Send To Desktop (create short cut)*

"OH GODDAMMIT!"  :x
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on August 01, 2008, 08:15:42 PM
Ctrl+z saves lives.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on August 02, 2008, 12:37:18 AM
Again?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: canoftuna on August 03, 2008, 03:26:38 PM
Two weeks ago, I started my new job as a blackjack dealer in some fancy casino. For the most part, it's enjoyable, but there are definitely a few things that make me want to scream. Here's my continuously growing list of things I'm starting to hate about this job:

1) I wish people would realize I have no control over the cards that come out of my shoe. Rest assured, magical powers over the chance of card combinations is not a prerequisite to getting hired as a dealer.
2) I don't WANT you to lose. Does it look like I keep that money? Guests are drunk. Drunken guests who lose get angry. Angry drunk people are NOT fun!
3) I love how I'm a "sweet, little girl" when an older man sits at the table, but when he leaves because he's lost, I suddenly become a "dumb bitch."
4) Half the time when you lose, it's not just because you have bad cards... it's because you don't know how to play. HEY LOSER DON'T SPLIT TENS WHEN I HAVE A TEN SHOWING!
5) Don't tell me you've got kids at home to feed to "motivate" me to give you good cards while you're gambling $300 per hand. I might actually want you to lose for being such a pathetic excuse for a person. Go feed your kids, I didn't make you come here to gamble.
6) Quit touching my cards! I get in trouble when you do it, so when you want to split, just put the god damn money down and move your hand away.
7) I'm tired of people who keep trying to cheat. It's a casino, they actually spend weeks training us to watch for that, you fucktard.

Eh, my list is longer but I still have to go to work tonight- it's best to not remind myself about all the bad things before going there, heh.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ydnamtnediserp on August 03, 2008, 03:51:59 PM
HEY LOSER DON'T SPLIT TENS WHEN I HAVE A TEN SHOWING!

seriously? people actually do that?  :roll:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: canoftuna on August 03, 2008, 04:51:45 PM
seriously? people actually do that?  :roll:
Or here's another favourite. Imagine a full table, and I have a small card showing. Everyone passes so I can get that ten to bust, and then the same idiot who was splitting tens hits on his sixteen, takes my bust card, and the whole table loses. /facepalm
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: canoftuna on August 04, 2008, 02:24:54 AM
<---  1973 Go Fish World Champion




  ..wanna go out sometime?









   :-D
But you're old!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: canoftuna on August 04, 2008, 05:44:27 AM
I prefer the term "experienced".  :-)
That's what my uncle told me, too.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on August 05, 2008, 06:03:11 PM
You hire me because you claim to value my outspokenness and my advice.  Ask my opinion.  I give it to you.  You get mad.

Ask my opinion.  I give it to you.  You get mad.

Repeat for almost 3 years.

Demote and punish me for giving my opinion.

Then finally follow my advice (at least mostly).

That's quite the morale machine you have going there, guys.

 :roll:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on August 07, 2008, 05:34:44 PM
I like pie.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on August 08, 2008, 07:27:25 PM
So it would appear I will be posting here a little less in the coming days. I'm saying this here because it has to do with work.

My dumbass manager fired one of my best auditors and told my supervisor, "Yeah sure, you can take this week off." Meanwhile the other auditor is ALSO going to be gone for TWO weeks because he's in the reserves. So she looks at me like, "Oops", and calls Dumb-Fucks-R-Us and hires a dumb-fuck-trainee for me to train while there is no one else on shift. So for the next week it will be me doing one half of the audit while training the on the other half, while one the bitchiest groups are in house (they come every year and for that they expect to be treated as gods even though they're not paying shit).

 :-P
/rant one

By the way, to everyone working in the technical support field:
Don't get an attitude with me just because you know what you're talking about and I don't. I'm trying to learn how to not have this shit happen again, so if I ask a bunch of questions it's because I'm trying to understand. I know it's seems annoying to you who already knows this shit, but sighing into the receiver and telling me, "Why don't you just call support again if it happens again?" is not helping. It's being an ass. I don't want to have to call support for every little glitch, I'd like to know how to prevent it from happening in the first place, and fix it myself should it happen again.

Bitch.

 :-P
/rant two
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on August 08, 2008, 11:27:38 PM
/rant two

I personally love these calls. That is of course when I actually do know what I'm talking about and am not just reading off a doc I found on our website. They allow me to stay busy and on the phone while all the hard cases roll in with people who know more than me demanding a solution.

Customer: "Can we go through this IOS upgrade procedure over a WebEx? I've got like three devices to upgrade and I need to know how to do all this for next time."
Me: "Sure!" * :-D*
Manager: "Jo, can you take that phone security case?"
Me: "Ooooh, sorry. On call." * :-D*
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on August 09, 2008, 03:41:46 AM
.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on August 09, 2008, 03:52:36 PM
Whether it's the feminine spelling or not, I do not know. You are probably right. I actually spelled it that way because that's how they usually spell it. I won't hold it against them, they are mostly from India / Sri Lanka. I actually go by Joey.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: RelandR on August 09, 2008, 10:04:36 PM
So, the actual spelling is, of course, optional ... amirite ?

[Name Tag]: " Hi, my name is Jo* "
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on August 11, 2008, 11:09:41 AM
How you doin'?


(http://www.guildhaven.org/images/joey_how_you_doin.jpg)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on August 15, 2008, 10:56:26 AM
My boss has the attention span of a gerbil. "Hey, Xolik, why were these two database servers rebooted? Is everything ok?"

Me - "Here's what happened, there was a problem with.."
Boss - "OMG MIKE GOT A HAIRCUT HAY GUY LET ME SEE THAT!" *runs off*
Me - "..and many years ago I used to be a prison bitch and I miss those days. You're not paying attention at all are you?"
Boss - "HAHA IT'S SO SHORT AND FUZZY HEHEHEHEHE."
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Pyrenus on August 15, 2008, 04:49:42 PM
This reminds me of my job:

http://blip.tv/file/1015028
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on August 29, 2008, 04:36:46 PM
If you are going to open a phone TAC case about not being able to break your router's boot sequence, don't sit down and turn on the television. I dont want to compete with some crappy daytime T.V. show while I'm trying to explain to you that there is only one way to break the sequence and if you can't do it you're SOL.

As a matter of fact just don't open the case at all. Your company pays big money for the contract, give me something challenging.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ydnamtnediserp on September 08, 2008, 06:45:52 PM
a customer several months ago disputed two charges, $200 and $199.99 billed a month apart on her credit card because she claims the merchant should have billed only 5 times of $200 for a laptop purchased online and broken up into monthly installments. instead the merchant billed six monthly charges, five of $200 & once of $199.99, making the total purchase $1199.99. assuming the customer's claim is correct, she was overcharged only $199.99; instead she disputes $399.99. sigh.

one-hour conference call with the collections department at this company. the merchant makes it very clear: the customer was to be billed 5 charges of $200, and one of $199.99, bringing the total to $1199.99. the cardmember disputed two charges, thus making the total amount paid to the merchant $800 ($200 x4). the cardmember's friggin' YELLING at the merchant, claiming that she was promised only five charges. okay, lady, then why did you only want to pay 4? idiot.

anyway. the lady tells me she was to pay a total of $1199.99(!!!!!) for the laptop, 5 charges of $200 (yes, according to her, $200 x5= $1199.99). about thirty-five minutes of the entire conference call was both me and the merchant explaining to this woman that she has only paid $800 for a $1199.99 laptop and the remainder of the money is still due to them or they have the right to send her to collections. she kept getting asshole-ish with the merchant, screaming, "oh, because you say it, it MUST be right! what about my side?" it got to the point where i just apologized to the rep for my customer's obvious stupidity, let the poor man go, and spent the next twenty minutes saying over and over to my cardmember that $200 x5 does NOT equal $1199.99 (remember, the amount she acknowledges being owed). jesus christ, i would not have hesitated to punch this woman in the head repeatedly by the end of this call (which, by the way, only ended because *she* got frustrated and hung up). the funny part was she kept going on and on and on to both me and the merchant about how much of her "precious time" they've wasted and how they should reimburse her for all the time she's had to spend arguing with them. it took everything in me not to tell this woman that she should reimburse me for mine.

i hate my job.  :x
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Jaepheth on September 14, 2008, 12:18:11 AM
I got a mutherfocking job!

Ok, yes... it's a job I could've gotten straight out of high school, but it'll pay the bills while I work on my actuarial exams.

But I do have the first thing I can bitch about already!
They sent me to the wrong location for orientation!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on September 14, 2008, 04:30:03 AM
That doesn't sound like you were very oriented.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on September 14, 2008, 04:58:13 AM
.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on September 14, 2008, 05:03:16 AM
Maybe his orientation is ...different than ours, dc.

Hmmm.  Could be.  Not that there's anything wrong with that. 
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on September 15, 2008, 08:01:21 PM
FYI you guys... as my new job is IT at a major financial institution, security there is tighter than I've ever encountered.  If I don't post for a while, it's not because I don't care... it's just that I'm not able.  You know how it is.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ydnamtnediserp on September 15, 2008, 08:30:39 PM
security is so tight at my major financial institution that the revolving doors have recognized my badge exactly four times since they replaced it in june. oh, how i love having to buzz the old man at the security desk to let me in.  :roll:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: reimero on September 16, 2008, 07:36:23 AM
FYI you guys... as my new job is IT at a major financial institution, security there is tighter than I've ever encountered.  If I don't post for a while, it's not because I don't care... it's just that I'm not able.  You know how it is.

Awesome.  You'll have to let us know how it's going there.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: RelandR on September 16, 2008, 03:19:58 PM
Awesome.  You'll have to let us know how it's going there.

Technically he probably could, but then he'd have to kill at least one of us.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on September 17, 2008, 11:02:38 PM
How many times do you have to call the Front Desk of a hotel to check on your wake-up call? Yes, you have a wake-up call for 5:15am, just like you did five minutes ago, and five minutes before that, and five minutes before that and...  :-P
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on September 18, 2008, 02:03:17 AM
.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on September 18, 2008, 10:16:48 AM
Work isn't a fucking daycare center. Leave your kids at home or drop them off at the grandparents' house. Don't bring them in every fucking day so I get to listen to them screaming, crying and running around like little tornadoes.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ydnamtnediserp on September 18, 2008, 06:58:45 PM
so this older guy was disputing a $9.95 charge because he claims he didn't authorize it. we hire complete fucktards for our customer service department, so whatever idiot he initially spoke to to dispute it opened it up incorrectly, saying he was overcharged $9.94 (how you accidentally fuck that up, i'll never know.) anyway, so, because of this rep's error and the fact that late fees are systematically (systemically? whatever) charged, we billed him a $15 late fee because he didn't make the $.01 payment we were expecting. whatever. anyway. i fix the problem and proceed to spend a good 15 minutes explaining to the cardmember that i need to correct the disputed amount in addition to the fees because otherwise, he'll continue to accrue them. this idiot- who clearly must be related to the rep who opened his dispute in the first place- just doesn't get it. he argued with me over and over about how he's not disputing anything anymore because we already credited him. okay, dude, whatever. pay your goddamn penny.

but the best part? after i came back from putting him on a two minute (penalty!) hold, he says, "i heard y'all donated $3 million to obama's campain- is this true?" i have no fucking clue and told him so. he wanted to "speak to someone who knows right this second." well, sorry, not happening. so i tell him i'd be more than happy to give him the customer service address for any questions or comments (one of my favourite things to tell people when i want to anger them more), which he takes, while muttering that he's going to "close all three of my goddamn accounts with you if i find out you did." okay, buddy. if that's what it takes to get you to please stop calling since you obviously cannot tell the difference between $9.94 and $9.95.  :roll:

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on September 18, 2008, 08:31:11 PM
About five days ago a guy opens a case about his firewall. He gives me a bug ID that he thinks is causing his issue. I agree with him and confirm it. Unfortunately, as I tell him, there is no fix and he needs to upgrade the software on the firewall. He sends an email saying they upgraded to the latest version but are seeing the same issue. Now, this is about a week after he first opened the case.

Since he was still seeing the problem I asked for a variety of debug outputs. He sends them and as I'm looking through them I notice he still has the old software version! His explanation is he didn't want to upgrade because the new version was "early deployment".

I love when customers lie. Maybe he was just bored.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on September 19, 2008, 11:17:42 PM
god I hate my job toos, lolz its rough
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on September 25, 2008, 12:49:10 AM
Some people don't understand that a drop ceiling isn't designed to support the load of objects.

One of my co-workers decided it would be a good idea to collect dripping water from a roof-mounted HVAC unit using a bucket set a top the drop ceiling. Needless to say when things got heavy, they also got wet. Real wet. Upon inspection of the ceiling after the first bucket tipped over, I found yet ANOTHER one filled to the brim, We're talking the big plastic buckets you get from home depot, too. How that one didn't go through the ceiling is beyond me.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on October 22, 2008, 08:29:32 PM
Damn kids.  Can't even fill in the following blanks on a bonus question:  All your base are ______ ___ __.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on October 23, 2008, 10:03:29 AM
If so you are awesome.

No ifs about it.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on October 23, 2008, 03:29:11 PM
kan haz baconator
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on October 24, 2008, 02:38:12 PM
Yeah, it was the bonus question on a test.  I'm awesome.  It said so on my overhead projector today.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on October 24, 2008, 07:32:02 PM
I didn't realize you were teaching special needs kids this year.  You're awesome AND you have a big heart.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Jaepheth on October 27, 2008, 11:35:21 PM
You should have as a bonus question on the next exam (+80 billion points and an instant A+ for the school year):

Prove or disprove that all nontrivial zeros of the analytical continuation of the Riemann zeta function have a real part of 1/2.




I can't wait to get an actuarial job.... I'd feel so much better gouging corporations than gouging customers.
Got a virus on your machine? Sure we can fix it.... FOR $200 DOLLARS!

I'd open my own PC repair shop, but I don't plan on being in this industry that long.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on October 28, 2008, 02:40:18 PM
I broke up a fight today in front of my classroom.  It was crazy.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: kanca mosan on October 28, 2008, 02:48:07 PM
Please expound on that thought!  Sounds very interesting.  Plus, it would be something else to distract me right now.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on October 29, 2008, 03:28:35 PM
Two high school rednecks beating the crap out of each other in front of my classroom.  I decided, in all my 5 foot half inch glory, to step between them and say "stop".  By some miracle, they did.

(Guess they know who the fuck I am.  ;))
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: kanca mosan on October 29, 2008, 03:35:27 PM
That, my friend, is pretty awesome.  Nice job.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on October 29, 2008, 03:49:53 PM
Thanks John.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on October 29, 2008, 04:05:17 PM
Told those bitches you were a moderator at teh Geekery (OMFGLOL!!1), didn't you!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: kanca mosan on October 29, 2008, 04:06:23 PM
I absolutely resent that remark.  I AM NOT JOHN MCCAIN!  :x

Do not take that personally...
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: MISTER MASSACRE on October 29, 2008, 04:22:54 PM
Two high school rednecks beating the crap out of each other in front of my classroom.

Couldn't you just have incorporated this into a lesson about evolution?

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on October 30, 2008, 01:12:38 PM
Couldn't you just have incorporated this into a lesson about evolution?


Is it still Creationism since she's a Goddess?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on October 30, 2008, 01:13:50 PM
I shouldn't have to tell the 'technical' people how to check the amount of free drive space on a hard drive. I shouldn't have to give them a dumbed down utility that lets them know how large each folder is on disk. They should know how to do this already.

Not two minutes after I tell them how to check folder size I get a call back from him asking me if it's ok to delete user profile data because 'it's taking up disk space.'

Mark my words, this idiot tech is going to go hog wild deleting any file larger than 2mb now and I'll get the blame for it since I showed him how to check folder and file size. Of course it will be my fault, because if you give a chimp a gun and the chimp shoots someone, you can't blame the chimp.  :x
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on October 30, 2008, 01:16:49 PM
Doesn't know how to see folder and file sizes and he's a TECH??
Wow.

/me starts scripting the Tech-O-Tron ...
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on October 30, 2008, 01:22:36 PM
If a user profile is taking up a lot of disk space, delete the nekkid jaypeggs from the browser cache.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on November 05, 2008, 12:47:32 AM
Goddammit people.
I realize the elections are a pretty big deal but pissing and moaning and arguing with a guest about the outcome, which you have no power to change (minus assassination), when you work 3rd shift front desk in a hotel is NOT appropriate behavior, i don't care what country you live in. Damn I work with some stupid people.
How the fuck do you start an arguement about the election outcome with a guest at the front desk anyway?

"Hey you look like a Democrat. Why did you vote for him?"
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on November 18, 2008, 06:48:19 PM
Boss just scheduled me to be project lead right on the week I have my finals and a door just fell on me.

I'm pissed off and bleeding.  :x
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on November 19, 2008, 10:49:25 AM
What the hell kind of project IS that!?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on November 19, 2008, 10:56:07 AM
What the hell kind of project IS that!?

Ya, I was actually dumbfounded. I tried feebly to come up with an Aldous Huxley or Jim Morrison riff, then just gave up and let someone with a clearer head say what needs to be said.

Project... Bleeding... Door fell on... WHAT THE FOXTROT???
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on November 19, 2008, 10:58:35 AM
Yeah, I was initially working out a Ray Manzarek reference, but when I couldn't find a way to get it to fruition I just went for the garden variety "confusion over two unrelated subjects" approach.

I think it works.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on November 19, 2008, 11:41:12 AM
It's a classic.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Scheherazade on November 19, 2008, 05:29:56 PM
I'm aware that school isn't really a job, but I just have to vent a little about this paper I wrote.

My history professor assigned a paper about three weeks ago. She never wanted to see a rough draft or anything, just the final completed paper, and she gave us a due date (this Friday). The paper has to be eight pages long. She told us we could write the paper on absolutely anything to do with the current chapter we're on in the text. So I wrote this really great paper on religion, how the catholic church split between Roman Catholic and Greek orthodox and then about Protestants and Lutherans, etc. I know it was a great paper because I handed it to her early (as she said we could) and she sent me an email telling me how much she liked it.

Today is Wednesday. I get to class before her. She walks in, slams her bag down on the table, and tells us we have to change the topics of our papers. She says now it HAS to be on the Crusades (Saladin and Richard, specifically). Naturally, no one had done a paper on the Crusades. It's still due Friday - so I have to do the research and rewrite an eight page paper in two days.

Not only do I now have to re-do the paper, but I wasted a perfectly good paper in the process. *fumes*

/rant
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on November 19, 2008, 06:06:26 PM
A good teacher sets the expectation early.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on November 20, 2008, 09:26:30 AM
I would go see her during her office hours.

Walk into her office.
Slam your bookbag down onto her desk.
Sit down with an exasperated sigh.
Pull out 8 blank sheets of paper and place them on her desk one at a time while counting them out loud in Sesame Street's The Count voice.
Then, just sit there and stare at her until she calls campus security.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Joe Sixpack on November 20, 2008, 10:23:55 AM
Make a couple changes to show how the crusades led to the events that were in your first paper.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Scheherazade on November 20, 2008, 10:36:34 AM
I would go see her during her office hours.

Walk into her office.
Slam your bookbag down onto her desk.
Sit down with an exasperated sigh.
Pull out 8 blank sheets of paper and place them on her desk one at a time while counting them out loud in Sesame Street's The Count voice.
Then, just sit there and stare at her until she calls campus security.

xD I could do this, but I actually like my school...

Make a couple changes to show how the crusades led to the events that were in your first paper.

That won't work. She wants the paper to basically give the entire story of Saladin vs. King Richard, with the time-line including Saladin's rise to power and King Richard's decision to actually go to Jerusalem, and then their war against each other. If there's anything about the other Christian churches, my prof is likely just to throw the thing back at me with a big red "f" on it.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on November 20, 2008, 05:58:32 PM
Is she trying to teach you how to do research, or how to think?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Scheherazade on November 20, 2008, 07:56:06 PM
She is supposed to be teaching us how to think. She seems to be settling on teaching us how to research.

Honestly, I can handle it. I rewrote the paper, I think it's really good, and I'm sure I'll get a good grade on it. It's just that this is History 101. Doing something like this in "Research Methods" or maybe an actual upper-level history course would be totally understandable. But this is a general education requirement class, and it just doesn't seem like a reasonable assignment.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: RelandR on November 20, 2008, 10:10:07 PM
I'm confuzzeled, I thought that your chief complaint was the 11th hour switcheroo rather than the reasonableness of the assignment per the class level.

Are you saying that a 3 week assignment having to be trashed with 48 hours to do it over is ok for a higher level class?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Scheherazade on November 21, 2008, 01:13:07 PM
I'm confuzzeled, I thought that your chief complaint was the 11th hour switcheroo rather than the reasonableness of the assignment per the class level.

I'm saying that the last minute change was unreasonable....I meant that I could understand giving only two days to complete an assignment like this in a higher level class, but that the original three week window is more appropriate for a general education class.

Are you saying that a 3 week assignment having to be trashed with 48 hours to do it over is ok for a higher level class?

I don't think it'd be right to have to trash the original assignment, but I think a 48 hour time period is okay for a higher level class.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on December 03, 2008, 12:50:45 AM
Me: Thank You for calling The Snowbird's Idea of 'Roughing It', how may I help you?

Guest: Are you located on Idiot's Road?

Me: No, we are on The Snowbird's Idea of 'Roughing It' Boulevard.

Guest: Well, can I get there from here?

Me: Where is here?

Guest: Idiot's Road.

Me: Where on Idiot's Road? What direction are you going?

Guest: I don't know.

Me: Then I can't help you.

Guest: Why not?

Me: Because I have no idea where you are.

Guest: You mean you don't live around here?

Me: *sigh* Can you see any landmarks? Road names?

Guest: No.

Me: Are you driving now? Or have you pulled over?

Guest: Yes.

Me: Yes to which?

Guest: What?

Me: What is on second, Who is on first, and I-Don't-Know is on third.

They totally didn't get it. I was bummed.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on December 03, 2008, 01:44:26 AM
Humor appeals to intellect; drama to emotion.
</ high school drama class>

 
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on December 05, 2008, 04:59:45 PM
Guess who just found out that he's now the Apple administrator? (hint: me)

No budget for training, sorry. Have fun. Oh and we need these new servers up and running, bound to our AD domain and backed up ASAP.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on December 05, 2008, 05:01:06 PM
Guess who just found out that he's now the Apple administrator? (hint: me)

No budget for training, sorry. Have fun. Oh and we need these new servers up and running, bound to our AD domain and backed up ASAP.

Oh lucky-ducky you.

How do you feel about that?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on December 05, 2008, 05:08:30 PM
Yikes.

I hate it when something with a 3% market share is treated as an equal in the workplace.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on December 05, 2008, 05:15:25 PM
Yikes.

I hate it when something with a 3% market share is treated as an equal in the workplace.


That's not what would bother me... I think the part that would get my goat is the lack of training offered to someone whose primary job is WINDOWS admin.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on December 05, 2008, 06:39:46 PM
Oh lucky-ducky you.

How do you feel about that?

It's a challenge for sure, but I think I can pull it off. Since coming aboard here as initially a Windows Domain Admin, I've tacked on SQL admin, mainframe security admin, Exchange admin and now Apple OS admin, which has a splash of Unix since that's pretty much what's under the hood of OS X.

As for no training, I suppose they feel my single semester of "Introduction to Linux" was good enough.

ASK ME ABOUT GETTING NO ADDITIONAL PAY
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on December 05, 2008, 06:44:47 PM
Ok.

What about getting no additional pay?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on December 05, 2008, 07:41:09 PM
Ok.

What about getting no additional pay?


There wasn't any. 'Satisfaction of a job well done' my ass. You think I'm a door?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on December 05, 2008, 07:43:27 PM
Didn't you recently get into some kind of trouble with a door?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on December 05, 2008, 08:40:05 PM
 i used to get in trouble with the doors all the time, until jim started getting weird and pullin his stuff out everywhere. that's just not the kinda trouble i was lookin for ya know?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on December 05, 2008, 08:41:43 PM
 Wait; so you're a Door and Windows Admin now?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on December 05, 2008, 10:27:00 PM
Didn't you recently get into some kind of trouble with a door?

Damn things keep being all cheerful for me.

*Door: "It gives me great satisfaction to open for you, and close again with the knowledge of a job well done."

Stupid doors. Here I am, brain the size of a planet...
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on December 08, 2008, 10:57:54 AM
It's a sign of aging when men switch to boasting about the size of their brains.

Hey, bay-buh, I am HUGE up there. Ask me anything: I will leave you sat-is-fied.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on December 08, 2008, 01:18:29 PM
Damn things keep being all cheerful for me.

*Door: "It gives me great satisfaction to open for you, and close again with the knowledge of a job well done."

Stupid doors. Here I am, brain the size of a planet...

Marvin, is that you?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: RubberFingerStan on December 10, 2008, 05:22:43 AM
I used to take my lunch brake at the cafe. Then I ate in my car. Then I started taking lunch at my desk. Now I just don't eat.
Soon, I won't leave to even go home. Maybe only when I smell.
What is it called when you turn your cubicle into your apartment...
My mouse pad has a hole in it...my desk is three shades lighter from my arms rubbing it dull.
My forefingers have hard tips for fast typing that doesnt end for minutes at at time. My keyboard has no markings on it.
My mouse wheel has a flat.
My stomach has a permanent horizontal bruise from rubbing against my desks edge.

...I don't even wear shoes around the office anymore...
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on December 19, 2008, 02:34:54 AM
Well, it's just another day at Dumb-Fucks-R-Us.

I just found out through a nasty e-mail from my boss that someone from my department has been telling guests to turn off their firewalls in order to access the hotel's wireless internet. When I find that person I'm going to stalk them into the parking lot, shove them into my trunk, and leave them tied to a tree in the middle of friggin' nowhere with a television and VCR set that plays nothing but "Deliverance".




I will return occasionally to rewind the tape and see if they've died yet.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on December 19, 2008, 04:50:20 AM
And put fuel in the generator?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on December 19, 2008, 05:14:48 AM
Yeah. That too.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on December 23, 2008, 08:56:21 AM
It turns out I might be getting fired. But I have to wait until January 5th to find out.

Apparently, security is now checking people's bags on their way out the door, but they opted out of telling anyone on 3rd shift. So I just mosied on out like I always do, running down a mental list of shit I have to get done before I can go to sleep, and when I hear someone call my name, I wave and say, "I have to go." and keep walking.

I got on the road and realized there might have been a problem and my replacement had been trying to get a hold of me, so when I got home I called to make sure the hotel didn't collapse around her. I found out that I had supposedly refused to allow a search and that I was going to be terminated.

I talked to my boss and after a certain amount of talking had been done it went to, "I'm just going to write you up for now, but we still have to wait and see what the general manager decides."

I'm thinking, "You're going to write me up for being distracted and poorly informed. God, this is the best job evar."

I'm saying, "Yes ma'am, thank you ma'am."

I hang up the phone and realize they aren't paying me enough to put up with this shit.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on December 23, 2008, 12:27:40 PM
Yep,

Time to go.  Employee searches?  Weird Tingly Feeling?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on December 23, 2008, 01:32:47 PM
What are they looking for? Pilfered complimentary shampoo? Mini-bar peanuts?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on December 23, 2008, 02:23:20 PM
If you do get fired (or quit), at least you can say that you went out in a rebellious act against the man! Even if it was unintentional.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on December 23, 2008, 08:15:53 PM
What are they looking for? Pilfered complimentary shampoo? Mini-bar peanuts?
I don't even access to that stuff.
I can't fit computer parts into my bag and I'm not stupid enough to try and steal cash from a safe under video surveillence that the next shift has to count before I can leave.
Maybe they think I'm gonna run off with some pens or a stapler.

EDIT:I should walk up to the exit with a ream of paper or a computer monitor under my arm on my last day. Maybe one of the key-card machines... oh, I know, I should try to walk out with the InkJet.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on December 23, 2008, 08:19:42 PM
Take a chair, and tell them you'll be back for the desk.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on December 23, 2008, 08:39:10 PM
Take a chair, and tell them you'll be back for the desk.
I like it.

I just might do it.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on December 23, 2008, 08:43:59 PM
Is your employment at will?  Does unemployment insurance in your state apply if you are fired for cause?  Is the search policy written in the copy of your employee handbook that you signed? 
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on December 23, 2008, 08:48:00 PM
North Carolina is a 'right-to-work' state, so, yeah, they can fire anyone for no reason at anytime.

But if they do, I will still be heading on down to the unemployment office to see what kind of case I have, don't worry.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Joe Sixpack on December 23, 2008, 08:54:13 PM
If you're going to get fired for stealing stuff, you should at least steal something.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on December 23, 2008, 08:56:51 PM
Will hopefully my other questions help.  I had an employer contest my unemployment because they said I was fired for cause.  They never documented anything and just told me they no longer needed my services and I could pick up my pay at the site.  I took this to mean laid off as part of the at will agreement.  The administrative law judge concurred.  It's my experience through my network that services employers automatically contest anyone who claims unemployment because if the former employee doesn't protest, then their FUTI and SUTI tax rates stay low, in the off chance they get someone like me, the company they outsourced they're unemployment claims handling to will go it and spout shit, but if you're prepared and honest, you should prevail.  So definitely file.

I went through something similar with a certain nationality's aviation agency (take that 14 year old girls with your text algorithims).  This one was me voluntarily leaving but because of unrealistic constraints in transfer policy, the administrative law judge also found in my favour.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on December 23, 2008, 09:46:44 PM
Pardon my interruption in this train of thought so I may bitch about my job:

Let me just thank my manager for taking my time card last week without telling me that I have paid vacation for Christmas eve and Christmas day. Using this strategy, I was able to leave both those days blank (I wanted them off and didn't think I had any paid vacation days), and now I can get them off without being paid! Excellent!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: kanca mosan on January 07, 2009, 10:14:28 AM
It turns out I might be getting fired. But I have to wait until January 5th to find out.

Have you been fired?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on January 07, 2009, 10:28:53 AM
Yes.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: kanca mosan on January 07, 2009, 10:29:46 AM
Yes.

I am very sorry to hear that.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on January 07, 2009, 11:20:50 AM
North Carolina is a 'right-to-work' state, so, yeah, they can fire anyone for no reason at anytime.

But if they do, I will still be heading on down to the unemployment office to see what kind of case I have, don't worry.
I believe you mean NC is an "at will" state, not a right-to-work state.

At will: You work at the will of the employer and you can be let go for any/no reason at all
Right to work: Cannot be compelled to join a union in order to gain employment


...and I'm sorry to hear about your termination.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on January 07, 2009, 12:26:12 PM
Yes.

 :-(
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on January 07, 2009, 12:38:02 PM
:-(
Exactly.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on January 07, 2009, 01:33:42 PM
Not good.

How does this impact the economics of daily life?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on January 07, 2009, 01:45:48 PM
So far, not at all. I have an emergency fund.
 
I should have some alternative form of income before that runs out in two months.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on January 07, 2009, 05:18:49 PM
Yes.

Well, crap. When the plant I worked at got shut down and we all got laid off, I didn't waste any time getting over to a temp agency until I could land a more permanent position. If worse come to worse, you could always go that route and work for a slavetrader for a bit.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on January 07, 2009, 11:03:07 PM
Fuckers. Somehow they block the chatbox here at work. It pops up for a second; then disappears leaving only the line of text " Nothing to do "... whatever the hell that means.
  Any ideas how they block just the chatbox?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: RelandR on January 08, 2009, 01:39:34 AM
Script blocking somewhere upstream from you, firewall rules pearhaps.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on January 08, 2009, 01:41:25 AM
Sounds like more of an anomalous thing. You behind a proxy? My work proxy has issues with things like flash animation but not on purpose. The only firewall thing I can think of is maybe content filtering.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on January 08, 2009, 07:42:21 AM
The text "Nothing to do" that appears instead of the shout box leads me to believe that this is an intentional move on the part of his employer to ensure that he doesn't do things other than work while at work.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on January 08, 2009, 01:43:05 PM
The text "Nothing to do" that appears instead of the shout box

So that's not in your pages somewhere? It could be my employer, but I (was)highly doubt(ing) it.
1.) They aren't that clever
2.) They aren't that imaginative
3.) They would more likely just block the entire site; there's no finesse in their restrictions
4.) They would be more job-scared to do something like that than have the balls to code it
 because  e.) There is NO LEVITY ALLOWED.  <--(note the Period)

   Due to the above; it's hard for me to believe it's my employer. However, we are changing some things now after the first of the year, so it could be something new. I'm off until Sunday night; at that time I'm going to investigate some more. Try going to another 'chat' site, etc. I'll post what I find out.   


 
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on January 08, 2009, 02:11:15 PM
They're most likely employing either filtering on their proxy server(s) or are blocking certain scripts (Java/AJAX) from running within IE via a GPO.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on January 08, 2009, 02:35:06 PM
YOU'RE a towel.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on January 08, 2009, 02:36:08 PM
The "nothing to do" line is likely being returned by the script interpreter because some function is being blocked.  That's the kind of error message a lot of scripting languages return.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on January 08, 2009, 02:41:20 PM
The "nothing to do" line is likely being returned by the script interpreter because some function is being blocked.  That's the kind of error message a lot of scripting languages return.

Bingo. That somehow rings the most true.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on January 08, 2009, 02:43:58 PM
How do you suspect the function is being blocked?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on January 08, 2009, 02:47:20 PM
Aliens from Hamsterdamn.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on January 08, 2009, 02:58:34 PM
How do you suspect the function is being blocked?

:? Didnt you just map it out?

 either filtering on their proxy server(s) or are blocking certain scripts (Java/AJAX) from running within IE via a GPO.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on January 08, 2009, 04:31:29 PM
Costa Rica had an earthquake today so we get to take all their cases!  :-D
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on January 08, 2009, 04:35:20 PM
How is your Costa Rican accent?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on January 08, 2009, 05:34:06 PM
Lucky for me Costa Rica gets mostly English speaking customers.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on January 08, 2009, 05:36:56 PM
:? Didnt you just map it out?

 either filtering on their proxy server(s) or are blocking certain scripts (Java/AJAX) from running within IE via a GPO.



Yep.. Most likely it's one script returning that when some other script it's calling is being blocked from running.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on January 08, 2009, 06:08:15 PM
Lucky for me Costa Rica gets mostly English speaking customers.
Yeh, I meant your accent. You can't be speaking clearly, ffs!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on January 24, 2009, 12:26:50 PM
It's not that I mind coming in to work on Saturday, it's the surprise bonus features that like to show up that really irritates me.

 :-D "This is awesome! The config file updates went great, downtime was less than expected and I can go home early."

 :evil: "Hey, Xolik, I'm the server room AC system. Guess what? I'm going down, fucker. Hope you like overheating machines!"

 :cry: "WHY?"
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on February 13, 2009, 05:22:16 PM
 :-D "Here you go, guys. You're very own sandbox server. Complete with an exact copy of your production SQL databases. Go nuts!'

 :-) - "Thank you, Xolik!"

*one week later*

 :-( - "Hey, Xolik, we just ran a custom query and it looped and ate up all our disk space by causing the tempdb file to grow and grow and grow. Production is down!"

 :-D - "I noticed. I got paged a few minutes ago and am working on fixing that. I'll have to bump everybody off for a minute. How did this query perform in test when you tried it out there first?"

 :-( - "We didn't try it out on test."

 :x - "May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits."


Why the hell would you not use the test environment to try out SQL queries first? Especially joins? /sigh
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on February 13, 2009, 06:32:34 PM

Why the hell would you not use the test environment to try out SQL queries first? Especially joins? /sigh

Because I'm a sequel Cowboy. Ya think I'm dumb enough to fuck around with the MAIN TABLE? Ha! I'm a pro, baby.

ALWAYS MAKE A GODDAM COPY.

Yeah, baby, here we go!

Select * into dbo.MainTable_w from dbo.MainTable

GO
Do a bunch of stuff, do a bunch of stuff, do a bunch of stuff -- ok, done, now get rid of the work table...

Drop table dbo.MainTable

GO

HOLY FUCKING SHIT I JUST DROPPED THE MAIN GODDAM TABLE!!!!!!


...Test server? We have a test server?

Ok, this has never happened to me, but I do have nightmares.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on February 14, 2009, 01:33:38 AM
PC Load Letter ?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on February 23, 2009, 03:58:59 PM
I'm going to complain about someone else's employer.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,498666,00.html (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,498666,00.html)

"Microsoft says some of the 1,400 employees it laid off last month accidentally got too much in their severance packages -- and now it wants the money back."

 You know. Because of the economic crunch. Those unemployed people can get by easier than the Microsoft Corporation; since it's earnings are "down":

 "...On Jan. 22, the day the layoffs were announced, Microsoft reported its net income for the Oct.-Dec. 2008 quarter was down 11 percent from a year previously, but was still a healthy $4.17 billion."


  $4.17 Billion ...  that's NET (not gross) for one quarter (not the entire year). How do you make 4.17 BILLION dollars PROFIT in three months; but lay people off? And then have the audacity to ask them to return an 'overpayment mistake'. I understand it's MS's money; but jeez...  they already paid the money out; and its not like the company NEEDS the money back. I could see if it was the employees' choice to leave under some agreement; and that amount was wrong. But a layoff isn't like that at all. I would wager nearly all those employees would happily return the money if they HAD A FUCKING INCOME NOW.





Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on February 24, 2009, 07:54:56 AM
How much did they get paid in total? Did they receive 6 months pay when they got let go?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on February 24, 2009, 10:30:45 AM
It didn't say in the first article, but they've reconsidered:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,498666,00.html (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,498666,00.html)

"The company reversed course late Monday and said the laid-off workers could keep the extra payouts.

Lisa Brummel, Microsoft's senior vice president for human resources, said the letters were mailed to 25 of the 1,400 people let go in January and that most of the checks were off by about $4,000 to $5,000.

 Brummel called most of the 25 laid-off employees Monday to personally tell them Microsoft would not seek repayment after all.

"I decided it didn't quite feel right," she said in an interview.



  Must have been my post bringing it to light.


Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on February 24, 2009, 11:07:34 AM
Must have been my post bringing it to light.

GEEKERY JUSTICE
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on February 26, 2009, 02:09:12 PM
And lo, did the prophet Xolik tell all who would listen that yea, verily "Layoffs a'coming!" but they would not listen. "Be ye at all idiotic meetings that management dictates, else ye appear shiftless and lazy!" Again, they would not listen and did not show up at "How to better communicate via tongue clicks and strange gestures" and other such "mission critical" nonsense. Management did take note of who did not appear and were displeased.

Thus when the first round of layoffs were announced and the prophet Xolik turned into the Grim Reaper of User Accounts, the multitudes did gnash their teeth and rend their garments.

And the whole point of this story is this: I told you fucking fucks that they were looking for any, ANY reason to lay people off and told you all to start making yourselves visible at these idiotic fucking meetings, but NOOOOOOOOOO you didn't listen.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Socrates on February 27, 2009, 07:46:56 AM
And lo, did the prophet Xolik tell all who would listen that yea, verily "Layoffs a'coming!" but they would not listen. "Be ye at all idiotic meetings that management dictates, else ye appear shiftless and lazy!" Again, they would not listen and did not show up at "How to better communicate via tongue clicks and strange gestures" and other such "mission critical" nonsense. Management did take note of who did not appear and were displeased.

Thus when the first round of layoffs were announced and the prophet Xolik turned into the Grim Reaper of User Accounts, the multitudes did gnash their teeth and rend their garments.

And the whole point of this story is this: I told you fucking fucks that they were looking for any, ANY reason to lay people off and told you all to start making yourselves visible at these idiotic fucking meetings, but NOOOOOOOOOO you didn't listen.

They're looking at eliminating a few positions here also.  I'm firing up the "change the user account password and turn off door access" script.

What I don't like is the way some people think you'll know ahead of time who's on the block.  Course the smarter people are just doing their usual good jobs and not wasting time trying to suck up to me.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on February 27, 2009, 10:55:05 AM
I hate disabling access for people that I've known and worked with for years. Today sucks.  :-(
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on March 09, 2009, 05:19:43 PM
 8-) - "Hey, it's Xolik. Listen, you've gone and added a bunch of computers to the domain with screwed up names. They're all gibberish. Find the machines you joined and rename them properly, ok?"

(http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/210/drooling2.gif)- "How do I find these computers?"

 :x - "How the fuck should I know? You're the one that joined them to the domain!"
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Socrates on March 10, 2009, 07:34:07 AM
Stupid faculty traveling to Ethiopia and coming back with flash drives stuffed with viruses causing me to have to run around and fix registry entries in WinXP

Stupid virus writer for setting up your virus to cause windows to log off immediately when logging in, even when booting into safe mode, and stupid MS for making it so I can't fix the registry key, even when I know what one is wrong, from the frickin recovery console.  What use it the damn recovery console when I can't change the damn key referencing the wrong damn thing

 :slap
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 10, 2009, 08:36:10 AM
Two words for you Socrates:  Re-image.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Socrates on March 10, 2009, 10:30:22 AM
Two words for you Socrates:  Re-image.

Running right now.  But thanks.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Vespertine on March 12, 2009, 04:08:06 PM
So, the guy in the cube next to me is on the phone talking about someone.  He's a second-level manager.  He's talking about one of his indirect reports.  He's telling the person's manager that the person "needs to not make statements like that...it's very alienating...blah blah blah".

Here's the thing.  This guy is one of the biggest douches you'll ever meet.  He is constantly negative, condescending and talking shit about anyone and everyone, and in doing so alienates, like, EVERYONE he comes into contact with.  Fucking pot, meet kettle.  Asswipe.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on March 12, 2009, 06:48:12 PM
I just sat in the lobby of hotel and filled out an application for a position then waited two fucking hours to be told the position had been filled.

They had better have been spending that time trying to make a decision or something.
Fucking Jackasses.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: jeee on March 13, 2009, 05:52:06 AM
So, the guy in the cube next to me is on the phone talking about someone.  He's a second-level manager.  He's talking about one of his indirect reports.  He's telling the person's manager that the person "needs to not make statements like that...it's very alienating...blah blah blah".

Here's the thing.  This guy is one of the biggest douches you'll ever meet.  He is constantly negative, condescending and talking shit about anyone and everyone, and in doing so alienates, like, EVERYONE he comes into contact with.  Fucking pot, meet kettle.  Asswipe.

At least he is working and not visiting geekwebsites  :w:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 13, 2009, 09:43:51 AM
I just sat in the lobby of hotel and filled out an application for a position then waited two fucking hours to be told the position had been filled.

They had better have been spending that time trying to make a decision or something.
Fucking Jackasses.

Oh that fucking pisses me off to no end.  Several times over my job searching in the past few months I've had my time wasted in that kind of way.

One where I get called to come in for an interview, and I get there and the "interview" is them telling me I'm overqualified, and they just don't see me sticking around, so they've already given the job to someone else.   :roll:

And countless times I have gone through an arduous application process, filling out tons of paperwork and online forms, only to be insta-rejected via email (sometimes the SAME DAY).

Thanks assholes, just because I'm unemployed doesn't mean my time isn't valuable.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Probie on March 13, 2009, 09:48:44 AM

Whats your area of expertise Demo?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 13, 2009, 09:51:55 AM
I'm an I.T. guy.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Probie on March 13, 2009, 09:52:44 AM


soft or hard?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 13, 2009, 09:54:11 AM

soft or hard?

None of your business.  (http://www.guildhaven.org/images/smilies/browsmiley.gif)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Probie on March 13, 2009, 09:55:19 AM
 :roll:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Probie on March 13, 2009, 10:06:53 AM

if you wont tell me I'll guess. You're a VBA programmer arn't you?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 13, 2009, 10:11:47 AM
if you wont tell me I'll guess. You're a VBA programmer arn't you?

 :?

No, I work in I.T.

I haven't programmed in years.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on March 13, 2009, 10:13:13 AM
if you wont tell me I'll guess. You're a VBA programmer arn't you?
Do I detect a tone of condescension?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Probie on March 13, 2009, 10:13:45 AM

I.T is a pretty broad field.


Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on March 13, 2009, 10:13:58 AM
if you wont tell me I'll guess. You're a VBA programmer arn't you?

What's wrong with VBA?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 13, 2009, 10:18:03 AM
I.T is a pretty broad field.




It is indeed.  Servers, routers, network infrastructure, desktop support, application support, telecommunications, backup solutions, information security, best practice processes...
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Probie on March 13, 2009, 10:18:59 AM

Not at ALL. It was a joke because of the evasiveness. 
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 13, 2009, 10:22:07 AM
Not at ALL. It was a joke because of the evasiveness. 

Evasiveness?

 :?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Probie on March 13, 2009, 10:24:53 AM
What's wrong with VBA?

The syntax is horrible.

Its restrictive.

You start with a gui and stick the code in.

and most of the time serious software has to be redeveloped in something better.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on March 13, 2009, 10:25:44 AM
He's just modest.  He doesn't usually like to tell people that his real area of expertise in ruthless uncaring overlord.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Probie on March 13, 2009, 10:26:11 AM
with the 'none of your business'. I was just being curious and making conversation. Trying to get to know some of you.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on March 13, 2009, 10:26:32 AM
I've been coding for almost thirty years, in a dozen syntaxes from assembler to SQL, and I have only worked with a fraction of the languages and platforms out there. And let me tell you this, straight from the hoary old mule's mouth:

Programming is programming.

You can be a C++ guru and STILL get stuck with debugging someone's over-designed order tracking system written in VBA in the butt-end of an Excel sheet. It's still a learning curve, and it's the same cerebral process.

For a couple of years, I had to code using a proprietary system that was an ill-conceived marriage of Pascal and VB. But I did well with it. Because programming is programming.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Probie on March 13, 2009, 10:27:11 AM
He's just modest.  He doesn't usually like to tell people that his real area of expertise in ruthless uncaring overlord.

I do like to lord it up. Especially on my birthday.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Probie on March 13, 2009, 10:30:56 AM
I've been coding for almost thirty years, in a dozen syntaxes from assembler to SQL, and I have only worked with a fraction of the languages and platforms out there. And let me tell you this, straight from the hoary old mule's mouth:

Programming is programming.

You can be a C++ guru and STILL get stuck with debugging someone's over-designed order tracking system written in VBA in the butt-end of an Excel sheet. It's still a learning curve, and it's the same cerebral process.

For a couple of years, I had to code using a proprietary system that was an ill-conceived marriage of Pascal and VB. But I did well with it. Because programming is programming.


Well gosh, I'm not assuming I know more about it than you. But having used VBA, Delphi, SQL and C++ amongst a hand full of others. I know which i prefer, and thats with little experience I assure you. Its easy for you to have a broad opinion on it with years of experience. I only have a few years, and i can only go on what i have learned so far.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 13, 2009, 10:34:01 AM
with the 'none of your business'. I was just being curious and making conversation. Trying to get to know some of you.

Oh.  I thought you were making some kind of joke.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Probie on March 13, 2009, 10:36:30 AM
Oh.  I thought you were making some kind of joke.


:oops: I guess it was a bit of both. Just trying to be light hearted. I guess i jsut came across as prying or being rude or something.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 13, 2009, 10:39:08 AM


:oops: I guess it was a bit of both. Just trying to be light hearted. I guess i jsut came across as prying or being rude or something.

Heh.  No worries, girl.  I'm not offended.  I just feel like I've been involved in an Abbott and Costello discussion or something.   8-)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Probie on March 13, 2009, 10:41:39 AM
Heh.  No worries, girl.  I'm not offended.  I just feel like I've been involved in an Abbott and Costello discussion or something.   8-)

I'm english and 23 so all i got from that was a swoooshing sound as it went over my head. ha.

Oh well.  :w:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on March 13, 2009, 10:44:01 AM
Logic is logic; the rest is just syntax.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on March 13, 2009, 10:45:11 AM
Well gosh, I'm not assuming I know more about it than you. But having used VBA, Delphi, SQL and C++ amongst a hand full of others. I know which i prefer, and thats with little experience I assure you. Its easy for you to have a broad opinion on it with years of experience. I only have a few years, and i can only go on what i have learned so far.

Who said anything about preference? I'm calling you on your apparent condescending slur. IT is a competitive world here, and sometimes one takes what one can get.

Also, again, the syntax and the platform shouldn't matter.

There are two kinds of coders: the mechanics and the artists. Both can be great coders, but the mechanics are more concerned with their tools and methods, whereas the artists are more concerned with the results. To the artists, the tools are transparent. It really doesn't matter what an app is coded in -- what matters is that it hums celestial music. Every language has its own aesthetic.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Probie on March 13, 2009, 10:54:23 AM
Who said anything about preference? I'm calling you on your apparent condescending slur. IT is a competitive world here, and sometimes one takes what one can get.

Also, again, the syntax and the platform shouldn't matter.

There are two kinds of coders: the mechanics and the artists. Both can be great coders, but the mechanics are more concerned with their tools and methods, whereas the artists are more concerned with the results. To the artists, the tools are transparent. It really doesn't matter what an app is coded in -- what matters is that it hums celestial music. Every language has its own aesthetic.

Well as your opinion thats all well and good. Also you might consider it fact. I don't however, and I also know a lot of experienced programmer who wouldn't agree with you. But thats the thing about programmers, we always think where right.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on March 13, 2009, 11:01:20 AM
Well as your opinion thats all well and good. Also you might consider it fact. I don't however, and I also know a lot of experienced programmer who wouldn't agree with you. But thats the thing about programmers, we always think where right.

You know a lot of experienced programmers who wouldn't agree with me about what? That programming is programming? That every language has its own aesthetic? That VBA can be as challenging and rewarding as C++? That the IT field in the US is competitive? That looking down on VBA programmers is unseemly elitism?

What is YOUR opinion (aside from "VBA SUKS LOL")?




Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Probie on March 13, 2009, 11:12:04 AM
You know a lot of experienced programmers who wouldn't agree with me about what? That programming is programming? That every language has its own aesthetic? That VBA can be as challenging and rewarding as C++? That the IT field in the US is competitive? That looking down on VBA programmers is unseemly elitism?

What is YOUR opinion (aside from "VBA SUKS LOL")?


I told you what my opinion is about it. I gave a list of things i didn't like about it, but you walked all over them because you are experienced and 'obviously right'. Seen as though you proffered your opinion with such confidence in yourself i thought you might respect the combined opinion of some people who are a little more experienced, as you seem to think i am a lol speaking idiot. (So who is the elitist?)

And they ALSO agree that VBA is not as good a tool as something like C++. So I believe that my opinions are founded.

I am also a lot less inclined to change my mind and develop my opinions based of some argumentative guy who appears to just want to pick a fight.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Vespertine on March 13, 2009, 11:20:48 AM
<snip>
I am also a lot less inclined to change my mind and develop my opinions based of some argumentative guy who appears to just want to pick a fight.
Once again I say, pot, please allow me to introduce you to the kettle.

And, ivan doesn't really run around here picking fights too often, so you might want to be sure that's what he's doing this time.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on March 13, 2009, 11:21:30 AM
I told you what my opinion is about it. I gave a list of things i didn't like about it, but you walked all over them because you are experienced and 'obviously right'. Seen as though you proffered your opinion with such confidence in yourself i thought you might respect the combined opinion of some people who are a little more experienced, as you seem to think i am a lol speaking idiot. (So who is the elitist?)

And they ALSO agree that VBA is not as good a tool as something like C++. So I believe that my opinions are founded.

I am also a lot less inclined to change my mind and develop my opinions based of some argumentative guy who appears to just want to pick a fight.

I never said VBA is as good a tool as something like C++, and in fact implied the opposite. What I am telling you is that programmers should not look down on fellow programmers based on what language they are working with. To support my argument, I made the claim that the language does not matter; what matters is the brain that is using it.

Here is your statement that got me all hot under the collar:

if you wont tell me I'll guess. You're a VBA programmer arn't you?

I guess it goes to my deep insecurity as a coder. No matter what I've mastered, no matter the heights I've scaled or the applicational beauty I've birthed, deep, deep inside I still think of myself as a GWBASIC programmer using EDLIN on a Kaypro-20.

Perhaps therapy.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Probie on March 13, 2009, 11:22:44 AM
Once again I say, pot, please allow me to introduce you to the kettle.

And, ivan doesn't really run around here picking fights too often, so you might want to be sure that's what he's doing this time.

I wasn't trying to pick a fight. I am just taking an interest in demo and trying to get to know something about him.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 13, 2009, 11:31:25 AM
No matter what I've mastered, no matter the heights I've scaled or the applicational beauty I've birthed, deep, deep inside I still think of myself as a GWBASIC programmer using EDLIN on a Kaypro-20.

Gee Whiz BASIC!

I remember playing Loderunner on an old Kaypro. 
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Probie on March 13, 2009, 11:31:36 AM
I never said VBA is as good a tool as something like C++, and in fact implied the opposite. What I am telling you is that programmers should not look down on fellow programmers based on what language they are working with. To support my argument, I made the claim that the language does not matter; what matters is the brain that is using it.

Here is your statement that got me all hot under the collar:

I guess it goes to my deep insecurity as a coder. No matter what I've mastered, no matter the heights I've scaled or the applicational beauty I've birthed, deep, deep inside I still think of myself as a GWBASIC programmer using EDLIN on a Kaypro-20.

Perhaps therapy.


But it was completely not ment in an offensive way. I was just trying to spark up a conversation, It was quiet, topics are scares. I'm knew, I wanted to get to know people I thought demo was holding back so I made a joke to encourage conversation. It was the tiniest little barb just so he would tell me about himself. (seriously sorry i asked)

On the matter of the VBA discussion:

All of a sudden I'm thrown into an argument that frankly I don't care about but am to stuborn to conseed in when I know I'm not talking out of my arse.

And there is also the point that If i gave in and said i really couldn't give a crap about this, that it sounds like i have no balls.

I've done mock ups in VBA. Also I like C# for christs sack ... I use XNA in my spare time. I am so not a C++ snob. Honestly.


P.S The lol speak thing was just mean :(
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on March 13, 2009, 11:42:59 AM
P.S The lol speak thing was just mean :(

It was meant to be funny, like the rest of my blathering.

By the way, I'm right about the mechanic/artist dichotomy in programming. If you stop debugging code when the app finally works, you are a mechanic. If, after that, you completely rewrite major bits of it because it suddenly struck you that three subroutines could be rewritten as one recursive function, you are a poet. When I said the artist-programmer is not concerned with language but with results, part of those results is how the code reads, and even looks. With that attitude, even VBA can have inner beauty and a nice personality.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Probie on March 13, 2009, 11:52:36 AM
It was meant to be funny, like the rest of my blathering.

By the way, I'm right about the mechanic/artist dichotomy in programming. If you stop debugging code when the app finally works, you are a mechanic. If, after that, you completely rewrite major bits of it because it suddenly struck you that three subroutines could be rewritten as one recursive function, you are a poet. When I said the artist-programmer is not concerned with language but with results, part of those results is how the code reads, and even looks. With that attitude, even VBA can have inner beauty and a nice personality.

I think I understand a little of that. I've started care about how my code flows more than anything else.

You're insecure about BASIC, I'm insecure about being percieved as an Idiot, its my Achilles' heel.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on March 13, 2009, 12:28:10 PM
I think I understand a little of that.

Not a good idea. I contradict myself.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on March 13, 2009, 12:36:20 PM
I'm still trying to understand why anyone would have anything against VBA.  I happen to enjoy coding in VBA.  Sure, it's a stripped down version of VB Script, but it is a VERY powerful tool.  If, as is the case in my industry, your client wants all of their output in Excel, Word or PowerPoint format, it doesn't make sense to take out a nuclear bomb like .NET VSTO when you can simply bash in the head of the annoying insect with the palm of your hand (VBA).
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on March 13, 2009, 12:56:05 PM
I'm still trying to understand why anyone would have anything against VBA.  I happen to enjoy coding in VBA.  Sure, it's a stripped down version of VB Script, but it is a VERY powerful tool.  If, as is the case in my industry, your client wants all of their output in Excel, Word or PowerPoint format, it doesn't make sense to take out a nuclear bomb like .NET VSTO when you can simply bash in the head of the annoying insect with the palm of your hand (VBA).

Absodamnlutely. And like a lot of MS products, VBA has layers of complexity if you need and know how to use them. It is no mean feat to master it.

When I was working as a programmer for a (very expensive) VAR, I told more than one of my clients that everything our $100K+ package does can be done with Excel + VBA. Obviously, I fail in sales.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 13, 2009, 01:01:53 PM
Actually, I found the same thing with MS Visual FoxPro.

They acquired FoxPro to begin with, but it never really came into its own as a data-driven application development platform until they added significantly to its power and structure.  You can do a lot of really great things with it, it's too bad its niche got a bit eroded away from all sides, it was a great language.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on March 13, 2009, 01:34:00 PM
All true.

And yet nothing, NOTHING I tell you, holds a candle to the awesome powerhouse that is Tool.bat.

All else pales.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 13, 2009, 01:41:29 PM
Absolutely.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Joe Sixpack on March 13, 2009, 02:12:13 PM
Demo, I got a job for ya, huhuhuhuh
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 13, 2009, 02:50:17 PM
Huh huh huh huh huh... uhhh huh huh huh!

(http://www.guildhaven.org/images/BeavisAndButthead.gif)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: LuciferSam on March 15, 2009, 06:52:32 AM
I don't think I've ever posted in this thread before, and rightly so.

Nonetheless, this is what hell looks like. Make a digital surround track out of a grainy outtake from 1959? Sure! I can do that. Christos. I miss analog.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on March 16, 2009, 05:02:01 PM
I deconstructed the code on my abacus and made a nice game of bocce which would have been the envy of any Nintendo Wii-fit developer.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on March 16, 2009, 05:46:43 PM
Yeah, well, I tied a string to my abacus and swung it around my head so fast the damn thing overclocked and burst into flames.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on March 27, 2009, 01:53:28 PM
Quote from: manager
Hello All,

While WSU is shutdown due to inclement weather, Cisco Technical Research Center is still open.

Thanks,

[manager]

Blast!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on March 30, 2009, 08:09:50 PM
You know, you hear you've been hired for a position and you think, "Oh great!" Then, your new boss can't tell you how much training you need, fails to tell you up front any training you take will be unpaid, then proceeds to act like he's never heard of a W-2 then acts all surprised when I refuse to work without signing one.

To make matters even more hairy and gorilla-like, I find out some of the other employees are working seven eight hour days a week and not getting paid overtime. And I'm thinking to myself... He can't be serious.

I haven't seen an employee policy or confidentiality contract either. I'm told there isn't one.

This is a Comfort Suites by the way, I wonder if corporate knows he's running this shit like this.  :w:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on March 31, 2009, 02:56:22 PM
Wow.  That's pretty bad.


I rarely post in this thread but I think I have a good one today.

I overhead two students talking.  "Do you know <insert student name here>?"  I start listening because I recognize the name as the son of one of the math teachers.  The story goes on..."Yeah, he was doing coke and passed out and blah blah blah..."  :o

Great, so I have to tell a coworker that his kid is doing drugs??
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on March 31, 2009, 02:56:49 PM
turn him in to your state labor department.  Violating wage laws is a major no-no.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on March 31, 2009, 02:58:35 PM
That was for WK not for QD.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on March 31, 2009, 03:04:20 PM
I walked away from it when he wouldn't give me any straight answers. I also sent an anonymous note over to Comfort Suites corporate.

I just might send another little note to state labor department though.

I'll be waiting tables at a local Japanese restaurant for now. Smexy asian boys FTW.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on March 31, 2009, 03:51:46 PM
I'll be waiting tables at a local Japanese restaurant for now. Smexy asian boys FTW.

MISO HORNY
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: LuciferSam on March 31, 2009, 07:22:06 PM
Detta, does this coworker have more tenure than you? A slightly higher wage, by chance?

If so, I see some marvelous opportunities for you in development.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on March 31, 2009, 08:25:02 PM
I overhead two students talking.  "Do you know <insert student name here>?"  I start listening because I recognize the name as the son of one of the math teachers.  The story goes on..."Yeah, he was doing coke and passed out and blah blah blah..."  :o

Great, so I have to tell a coworker that his kid is doing drugs??

Yes. Not that I don't think it could all be rumors, but ya wouldn't wanna take that chance. Coke isn't good.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on March 31, 2009, 08:29:38 PM
Wow.  That's pretty bad.


I rarely post in this thread but I think I have a good one today.

I overhead two students talking.  "Do you know <insert student name here>?"  I start listening because I recognize the name as the son of one of the math teachers.  The story goes on..."Yeah, he was doing coke and passed out and blah blah blah..."  :o

Great, so I have to tell a coworker that his kid is doing drugs??

Maybe he just drank waaaaay too much soda and tired himself out bouncing off the walls? CAFFEINE RUSH!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on April 01, 2009, 02:59:31 PM
I did it and it sucked.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on April 01, 2009, 04:29:26 PM
I did it and it sucked.

You sucked what?   :-o
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: HeavyJay on April 03, 2009, 10:16:06 PM
I've been at my new job for three weeks and, luckily, I don't have much to complain about.  (Aside from the pay, that is...but what did I expect from a grocery store?)

The only thing that's irked me thus far has been my training.

Tuesday:
Co-Worker 1: Do this like that.

Thursday:
Co-Worker 2: He told you to do this like that?  Don't listen to him; he's a dumbass.  Do it a completely different way.

Friday:
Co-Worker 3: How did they tell you to do it?  They're both morons; do it a whole 'nother completely fucking different way.

Apply that to just about every task I was being trained to do.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on April 04, 2009, 09:08:51 AM
So basically you can do it however you want as long as it gets done.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on April 07, 2009, 09:13:15 AM
I've been at my new job for three weeks and, luckily, I don't have much to complain about.  (Aside from the pay, that is...but what did I expect from a grocery store?)

The only thing that's irked me thus far has been my training.

Tuesday:
Co-Worker 1: Do this like that.

Thursday:
Co-Worker 2: He told you to do this like that?  Don't listen to him; he's a dumbass.  Do it a completely different way.

Friday:
Co-Worker 3: How did they tell you to do it?  They're both morons; do it a whole 'nother completely fucking different way.

Apply that to just about every task I was being trained to do.

The last time I started a job where my first weeks were like that I ended up in charge of the department.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Joe Sixpack on April 07, 2009, 09:27:32 AM
It is a grocery store... so as long as you stack the eggs and bread on top you'll be fine.
I can say this because I have worked at grocery stores before.  Also, take advantage of it while you can, because no future workplace will ever have a ratio like the grocery store does.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Probie on April 07, 2009, 02:17:04 PM

My company just gave me three months until my position is redundant and asked me to voluntarily take a 20% pay cut so they could possibly give me my job back before July, same goes for everyone in my company.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on April 07, 2009, 04:22:29 PM
Better than having to serve a table that stayed seated for two hours only to have them tell you, "Have a nica day," as they walk out and you get no tip.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on April 07, 2009, 05:02:16 PM
I don't really think that's better.  I mean...they both suck but unless you make 21% of your yearly wage from that one table...it's really not better.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: WickedWizard on April 18, 2009, 01:43:57 PM
I lost my 401K, which mind you, isn't a big problem for me, I'm still looking for a better job than this anyway.
My main complaint about my job is the people I work with, they are incompetent and benign excuse's for humans. Most of them still think that Apache should be plugged for every system we launch. I mean really, I'm the only Certified person on staff and still have 4 other people I answer to. Logging, oh shit, logging, GOD FORBID ANYONE USE IT TO HELP KEEP TRACK OF CUSTOMER  INFORMATION! Sweet pete, The place is disorganized.

I'm gonna go curl up in the corner and weep like a widow.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Pyrenus on April 21, 2009, 10:34:36 AM
*After explaining my proposed database changes in the form of an entity relationship diagram*

Boss:  Why is this "one to many".  There's not "many" over here, there's only four.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Probie on April 21, 2009, 10:58:55 AM

*facepalm*
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on April 21, 2009, 12:08:38 PM
That would be a "one-to-some" relationship.

Tell him iff he doesn't shut his ignorant gob you'll restructure the entire database as many-to-many. See if he ever finds anything meaningful in there again.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Pyrenus on April 21, 2009, 01:37:31 PM
Quiet you or I'll normalize to the 10th degree!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Joe Sixpack on May 12, 2009, 01:50:04 PM
Work is making me take the afternoon off on Friday to go see Star Trek.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: jeee on May 12, 2009, 02:21:35 PM
Hate Star Trek.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on May 12, 2009, 05:32:29 PM
why
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: jeee on May 15, 2009, 03:22:35 AM
Stupid.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on May 15, 2009, 04:24:42 PM
Explains
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on May 15, 2009, 05:44:17 PM
Work is making me take the afternoon off on Friday to go see Star Trek.

No me. I'm being roped into seeing "Angels and Demons" instead. I intend to just stay focused on popcorn with all that faux buttery goodness and huge soda instead of the shitheap that will be on the screen. Probably bring my iPod.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on May 15, 2009, 05:50:09 PM
SOL's

:hurl
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on May 15, 2009, 10:31:52 PM
Drunk bitch walked from the bar to the dining room and puked in the middle of the floor in front of other guests. Then passed out in it.

For the love of whatever spiritual entity your believe in or lack thereof, please, please don't wait until I get the plate in front of you to tell me you didn't want the mushrooms or whatever that come with that.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on May 15, 2009, 11:51:11 PM
Drunk bitch walked from the bar to the dining room and puked in the middle of the floor in front of other guests. Then passed out in it.

 That's a YouTube opportunity if I ever heard one.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on May 20, 2009, 03:26:34 PM
Don't microwave your fish in my work area. GOOD GOD!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on June 01, 2009, 04:14:22 PM
*installer* "You can't run the SQL 2000 Upgrade Advisor until you install .Net Framework 2.0 package"

 :-) - "Ok, I'll do it." *installs .Net 2.0, reboots*

*installer* "You need to patch the .Net install."

 :roll: "Yeah, yeah, I know." *Runs updates, reboots*

*installer* "So, um, there are these patches for the patches you just did..."

 :x "FINE!" *Downloads the post patch patches, reboots*

*installer* "Ok, I'm done installing. Reboot me."

 :lol: "Gee, never saw that coming." *reboots*

*SQL Upgrade Advisor crashes and won't run*

 :x "!#!@$!"

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on June 02, 2009, 12:25:08 PM
So would Jesus give the Divine Cockpunch to Ballmer then?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on June 08, 2009, 03:53:40 PM
Every five years we have to recertify for teaching.  We need 180 points to do it and you get points for doing improvement class type stuff along the way.  Well, I got my certification and got a full time job 2 years later so I was a little behind.  So I just took a college course to get the other 90 of my points that I needed.

Now I find out that I have to do this technology thing before next year for my recertification.  How many points is it worth?  90!!  So I just wasted all that time taking a damn course and I will have 90 extra fucking points.  Thanks for not telling me, jerks.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on June 08, 2009, 06:16:12 PM
I would be happy that I got to take a class.  I'm constantly looking for excuses to take them.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on June 21, 2009, 12:43:01 AM
   Me, ready for work:

   (http://www.musichouse.biz/desktop/images/readyforwork.jpg)
   
 
   Me; End of my shift:

     (http://www.musichouse.biz/desktop/images/EndofShift.jpg)


   Nope, no photoshopping was done.








Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: mryellow on June 21, 2009, 12:27:56 PM
So basically you started off tired and ended up pissed off? Does that about sum it up?  8-)

As for my, I love my job. But my current project really sucks out all of my energy. It's a web application for a group of universities. I studied at one of them, it was dreadful. The bureaucracy, the utter indifference, horrible, horrible internal communication, money wasting and on top of that poor education, I saw it all. My company reclaims part of the taxes we all waste on this shambles by winning contracts for big money for applications they 'need'. All good, except I have to actually build them. It has happened twice before and I'm currently working on number 3: an application that one bureaucrat decided they needed but won't actually be using himself. I wonder if any of them will. No one cares what I do, I have to design the thing, decide on what it needs to do, how it needs to do that and I get no feedback or testers whatsoever. In fact, meeting or not meeting deadlines doesn't make any difference whatsoever and since I've installed the first alpha-version (two months ago) no one has even bothered to login. I mean, just getting access to the server has cost me countless phone calls, e-mails and entire days of being harrassed by complete morons (their IT department), and ultimately more than a month. Even more when they decided to move the *$@$#@*$ server without informing me and I had to do all this crap of getting access and the right settings etc all over again. How's that for a start of a new project?

I have always hated school and it still haunts me to this day. Anyway, it is nearing the end now. I get no satisfaction from wasting my time, it is hurting my productivity. That's my rant, thank you very much.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on June 21, 2009, 04:04:50 PM
How's that for a start of a new project?

Bad?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on July 01, 2009, 04:40:59 PM
 :-) - "Hey, Xolik, we're going to migrate a website to a new server. Should take about 10-15 minutes tops."

 8-) - "Ok, thanks for the heads up."

*Three hours pass*

 :-) - "So, uh, we're not quite done yet and by the way do you know how to move a certificate from one server to another because.....yeah...."

 :x - "...."
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Forensic17 on July 02, 2009, 11:58:58 PM
That's a YouTube opportunity if I ever heard one.

Really? Where did you get that information? But, I agree with you if that so... Thanks for sharing your ideas.




_________________
Patty O'fernicher (http://www.zombo.com)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on July 03, 2009, 06:24:24 AM
Yes, REALLY! I got it from the right side.

 It's THAT so, so welcome to our camp! And you're quite welcome; we are all about sharing ideas! :guffaw:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on July 03, 2009, 07:06:50 AM
Really? Where did you get that information? But, I agree with you if that so... Thanks for sharing your ideas.
Really? Where do these people find us from? Who's been posting their referral link on www.morons.com (http://www.morons.com) again?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: mryellow on July 05, 2009, 06:46:44 AM
Yeah... sorry 'bout that.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: mryellow on July 10, 2009, 03:06:45 PM
Good luck bananaskittles! Indeed, bullshitting gets the job ehhh... well, bullshitting gets the job. Period. But once you get it, turns out it wasn't just bullshit afterall and you've actually got skills you took for granted :)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on July 11, 2009, 03:24:24 PM
Not really bitching, but I just got a job interview at Future Shop, woot! I guess bullshitting really can get you far in life. Wish me luck I'm quite broke atm.

Good luck, dear! Being employed almost always beats the alternative.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on July 12, 2009, 07:09:15 AM
Turning tricks?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on July 12, 2009, 09:50:26 PM
Turning tricks?

   Isn't that being employed?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on July 13, 2009, 07:18:10 AM
I guess that does count as self-employment.

Leeching off your parents, then.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on July 28, 2009, 05:16:57 PM
From: Xolik
To: Everybody
Re: Out of Band Patches

Dear Community,

All windows based computers will be rebooted tomorrow after 5pm to apply some specials patches from Microsoft. Various services including email will be temporarily unavailable while the servers reboot. Thank you.


*send*

*five minutes later*

From: Blithering idiot that makes 5x my pay
To: Xolik
Re: Patches

Will this affect email?

 :x

From: Xolik
To: Blithering idiot that makes 5x my pay
Re: Re:Patches

Would you notice if it did? You obviously don't read your email or else you'd know I specifically stated that it would.



Some people....
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: jeee on July 29, 2009, 01:57:27 PM
Reboots are so 2003......

Sticking it to the man will never give you his pay Xolik.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on July 29, 2009, 03:31:27 PM
I don't want his pay, I just want him to think!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on July 29, 2009, 05:41:03 PM
I don't want his pay, I just want him to think!

   It's more likely you'll get his pay.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on August 21, 2009, 12:32:21 PM
 8-) "Yes, this is Xolik, what'cha need?"

(http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/9493/emotbyodood.gif) (http://img268.imageshack.us/i/emotbyodood.gif/)- "I need you to make a user account to run the *program* under on the server. Right now it runs under network service and that needs to change."

 8-) - "Ok, done. What service needs the account for *program*?"

(http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/9493/emotbyodood.gif) (http://img268.imageshack.us/i/emotbyodood.gif/) - "I don't know."

 :-) - "You don't know what the *program* service is called, but you know it runs under the network service account?"

(http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/9493/emotbyodood.gif) (http://img268.imageshack.us/i/emotbyodood.gif/) - "Wait, what do you mean by service?"

 :? - "You said you needed an account to run *program* under. That implies that *program* is configured to run as a service on the server. You set up this program. What is the service called so I can tell it to run as this new account."

(http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/9493/emotbyodood.gif) (http://img268.imageshack.us/i/emotbyodood.gif/) - "I don't understand 'service' I don't understand these technical terms."

(http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/5970/emotrant.gif) (http://img15.imageshack.us/i/emotrant.gif/) - "You tell me you need a service account made, that you know *program* is running under the 'network service' account currently and now when I ask what it's called you tell me you don't know what I mean by 'service?' That's it, I'm coming through the phone.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on August 24, 2009, 09:13:09 AM
Heh.  I think I used to work with that person.

Also, awesome smiley!  *yoink*
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on September 29, 2009, 10:40:50 AM
Ah, the joy of coming in every day and seeing how much the cockroaches have grown.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on September 29, 2009, 11:34:38 AM
*yoink*
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on October 21, 2009, 12:01:38 PM
So we changed the radio station in the restuarant to soft mix because the southern morons around here couldn't handle classical Japanese.
Then people complained that the music wasn't atmospheric, so the chef and I fucked with them and played hard rock for a few days.
Then the manager caught on and switch it back to soft mix. Then they complained again, so she switched it to classical instrumental Vietnamese, because that's what she is.
Quote:
"What's this foreign stuff ya'lls playin'. Can't you play something american?"
So we played this for a few hours:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk9marZZZU0#noexternalembed (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk9marZZZU0#noexternalembed)

On repeat.

I love working for a small, family run business.
We played reggae for one Friday night, but now its permanently stuck on NPR. Which I actually don't mind that much, but damn people, stop complaining about it and eat your goddamn food.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on October 21, 2009, 12:40:46 PM
That's pretty damn esoteric.

Amazon.com drew a blank:

Your search "Aneela Chikini" did not match any products. Did you mean: angels bikini


Why... yes. Yes, I did!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on October 21, 2009, 01:07:09 PM
I love working for a small, family run business.

One of the things I miss about working for a family-owned BBQ place was our musical freedom. Us employees were really the only ones who complained. Think 10 different Christmas songs on repeat from open to close for weeks straight. *shudder*
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on October 21, 2009, 01:22:27 PM


Your search "Aneela Chikini" did not match any products. Did you mean: angels bikini

Try Aneeli as the artist.

EDITED: because I forgot that I actually have to type the word, not just think it.

Scratch all that. Can't find the single. No idea which album it's on.  (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=chikini+aneela&x=19&y=24) Apparently Yahoo Music will sell it to you though.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on November 05, 2009, 12:47:56 PM
Boss- "Hey, Xolik, do you still have that list of about 5,000 email accounts from back during the migration?"

Me- "Oh good Christ that was over a year ago, I guess I can dig it up for you..."

Boss - "Do it. You want to make a ton of money, don't you?"

Me - "Sure, but I don't see the connection."

Boss - "I just got an email from my wife saying Microsoft is testing out a new email client and they're paying you $240 per email you forward. Said it was on the Today show this morning. I'm making a hotmail account right now to try it out! We're gonna get rich! Let me know ASAP when you find it!"

Me - "AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH!"

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on November 05, 2009, 05:18:26 PM
This happened to me this week.


My Client's Vendor: We need an FTP server so we can transfer data to you!

My Client: (to me) I need you to set up an FTP server for $vendor!

Me: *sets up a vanilla FTP server*

Vendor: NO! We need an SFTP server!

Me: *facepalm*
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on November 05, 2009, 05:24:11 PM
I should probably add, if you're faced with a similar situation, where you've set up FTP on IIS 7 on Windows Server 2008, and you figure "hey, I know, this thingy has FTP over SSL built into it!", you should probably know that that won't work if there are firewalls in between, regardless of your port forwarding rules, unless you turn off encryption.

Which, of course, defeats the purpose of FTP over SSL.

Also, if you then decide, "well, I can set up Cygwin/OpenSSHD for Windows/freeSSHD on Server 2008 instead", you should be aware that all three of those products on Server 2008 result in EPIC FAIL.

After wasting 5 hours on FTP over SSL yesterday afternoon (only to find out that it can't work), and 4.5 hours today on trying to set up a Windows Server 2008 box as a simple SSH server for SFTP purposes, I finally just gave up.  I changed the port on our firewall to point to my local Linux workstation and configured SSHD on it and created an account for the aforementioned vendor to use.

That last part took me 5 minutes and worked perfectly on the first try.   :roll:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on November 05, 2009, 05:40:16 PM
HAY GUYZ GUESS WHO JUST GOT TOLD HE'S GONNA BE THE NEW CITRIX ADMIN?







Hint: Me!

Quick, no time for training, roll it out! DO IT! NOW!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on November 06, 2009, 09:27:42 AM
HAY GUYZ GUESS WHO JUST GOT TOLD HE'S GONNA BE THE NEW CITRIX ADMIN?







Hint: Me!

Quick, no time for training, roll it out! DO IT! NOW!

Aw, dude.   :cry:

Sorry to hear that.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on November 06, 2009, 11:01:18 AM
I'm kinda understanding how you felt, now. What started out as a two server project has now ballooned to six servers thanks to the people in charge of figuring out requirements not bothering to contact anybody in I.T. and going cheap.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on November 06, 2009, 12:46:21 PM
Tell 'em they have to use gotomypc for everything from now on.

Hey, Citrix is Citrix, right?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on November 06, 2009, 01:40:14 PM
I'm just going to bring in a gigantic fruit basket then loudly proclaim that I just finished the citrus project ahead of schedule and vastly under budget.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on November 06, 2009, 01:59:33 PM
SQUEEZE MY LEMON TILL THE JUICE RUNS DOWN MY LEG!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on November 06, 2009, 02:00:47 PM
Sorry, Tourette's.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on November 06, 2009, 02:22:05 PM
SQUEEZE MY LEMON TILL THE JUICE RUNS DOWN MY LEG!
lemonparty.org ?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: jeee on November 06, 2009, 02:57:00 PM
Well Citrix is not that hard.

Just make sure it has sufficient capacity and don't put your web server on one of the citrix servers. And think thoroughly about printing.


Ask me if you don't know







Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on November 06, 2009, 05:10:15 PM
Well Citrix is not that hard.

Just make sure it has sufficient capacity and don't put your web server on one of the citrix servers. And think thoroughly about printing.


Ask me if you don't know


"File", "Print" gawd it's not that hard, jeeze.....
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on November 07, 2009, 12:19:42 PM
lemonparty.org ?

Clearly, it's where they got the name.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on November 09, 2009, 05:48:48 PM
So last year, they decided to add two days to our contract and give us no extra pay for them.  They're called "passport" days for some reason.

So now to cut the budget, we're not going to have to do those two days anymore, but they're taking the money away.  Uh...there was no money for them.  But they're taking money anyway.  And I bet we'll still have to do all the stuff we usually do on passport days, but we'll have to cram them into regular days.

They give us so much bullshit extra work to do, that I don't have time to prep for TEACHING anymore.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on November 09, 2009, 05:50:23 PM
One of my co-workers said that he's just going to start teaching the kids wrong.   "Yup, the angles of a triangle add up to 500 degrees."  "An Octagon has 10 sides.  You can remember that easily because October is the 10th month!  An 11 sided figure is called a Novembergon."
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on November 12, 2009, 12:19:31 AM
Teach the extra work to the kids.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on November 12, 2009, 12:30:54 PM
You should delegate.  Have your students take turns being the teacher for the day while you sit back and critique them.  For their homework, they'll get to grade the homework.  If collectively they do a poor job, they'll all fail and they'll have no one but themselves to blame.

You can sell this as an innovation which is enhancing learning by doing and most people learn by doing rather than by seeing or hearing.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on November 24, 2009, 01:59:43 PM
There's always "That Guy" at work. The one obnoxious idiot that is always an authority on whatever it is you happen to be talking about when he walks by and decides to join in conversation, uninvited. No matter what the subject matter may be, this numbnuts either invented it (but the MAN kept him down so he didn't get credit), has a better version in beta but the CIA has told him to never release it or they'd kill his family or some other bullshit.

"Yeah, I've got a better Server OS made from scratch at home but Microsoft sent thugs to my house when I wasn't home and they stole the code and corrupted my backups oh and I heard you mention the Pacquio fight, I would totally beat his ass in a few seconds in any MMA match, did you know I'm a quadruple black belt? I trained in secret with a monk who was in exile from the Chinese government because the techniques he knows are SO DEADLY that just mentioning their true Chinese names would cause you to black out. I had to register my hands as deadly weapons but accidentally broke the officers arm when I shook hands with him at the end, I'm that strong. Also I fucked twin cheerleaders last night."

I hate people like him.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on November 24, 2009, 05:30:58 PM
Oh yeah?  Well I work with THREE guys like that!  You have NO IDEA what you're talking about.

Oh, and I fucked TRIPLET cheerleaders last night.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on November 24, 2009, 06:06:04 PM
Sorta reminds me of this guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geZoES9KQ-Q#noexternalembed (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geZoES9KQ-Q#noexternalembed)

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on November 24, 2009, 07:38:45 PM
Brit guys are ugly and yeah, this is eeerily similar to the fuckstick at work.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Probie on November 25, 2009, 04:08:59 AM
(http://c2.api.ning.com/files/mBHuesX7AD760apB50ifamYfgJh1Rn34DiGvQ3fLJfzUQpss0MLwBSwJATXvZNKAu6X5T8SEz99vp3cgPYzRbK8F4yUy1LjS/DavidTennant.jpg)
(http://media.onsugar.com/files/ons/217/2171425/41_2008/image_281.jpg)
(http://seanfoote.files.wordpress.com/2007/01/david-beckham.jpg)
(http://www.topnews.in/files/jude-law-4521.jpg)

Just because we don't spend half of our waking lives in the dentist doesn't mean we don't produce some fine looking male meat. Thank You! *humph*
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on November 25, 2009, 08:42:42 AM
I SAW NEW MOON LAST NIGHT AND OMG
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Probie on November 25, 2009, 09:48:02 AM


....and?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on November 25, 2009, 10:23:22 AM
(http://c2.api.ning.com/files/mBHuesX7AD760apB50ifamYfgJh1Rn34DiGvQ3fLJfzUQpss0MLwBSwJATXvZNKAu6X5T8SEz99vp3cgPYzRbK8F4yUy1LjS/DavidTennant.jpg)

(http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/6213/nancypelosiscary.jpg) (http://img99.imageshack.us/i/nancypelosiscary.jpg/)

Yeah, you're really not helping your case here.

(http://media.onsugar.com/files/ons/217/2171425/41_2008/image_281.jpg)

I love smug looking bastards. I totally don't want to hit him in the face with a brick!

(http://seanfoote.files.wordpress.com/2007/01/david-beckham.jpg)

The whole 'chemo patient look' is soooooooooooooooooooooooooo hawt!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on November 25, 2009, 02:53:30 PM
And now, here is what I think of Citrix phone support:

(http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/6363/babyheadslide.gif) (http://img406.imageshack.us/i/babyheadslide.gif/)


HURF HURF DURF DURR DURP HURR
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on November 25, 2009, 03:26:49 PM
That's really MOST phone support.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on November 25, 2009, 03:33:51 PM
That kid is AWESOME.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: hackess on November 25, 2009, 03:35:20 PM
I thank Demosthenes for the reminder that this thread exists.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I'm already in a lousy mood, and then I get to work. Today I've had to deal with the following:

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: jeee on November 26, 2009, 03:38:07 PM
And now, here is what I think of Citrix phone support:

(http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/6363/babyheadslide.gif) (http://img406.imageshack.us/i/babyheadslide.gif/)


HURF HURF DURF DURR DURP HURR


Already the default printer problem?

 :w:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: h4wt_b3t4 on November 26, 2009, 04:25:44 PM
Clearly, it's where they got the name.

NSFW much?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on November 28, 2009, 12:35:59 AM
Already the default printer problem?

 :w:


Oh god tell me now and save me the trouble.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: jeee on November 28, 2009, 03:30:09 PM
I doubt if you are serious.

Anyway, let's assume you are serious.

This very common problem is caused by the fact that Citrix removes the default printer setting from the registry of the user at log of. Then a printer is assigned according to the available Citrix printer tool. This process goes wrong a lot. If the user is too far in his logon when this is applied there is no default printer.

There is two choices.

1. If your users always stay in one place and do not roam around you can simply remove the wiping of the registry key. The setting is then saved like in a "normal" windows or TS logoff.

2. If your users do roam around and need different printer at different locations then there is a challenge. There is a script that you can add that checks if there is a default printer at logon, if none is a available it brings up a box where the user can set their default.

More about 1:

http://support.citrix.com/article/ctx119684 (http://support.citrix.com/article/ctx119684)

More about 2:

http://www.dabcc.com/article.aspx?id=1270 (http://www.dabcc.com/article.aspx?id=1270)



Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Clear_Runway on November 28, 2009, 03:57:54 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQGtucrJ8hM#noexternalembed (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQGtucrJ8hM#noexternalembed)

stupid printers always do this
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on November 30, 2009, 03:38:47 PM
Fuck it, new GPO: No users can print. Go to Kinko's.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on December 07, 2009, 01:31:39 PM
The Citrix trainer just told us we'd spend about three hours working on the up and coming printer problems. Wow.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on December 07, 2009, 02:02:15 PM
Something I just learned. If you force a couple of sites into everyone's Trusted Sites zone via GPO, this disables users' ability to add/remove sites to the Trusted Sites zone entirely.  Even Administrators.

HURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on December 07, 2009, 02:09:40 PM
Something I just learned. If you force a couple of sites into everyone's Trusted Sites zone via GPO, this disables users' ability to add/remove sites to the Trusted Sites zone entirely.  Even Administrators.

HURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

New GPO:

Trusted sites:

1. Microsoft.com
2. OurCompany.com
3. Gotthegeek.com


Set user homepage: goatse.cx
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on December 07, 2009, 02:58:15 PM
New GPO:

Trusted sites:

1. Microsoft.com
2. OurCompany.com
3. Gotthegeek.com


Set user homepage: goatse.cx


What could possibly go wrong
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on December 07, 2009, 03:33:27 PM
I don't think goatse still exists.  Meatspin maybe?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on December 07, 2009, 03:54:35 PM
Well, if it doesn't exist, it should. Lemonparty is always a good back up.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on December 07, 2009, 04:00:49 PM
Or one guy one jar.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on December 07, 2009, 11:37:42 PM
I don't think goatse still exists.  Meatspin maybe?
me at spin?

I've never heard of that site before...
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Clear_Runway on December 10, 2009, 06:16:19 PM
I don't think goatse still exists.  Meatspin maybe?

I don't think the original site exists anymore, but the picture is still floating around. sadly.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on December 10, 2009, 07:31:35 PM
Where?  I really miss it.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on December 10, 2009, 07:36:56 PM
For a while, I had a copy of it on my hard drive. Then one day I suddenly exclaimed, "HOLY SHIT! I HAVE IT ON MY HARD DRIVE!" and erased it.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on December 10, 2009, 09:57:43 PM
Here http://www.meatspin.biz/ (http://www.meatspin.biz/)
NSFW Obviously
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on December 10, 2009, 09:59:24 PM
And, in case that wasn't enough for you, there's a collection of shock sites here: http://www.lolshock.com/ (http://www.lolshock.com/)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Clear_Runway on December 11, 2009, 01:22:37 AM
For a while, I had a copy of it on my hard drive. Then one day I suddenly exclaimed, "HOLY SHIT! I HAVE IT ON MY HARD DRIVE!" and erased it.

you put it on your HARD DRIVE? what kind of sick demon possessed you to put that there?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on December 11, 2009, 08:40:07 AM
you put it on your HARD DRIVE? what kind of sick demon possessed you to put that there?

 You missed the whole HackerNetwork experience. We were mean. Really mean. And to be mean, you must have the tools at hand to distribute your mean-ness.

  And by 'mean', I don't mean 'average'.


Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on December 11, 2009, 09:16:10 AM
12 is right, Clear_Runway.

Ask me some time how to hack a hotmail account.  :)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on December 11, 2009, 07:05:07 PM
Should Clear_Runway be given the tool? Perhaps it might help him understand.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on December 11, 2009, 08:21:43 PM
Has the tool been updated for the fractional bits of Windoze 7?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on December 11, 2009, 11:42:56 PM
A-Waitress: "You have a table. He's kind of... weird."
 
Me: "Weird? How weird?"
 
A-Waitress: "Not all there, weird."

Me: *thinking, "Oh great"

Meanwhile I get to the table.

Me: "How are you this evening?"

Him: "Bien, bien, y tu?"

After waiting on him for the entire meal I managed to conclude that the only thing weird about him was the fact that he didn't speak English very well. When I asked the other waitress, again, what was so weird about him, she shrugged and said, "He can't talk right." Despite my attempts, I couldn't get the other waitress fired for stupidity or ignorance.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on December 12, 2009, 07:43:50 AM
Wait...don't you live in Canada?  Or am I getting mixed up.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on December 12, 2009, 09:21:24 AM
You're getting mixed up. I live in Tobacco Central/North Carolina. -Where you can still experience KKK rallies.-
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on December 12, 2009, 10:21:33 AM
PFFFFF... Toledo has NSP rallies regularly, too.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on December 15, 2009, 03:33:05 PM
Our new admin:


(http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/8506/babyspoon.gif) (http://img260.imageshack.us/i/babyspoon.gif/)



Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on December 15, 2009, 04:24:19 PM
Did he work for LexisNexis up until this afternoon? Because I swear, I've been dealing with that idiot for two days now over a simple FTP issue.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on December 15, 2009, 04:41:25 PM
Did he work for LexisNexis up until this afternoon? Because I swear, I've been dealing with that idiot for two days now over a simple FTP issue.

Fortunately, I don't to deal with LN that much. Maybe once a year for the annual mass TWEN data upload, but that's about it.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: hackess on December 17, 2009, 04:48:08 PM
You missed the whole HackerNetwork experience. We were mean. Really mean. And to be mean, you must have the tools at hand to distribute your mean-ness.

  And by 'mean', I don't mean 'average'.
12 is right, Clear_Runway.

Ask me some time how to hack a hotmail account.  :)

Oh my, do I miss those days.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on December 21, 2009, 05:41:19 AM
  I have to train myself on an entirely new (to me) Communications Server and Telephony/Media Gateway System; and the applications to administer to it.
  The text below is from the course; and at the bottom is what the glossary displayed when one clicks the
 link under "SIP". I suppose I also have to teach myself Russian as well.


IP Softphone or Avaya IP Softphone
for Pocket PC transforms Windows-based
PCs into intelligent SIP*-based
collaboration endpoints. Users can make and receive
voice calls as well as instant messages.



*
 GLOSSARY

Session Initiation Protocol (Протокол инициализации сеансов связи). SIP - это стандартный протокол, разработанный IETF для установления диалоговых сеансов связи с пользователями, позволяющий передавать видео- и голосовые данные, организовывать беседы в реальном времени (чаты), участвовать в играх и использовать приложения виртуальной реальности.



  Also. . .  Avaya is Russian?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Pyrenus on January 20, 2010, 02:19:40 PM
Me:  So your developer document says we must encrypt all of our transactions before sending them to your machines.
Rep:  That's correct.
Me:  Ok, so what should I encrypt it with?
Rep:  We use a customized encryption developed specifically for our application.
Me:  Ok, just send me the code then.
Rep:  Oh we don't provide any sort of programming assistance.
Me:  ....
Rep: .
Me:  Ok, so how will I encrypt these not knowing anything about how they are supposed to be encrypted?
Rep:  Here's a link to a COBOL program written in 1984.  We based our encryption algorithm off of this program.  Good luck!
Me:  ...
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on January 20, 2010, 03:32:51 PM
Bwahahah...  tell me that's not a vendor that has your employer's business!

BTW, welcome back Pyrenus.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on January 21, 2010, 01:50:59 PM
Me:  So your developer document says we must encrypt all of our transactions before sending them to your machines.
Rep:  That's correct.
Me:  Ok, so what should I encrypt it with?
Rep:  We use a customized encryption developed specifically for our application.
Me:  Ok, just send me the code then.
Rep:  Oh we don't provide any sort of programming assistance.
Me:  ....
Rep: .
Me:  Ok, so how will I encrypt these not knowing anything about how they are supposed to be encrypted?
Rep:  Here's a link to a COBOL program written in 1984.  We based our encryption algorithm off of this program.  Good luck!
Me:  ...

COBOL... Is there anything it can't do?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on January 21, 2010, 01:52:18 PM

*
 GLOSSARY

Session Initiation Protocol (Протокол инициализации сеансов связи). SIP - это стандартный протокол, разработанный IETF для установления диалоговых сеансов связи с пользователями, позволяющий передавать видео- и голосовые данные, организовывать беседы в реальном времени (чаты), участвовать в играх и использовать приложения виртуальной реальности.



  Also. . .  Avaya is Russian?


Heh. How did I miss this post?

Wanna translation?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Clear_Runway on January 21, 2010, 05:11:19 PM
yes plz
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on January 21, 2010, 05:51:56 PM
Session Initiation Protocol (Протокол инициализации сеансов связи). SIP - это стандартный протокол, разработанный IETF для установления диалоговых сеансов связи с пользователями, позволяющий передавать видео- и голосовые данные, организовывать беседы в реальном времени (чаты), участвовать в играх и использовать приложения виртуальной реальности.

Session Initiation Protocol (Protocol for initiating communication sessions). SIP is a standard protocol, developed by IETF for establishing communication session dialogs with users, which allows users to transfer video and voice data, organize conversations in real time (chats), participate in games and use virtual reality applications.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Clear_Runway on January 21, 2010, 07:22:02 PM
you think that they could at least use the roman alphabet. not that i would know anything about it or anything. even the japanese use it when speed is a concern (since the language has about a million characters they have to type in the romanized versions of japanese words. a computer can then translate that into the proper characters, but obviously its a bit of a pain to do)

some languages are just weird. Russian is one, for sure.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on January 21, 2010, 08:44:25 PM
The Cyrillic alphabet is actually a slightly expanded old Greek alphabet.

The modern Cyrillic alphabet has 36 characters, only 10 more than the English alphabet.

If the Russians had won the Cold War, we'd need bigger keyboards.



Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Clear_Runway on January 21, 2010, 10:39:02 PM
if the russians had won the cold war, I would be more concerned about inventing fire.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on January 22, 2010, 11:38:41 AM
Fire might be a problem, but fire-water? We have it covered, comrade.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on January 22, 2010, 12:27:47 PM
The Cyrillic alphabet isn't that bad.  I learned to read it without much trouble at all while I was studying Latin and Greek when I was still a teenager.

I never learned the underlying Russian, but the alphabet is pretty cool.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on January 22, 2010, 02:18:51 PM
This is about all I remember from my Greek class in college:

Το πλοίο είναι στο Βυζάντιο
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Clear_Runway on January 22, 2010, 03:41:24 PM
the pronunciation is weird. if you spell, say, "Murmansk", in the Cyrillic alphabet, the characters, when read by someone like, me, who has never used anything but English in his life, look nothing like "Murmansk". it looks like Му́рманская, which anyone but a Russian would pronounce "mip-mah-c'car"
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on January 22, 2010, 04:53:47 PM
the pronunciation is weird. if you spell, say, "Murmansk", in the Cyrillic alphabet, the characters, when read by someone like, me, who has never used anything but English in his life, look nothing like "Murmansk". it looks like Му́рманская, which anyone but a Russian would pronounce "mip-mah-c'car"

Actually, written Russian is phonetic. Almost always, letters sound the same in any combination. So once you learn what the letters sound like, you can correctly sound out the words, even if you don't understand them.

М = m as in "man".
у = oo as in "cool"
́р = r, but rolled or trilled, with the tip of the tounge just behind your upper front teeth.
м = m as in "man"
а = a as in "ah"
н = n as in "nancy"
с = s as in "sky"
к = k as in "kite"
а = a as in "ah"
я = ya as in... well, "ya"

Now you can sound it out: Moormanskaya

This is actually not the word for Murmansk -- which is Му́рманск -- but the feminine adjective formed from the word for Murmansk. It would be used in front of a feminine noun, such as Region.

So, Murmansk would be Мурманск, but Murmansk Region would be Мурманская Область.

Хоп зэт хелпс!*


------------------
* more letters:

Х = kh, sort of between a K and an H, the closest they have to an H sound
о = o as in "whore"
п = p as in "please"

з = z as in "zoo", the closest they have to the TH sound
э = e as in "zen"
т = t as in "tom"

х = kh
э = e as in "zen"
л = l as in "lady"
п = p as in "please"
с = s as in "sky"



Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on January 22, 2010, 05:01:28 PM
One more remark: The iconic backwards R --Я -- is actually a dipthong vowel, pronounced YA.

It is also a word. It means "I", and in some cases "me", and also "I am".

So if I were to identify myself, I would write:

Я Иван.



Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Clear_Runway on January 22, 2010, 05:09:52 PM
that was extremely informative. And yes, i got that spelling of Murmansk from a Google search, in which it was used in exactly that context.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on January 22, 2010, 05:26:41 PM
Му́рманская

I should have noted that the accent over the "y" is not an accent, but a stress mark. You probably copied this text from a dictionary definition, because Russians would naturally stress the first syllable in this word. However, you will see stress signs used when words are obscure or ambiguous. There are words that change meaning depending on where you put the stress. Like the word дома (pronounced "doh-mah") can mean either "at home" or "homes", depending on the stress. So if you say Ya DOHmah (first syllable stressed), it means "I am at home", but if you say "Etee dohMAH", it means "these homes". You would not see a stress symbol in those phrases, because the context is clear. However, if for some strange reason you wanted say "I am homes", which is not implied by context, you would have to write it with the stress symbol.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Clear_Runway on January 22, 2010, 05:30:32 PM
While we're on the subject, what is it with grammatical gender? Seems like a totally useless convention to me. (I realize this is sort of hypocritical coming from an English-speaker) Plus it's confusing - say you have a language where the word "animal" is male, but the word for the particular species being described is female, and to further mix things up the animal is biologically male. plus, in a lot of languages, you have female as the default as opposed to male, and this applies to animals as well as humans, which is also confusing since in English "it" is usually the default for animals, though this is hardly consistent. and some of these languages don't even have an "it", just randomly assigned gender. (Wikipedia has a map of the world colored by french grammatical gender, and it looks completely arbitrary to me)

just something that annoys me. wow, when it comes to languages I come out looking like a total xenophobe.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on January 22, 2010, 05:36:42 PM
The Cyrillic alphabet isn't that bad.  I learned to read it without much trouble at all while I was studying Latin and Greek when I was still a teenager.

I never learned the underlying Russian, but the alphabet is pretty cool.

The modern Russian alphabet is a reformed and simplified version of the old Church Cyrillic alphabet, which had more bizzarre letters and rules. The commies simplified it so that the illiterate masses could learn it quicker, and be raised from poverty. Of course, many people lamented the loss of the old language heritage, but most of them were shot.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on January 22, 2010, 05:43:25 PM
While we're on the subject, what is it with grammatical gender? Seems like a totally useless convention to me. (I realize this is sort of hypocritical coming from an English-speaker) Plus it's confusing - say you have a language where the word "animal" is male, but the word for the particular species being described is female, and to further mix things up the animal is biologically male. plus, in a lot of languages, you have female as the default as opposed to male, and this applies to animals as well as humans, which is also confusing since in English "it" is usually the default for animals, though this is hardly consistent. and some of these languages don't even have an "it", just randomly assigned gender. (Wikipedia has a map of the world colored by french grammatical gender, and it looks completely arbitrary to me)

just something that annoys me. wow, when it comes to languages I come out looking like a total xenophobe.

Dude, you are certainly not alone.

A little long and wordy (by modern standards), but most certainly worth the time to read: http://www.crossmyt.com/hc/linghebr/awfgrmlg.html (http://www.crossmyt.com/hc/linghebr/awfgrmlg.html)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Clear_Runway on January 22, 2010, 05:48:55 PM
ten parts of speech? wow. no wonder those Germans are son angry, having to speak that language.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on January 22, 2010, 09:23:31 PM
Doch! Deutsche ist gar nicht so schwer.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Clear_Runway on January 23, 2010, 12:57:01 AM
you totally just used a web site to translate that, didn't you? it corresponds almost exactly with English. either that or it actually isn't that hard.

maybe this should be a whole nother thread...
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on January 23, 2010, 05:06:18 AM
No, no website. My wife was German.

  It's not hard to learn if you are immersed in it. I never had any lessons at all, but after about two weeks in Germany I could understand most of what was being said, and make myself understood.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Pyrenus on January 25, 2010, 03:26:58 PM
Email comes in from QA Lead:  Some school needs a report.  Here's what they want.  Can you have this done by the end of the day?

10 minutes later, IM from QA Lead:  Did you ever get around to that whatever?  Let me know when you're done, we need to test it.  Hoping to get it done today.

20 minutes later, call from QA Lead:  OMG we have an emergency and need it fixed RIGHT NOW!  Urgent, this has priority over everything else!!

10 minutes later, IM from QA Lead:  Do you have time to look at something for me?


NO, I don't have time, and why can't you pick one medium of communication and stick to it?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: reimero on January 25, 2010, 03:43:49 PM
No, no website. My wife was German.

  It's not hard to learn if you are immersed in it. I never had any lessons at all, but after about two weeks in Germany I could understand most of what was being said, and make myself understood.

Immersion is the only way to learn German, although one runs the risk of being associated with a particular region.

When my sister returned from Vorarlberg to the US, her high school German teacher told her she spoke "like a hick."

Then again, I learned German well enough that Vorarlberger natives thought I was Norwegian (or, at least, not American.)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on January 26, 2010, 09:45:01 AM
I'm on maternity leave and my friend who I teach with tells me that administration took my classroom away for one period a day and gave it to someone else.  What the crap is that??

So I send a somewhat bitchy email to the dept head stating why I need and deserve my classroom back when I return and that I hope this is a big misunderstanding.

I get an email back from the person who was given my room saying that of course they intended to give it back.

Then my friend tells me that she overheard the conversation between dept head and person in my room where the person didn't understand why I was so upset and asked if I actually wanted the room back in April.  The dept head said yes.  THAT'S when they decided to give it back. 

Rat finks lied to me.  Glad I was so bitchy.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Pyrenus on January 27, 2010, 10:34:23 AM
I spend a lot of time and effort making our sites ADA compliant.

At the risk of sounding like a heartless bastard, are there really that many blind people who shop online?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on January 27, 2010, 10:38:11 AM
There are more illiterate people shopping online than blind people, I'm sure.  Are there requirements for that?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on January 27, 2010, 12:57:05 PM
I think that depends on whether or not the government considers "Stupid" to be a disability.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Pyrenus on January 27, 2010, 03:41:34 PM
There are more illiterate people shopping online than blind people, I'm sure.  Are there requirements for that?

They are the ones who find all the bugs our testers miss.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on January 27, 2010, 04:30:03 PM
I got put on this major project to get a Citrix environment going and I have resource concerns regarding our test domain. I was told that it's important and needs to be done, so I'm asking my boss relevant questions about how we're supposed to obtain what we need to get the goddamn job he put me in charge of done and he's too busy hunched over his blackberry joining the other bosses in masturbating over Apple's new tablet. Not even pretending to pay attention to me.

Me - "We don't have enough disk for the number of virtual machines plus I need to get a Windows 2008 ISO uploaded to the shared disk"

Him - "What?" *scroll scroll scroll on the browser*

Me - "....nevermind, I'll figure it out on my own."

Him - "What's this about IIS?"

Me - "Oh ffs, it's ISO and I told you nevermind. I'll do it. Stop trying to look like you give a damn about this. You're just embarassing yourself."

"Huh?" *scroll down scroll down*

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on January 27, 2010, 04:41:11 PM
You should hijack his homepage on that nosehair clipper to tubgirl or goatse or something.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on February 01, 2010, 05:54:02 AM
ok, THIS is what is wrong with technology these days:

 (alarm text received from Mohegan Sun Earth Casino's phone switch)

  SRPT Heartbeat Loss
    This system has lost it's heartbeat (SRPT027), and has not restored in 15 minutes.



  Ok. *ahem* "HELLO!!!! IT IS A GODDAMN TELEPHONE SWITCH!!! IT DOESNT HAVE A GODDAMN HEART!!!!"
    Just state what the fuck is wrong. If the cpu is UP and has no problems; then its UP. Leave me alone. If the cpu is UP and has problems; tell me WHAT THE FUCK THE PROBLEM IS. DO NOT TRY to compare it to a fucking human and our maladies. "Heartbeat Loss"...what the fuck....
  If the cpu is NOT up; just say "CPU is DOWN." If this "heartbeat" is power; then just fucking say "Power's off; system is down."

   When did we start such bullshit? Next, I'll be making a workorder and dialing in to administer aspirin for it's fucking headache. Jeeeeezuss H....




Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on February 01, 2010, 06:26:32 AM
"Power's off; system is down."

The System is Down (http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail45.html)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on February 01, 2010, 06:50:07 AM
The System is Down (http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail45.html)
  LOL!! I thought about the same thing when I typed that 'system is down'. I even sang it a couple of times, hehe.
   
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on February 02, 2010, 12:33:55 PM
Wow, I remember seeing that Strong Bad video back in the day when Fark used to be good... Ah, memories.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on February 02, 2010, 01:13:33 PM
Thank you, Detta for reminding me how many Homestarrunner toons I am behind. There goes the evening.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on February 26, 2010, 11:30:46 PM
Your waitress leaves your table to get you your salads.

She does not return for ten minutes.

When she does come back her first finger on her left hand is now bandaged in a big ass fucking bandage and she's not using that finger.

You're going to snarl, roll your eyes at her while she smiles anyway and serves you the rest of your food in the middle of a rush, then proceed not to tip... anything... at all, not even a penny on tails. Then complain to my boss about how it "so" long for your salads to get out to you.

Kiss my fucking ass you rude goddamned piece of worthless horse shit. Waitresses around the world want to see you die in a bar-b-que smoking pit.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on February 27, 2010, 09:37:19 AM
Wouldn't you be afraid someone would want you to serve them them after that?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on February 27, 2010, 10:02:59 AM
With a side of fried green tomatoes?

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on February 27, 2010, 10:52:34 PM
Your waitress leaves your table to get you your salads.

She does not return for ten minutes.

When she does come back her first finger on her left hand is now bandaged in a big ass fucking bandage and she's not using that finger.

You're going to snarl, roll your eyes at her while she smiles anyway and serves you the rest of your food in the middle of a rush, then proceed not to tip... anything... at all, not even a penny on tails. Then complain to my boss about how it "so" long for your salads to get out to you.

Kiss my fucking ass you rude goddamned piece of worthless horse shit. Waitresses around the world want to see you die in a bar-b-que smoking pit.

I used to get bitched at by my dates when we eat out because I happen to tip VERY well. Servers have it rough so I usually give 25%-30% as long as my drink stays filled.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on February 27, 2010, 11:01:18 PM
That's a whole 'nother rant. People who complain when you tip a server well.
A) How I tip is my business.
B) How the hell you gonna complain that I tipped too much? W.T.F. ?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Clear_Runway on February 27, 2010, 11:49:46 PM
what happened to your finger?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on February 28, 2010, 08:18:06 AM
In a hurry + knife = bad

I was in a hurry and had a knife. Shit happens.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: dcrog on February 28, 2010, 08:55:23 AM
You weren't running with it were you?

You know you could loose an eye that way.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on March 01, 2010, 02:05:44 PM
Hate Mr. Pink
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Clear_Runway on March 01, 2010, 04:22:15 PM
Hate Mr. Pink
why?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on March 01, 2010, 07:55:16 PM
Stupid
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on March 01, 2010, 11:57:59 PM
explains.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on March 02, 2010, 02:36:39 AM
In a hurry + knife = bad

I was in a hurry and had a knife. Shit happens.

Hey, that worked for O.J.!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on March 25, 2010, 08:54:36 PM
So, I almost punched another waitress in the face tonight.

I'm not the most charismatic person in the world. I've been told that if I'm not smiling I have a "Medusa" stare that can turn people to stone. I get harped on a lot for it, especially in a job where my looks and personality is what I'm selling for money.

A table complemented me to my manager, saying they wanted me to waited on them every time they came. The other waitress overheard and mumbled, "Well at least somebody likes her."

The thing that pissed me off is that I make more money at the end of the night then her and I have more regulars than she does (three at least that only come in on Monday morning because they know for sure I'll be there).
Just because I don't walk around with my tits hanging out of my shirt and my ass bouncing out of my jeans and generally acting like a whore, she thinks I'm not as good of waitress as she is. Also, I don't discuss with her how much I made each night, so she automatically assumes it wasn't as much as her.

I wanted to knock her in the teeth, but then I remembered I'm supposed to be nice to the retarded kids.  :|
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on March 25, 2010, 09:35:06 PM
I turn to stone
When you are gone
I turn to stone
Turn to stone
When you comin' home
I can't go on
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 26, 2010, 08:47:18 AM
So, I almost punched another waitress in the face tonight.

I'm not the most charismatic person in the world. I've been told that if I'm not smiling I have a "Medusa" stare that can turn people to stone. I get harped on a lot for it, especially in a job where my looks and personality is what I'm selling for money.

A table complemented me to my manager, saying they wanted me to waited on them every time they came. The other waitress overheard and mumbled, "Well at least somebody likes her."

The thing that pissed me off is that I make more money at the end of the night then her and I have more regulars than she does (three at least that only come in on Monday morning because they know for sure I'll be there).
Just because I don't walk around with my tits hanging out of my shirt and my ass bouncing out of my jeans and generally acting like a whore, she thinks I'm not as good of waitress as she is. Also, I don't discuss with her how much I made each night, so she automatically assumes it wasn't as much as her.

I wanted to knock her in the teeth, but then I remembered I'm supposed to be nice to the retarded kids.  :|

Feel the hate burning through you.  Let it flooooooowwwwwwwww
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Joe Sixpack on March 26, 2010, 09:57:17 AM
Maybe you should try the tit-hanging thing. Sort of meet her halfway?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on March 26, 2010, 10:32:42 AM
I work to make money. If I'm already making more money by not doing so, why would I start? It's sounds self defeating.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 30, 2010, 12:36:08 PM
I wrote this up as a Facebook note this morning.  I figured a number of you people here who aren't friends with me on Facebook might also appreciate it.  I'm talking to you, xolik.   :-P


The Sarcastic Jerk's Guide To Managing Technical People

Step One: Be vague about expectations.

Technical people HATE it when they know what's expected of them.  Instead, they prefer to stumble about in the dark, shinning themselves on sharp corners.  Everyone loves surprises at work, especially technical people.  

"You gonna reboot that server?  You know, the one I didn't even allude to needing a reboot for some vague reason today? No? WHY NOT?".


Step Two: Be disorganized.

Nothing annoys technical people more than someone who has all his ducks in a row.  Make sure you don't have any idea what's going on from day to day.  If you keep lists of things to do, get rid of them.  That way, EVERYTHING's a complete emergency when it finally falls to pieces and rears its ugly head.  

"What do you mean you can't be there this afternoon to shake hands with some new client you've never heard of?  What? You're on-site with some other client? Who told you to go THERE? Huh? I did?  When?"


Step Three: Never, ever lead by example.

Make your underlings work long hours as a result of your blurry expectations and disorganization.  Criticize them for not being on top of what needs to be done on a day-to-day basis because they're always rushing around chasing shadows.  Then roll in around 9:00 am each morning like usual and complain that nothing seems to get done around here.  

"We need to talk about finding a better way to prioritize issues for our clients. You've been dropping the ball a lot lately. Whoops, gotta go, I think I scheduled a meeting with some other client at the same time as our Weekly Managed Services meeting this week."


Step Four: Give conflicting instructions

Man, I HATE it when the things I'm told to do make sense.  It's much better to be left scratching one's head and guessing at which part of one's instructions one should actually follow.  Better still is being criticized for misinterpreting those instructions and doing exactly the wrong thing, or just plain not doing something that didn't make any coherent sense.  

"I told you that I was going to be setting up DNS for this client.  So WHY DIDN'T YOU DO IT?"


Step Five: Make employees do stuff for work at their own expense

If they have to drive somewhere, like to a client's site, for example, make sure they use their OWN car, and don't reimburse them for mileage on any kind of timely schedule.  Be sure that if they're on-call, they have to use their personal cell phones for it, and don't compensate them for them using it for purely work purposes.  Refuse to buy them usable equipment at work, so they have to buy their own mouses, headsets, or other things they need to do their job.

"Oh, you want a headset for the hours you spend on the phone doing tech support? Well, you can buy one yourself if you want, but the company won't pay for it."


Step Six: Never take responsibility

Technical people enjoy being blamed for every problem that arises. This is especially true for problems that were caused by managerial decisions to allocate resources in other areas. A technical person will never be truly happy unless you make sure that he knows that his lack of prescience is the reason for all outages, downtime and other problems in the workplace.

"You know your work on that new client deployment that I interrupted last week to send you on some goofy workstation support issue for a client who barely even pays their bill? That deployment didn't go very well.  You need to focus more on projects like that."


Step Seven: Always do the very bare minimum when it comes to equipment

Most technical people dislike having servers that aren't overloaded and extremely outdated.  Make sure if you have critical virtual hosts they're on Pentium 4 processors with about half the RAM and disk space they actually need to handle the load that's placed on them.  That way your employees can constantly babysit them because of their constant hardware-related crashes and process failure notifications.  This applies to workstations too.  General rule of thumb: always be certain that technical peoples' workstations are no newer than 5 years old.  They love making do with completely inadequate hardware!

"So the only domain controller on our internal network is a 10 year old server that used to be an underpowered workstation for our receptionist.  You can make that do for a while longer right? Oh yeah, BTW, I can't log into the network this morning."


Step Eight: Keep them in the dark

Face it, if you go out of your way to keep technical people informed of what's going on, they'll just think you're showing off.  It's always better to surprise them with information, and then act like they were expected to already be aware of it.  They'll thank you for that!

"Why hasn't ABC Company been getting patches on their servers? What do you mean 'who is ABC Company?'  They've been a client of ours for two months!"


Step Nine: Don't listen to them.

Just because they're experts in their field doesn't mean they know what they're doing.  Trust your gut.  Even if you don't understand any of what your technical employees do at your company, taking their advice on technical matters is poor leadership.  Instead, tell THEM how things should be done.  That's what a REAL manager does!

"Make sure Internet Explorer is the default browser for all users for this client.  And make everyone is a local Windows admin and disable the Windows firewall on all their workstations.  BTW, you spend wayyyyyy too much time over there cleaning up spyware.  Don't you know what you're doing?"


Step Ten: Express complete and utter shock and surprise when things don't go well

If you're doing your job as manager, everything should be going PERFECTLY.  The only way to express that acknowledgement of perfection is to be totally flabbergasted when stuff doesn't happen as expected.

"Holy crap!  Our clients are REALLY mad at us today!  We sure have a lot of work to do if we're-- hey... why'd you just leave that letter of resignation on my desk?  Where are you going?  HELLO?"
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on March 30, 2010, 12:43:27 PM
InformationServicesPlaybook.txt

Are you sure we don't work together, but in different buildings or something? This is right on the money!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 30, 2010, 12:46:22 PM
Pretty sure.  I'm the only technical employee at this company.

And while the quotes in italics are paraphrased (most of them), they're all things I've heard here.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on March 30, 2010, 12:56:44 PM
Quote
"We need to talk about finding a better way to prioritize issues for our clients. You've been dropping the ball a lot lately. Whoops, gotta go, I think I scheduled a meeting with some other client at the same time as our Weekly Managed Services meeting this week."

My version:

"We need to talk about finding a better way to prioritize issues for our clients. You've been dropping the ball a lot lately. Whoops, gotta go, time for my workout and then I'm leaving to go play golf. You need to be here tomorrow by 6:30am. I should be in by 7:00 but we both know I won't actually stroll in until right before lunch and yes, you won't be able to leave until you tell me EVERYTHING you've done. I promise *fingers crossed behind back* that I won't rephrase each question over and over again until I get the answer I want to hear."
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on March 31, 2010, 10:33:22 AM
You futhermuckers said at the onset you didn't want to pay to have your servers backed up, so don't come whining to me when you deleted a critical stored proc and need it recovered. All that money you saved by not paying the backup fee was just wasted in OT to remake your procs. WASN'T THAT WORTH IT?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on March 31, 2010, 11:18:47 AM
To the guy who just called me with a problem with his laptop:  Don't you think it would have been useful to tell me that you were offsite BEFORE I wasted 30 minutes trying to troubleshoot your office network to figure out why I couldn't RDP directly to your laptop?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on April 14, 2010, 12:14:29 PM
Yeah, go ahead an leave a non-site employed contractor all alone in the datacenter. I can't possibly see any security risks in that.  :x
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on April 14, 2010, 01:38:06 PM
Ok, I did it your way. Now I'll do it my way. So that it, you know, works.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on April 14, 2010, 02:46:48 PM
So, apparently our department meeting yesterday morning was so important that you put it off all day yesterday, blew it off twice this morning, and are currently blowing it off this afternoon.

Gotcha.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on April 14, 2010, 03:39:47 PM
TASK: Need to migrate a virtualized Exchange Server (whose uptime is extremely sensitive) to a different hard drive on the host server

DIFFICULTY: You have to coordinate with a guy who never responds to emails and almost never returns your calls.

GO!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on April 14, 2010, 04:23:14 PM
Do you know where he lives/works?

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on April 14, 2010, 05:02:41 PM
I do.  But if I go there, he wins.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on April 14, 2010, 05:03:22 PM
Also: Dear person who just called me.

Don't call me at 5:00 asking me how to reinstall Microsoft Office on your computer.  I won't be much help.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on April 14, 2010, 07:26:40 PM
Bosses make horrible travel partners.  Generalization or tautology.  I'm leaning towards the later.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on April 15, 2010, 12:19:56 AM
I wish work ended at 5 pm...
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on April 15, 2010, 08:23:21 AM
I wish work ended at 5 pm...

Sometimes it does, when you don't work for McDonald's.

BTW, that wasn't a burn, Chris.  Just an observation.  :)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on April 15, 2010, 10:48:18 AM
Someone's gotta feed the fat fucks.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on April 15, 2010, 12:36:52 PM
Someone's gotta feed the fat fucks.

That's right.  And arteriosclerosis can't wait.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on April 15, 2010, 01:15:27 PM
Someone's gotta feed the fat fucks.

I find the image of an aspiring competitive bodybuilder shoving Big Macs at me highly amusing.  :lol:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on April 15, 2010, 01:32:57 PM
Nah, I'm powerlifting now, so I'll actually eat the stuff there. But I always enjoy listening to people complain about not losing weight while they are there. It's possible to do it while eating food from fast food places, but the average person can't make it work for them, so they're only adding insult to injury.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on April 15, 2010, 01:44:33 PM
Nah, I'm powerlifting now, so I'll actually eat the stuff there. But I always enjoy listening to people complain about not losing weight while they are there. It's possible to do it while eating food from fast food places, but the average person can't make it work for them, so they're only adding insult to injury.

Those grilled southwest salads -dressing are pretty damn tasty. I like those.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on April 15, 2010, 05:23:20 PM

  Fast food is about the only thing I eat, and I'm only about 155 lbs.  5'10"

  Ketosis FTW
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on April 16, 2010, 12:21:04 AM
260# and 6' 0" size 12 shoe-size
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on April 16, 2010, 10:01:32 AM
Newsflash, stupid user: Your inability to type your own fucking password correctly IS NOT A TECH SUPPORT PROBLEM.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on April 16, 2010, 10:04:04 AM
Newsflash, stupid user: Your inability to type your own fucking password correctly IS NOT A TECH SUPPORT PROBLEM.
"I can't type my own password."
Okay, just sign here and here and we'll get started on your labotomy."
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on April 16, 2010, 10:07:30 AM
"I can't type my own password."
Okay, just sign here and here and we'll get started on your labotomy."

Too late.  I think a prior lobotomy may be the core issue here.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on April 16, 2010, 03:47:26 PM
One of the biology teachers is breeding fruit flies.  I don't know why, I just know a ton of them made their way to the math workroom.   :x  :x  :x

Jerk.  Makes me want to hide food in his classroom.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on April 16, 2010, 03:55:53 PM
One of the biology teachers is breeding fruit flies.  

Wow, what a sicko.

Do you, like, have photographic evidence of the actual breeding?  I have a perverse curiosity to see how that... works.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on April 16, 2010, 05:38:55 PM
No, I did NOT remove the dongle on the back of your damn licensing server. Why do you assume I'm some kind of dongle-yanker?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on April 17, 2010, 12:44:05 AM
Does your dongle yanking culminate in a happy ending?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Clear_Runway on April 17, 2010, 03:41:42 PM
Licensing server? for what?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on April 17, 2010, 05:49:53 PM
Licenses.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on April 17, 2010, 08:40:14 PM
Licenses.

Yup. Product software licenses. Can't go past our purchased amount or this guy will kick in and prevent further installs.

Bad: You're on salary now and pretty much the Go to Guy 24x7
Worse: Microsoft patches screwed up some pretty important servers
Even Worse: Somebody notices and tells you Saturday night
Even More Worse: You're already getting a healthy buzz on


I hate\love my job.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Clear_Runway on April 17, 2010, 09:27:59 PM
pointing and laughing follows:

Ha! you work for the jerks who think DRM actually stops piracy! I fart in your general direction!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on April 17, 2010, 10:30:28 PM
pointing and laughing follows:

Ha! you work for the jerks who think DRM actually stops piracy! I fart in your general direction!

lolwut? It's a hardware device and it does a pretty good job at it.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Clear_Runway on April 17, 2010, 10:33:22 PM
you said it was software licenses.  unless your company is insanely iffy about drivers, you really shouldn't need to distribute licenses.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on April 17, 2010, 10:35:37 PM
you said it was software licenses.  unless your company is insanely iffy about drivers, you really shouldn't need to distribute licenses.

Oh, it's some third party hosted app that's anal about that, so yeah, I concur.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on April 23, 2010, 12:01:16 PM
Last night I had a record breaking 60% of my table not tip me. WTH is that about?

Onto the new job, LotusNotes is not rocket science okay. It's practically logical, which might be why its about to break your head, but seriously, it's not that difficult to figure out people.
All you're doing with it is scheduling dates in calendar, it's not like you're building Rome. Geez.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on April 23, 2010, 12:52:06 PM
All you're doing with it is scheduling dates in calendar, it's not like you're building Rome. Geez.

Maybe they use it to calculate tips, too.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on April 28, 2010, 04:39:55 PM
New shitty-job-inspired units of measure.  Typically these would be experienced in a given work day.

10 *facepalm*s == 5 *headdesk*s ==  1 "Really?"

Twice that is equivalent to 1 *jobsearch*.

Any questions?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on April 28, 2010, 05:05:08 PM
Today I experienced a "3".
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Clear_Runway on April 28, 2010, 08:53:52 PM
out of ten?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on April 28, 2010, 09:06:14 PM
out of ten?
Sorry, you can't repeat a karma action without waiting 1 hours.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on May 03, 2010, 10:29:58 AM
I'm getting really sick of these ignorant assholes that think putting every goddamn phone conversation they take on speakerphone with cranked up volume is somehow acceptable practice in a cubicle environment.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on May 03, 2010, 02:28:23 PM
I'm getting really sick of these ignorant assholes that think putting every goddamn phone conversation they take on speakerphone with cranked up volume is somehow acceptable practice in a cubicle environment.

This
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on May 03, 2010, 02:34:27 PM
I really don't get Speakerphone People.  I NEVER have my office phone on speaker.  Ever.  And I work mostly by myself.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on May 03, 2010, 02:47:41 PM
There's an SQL developer that's really starting to tighten my jaws and I'm trying to figure out a polite way of emailing my boss to let him know the reason why that particular box is having problems but "THE DEVELOPER IS A FAG AND HIS SHIT'S ALL RETARDED" isn't coming across as professional.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on May 03, 2010, 02:49:08 PM
There's an SQL developer that's really starting to tighten my jaws and I'm trying to figure out a polite way of emailing my boss to let him know the reason why that particular box is having problems but "THE DEVELOPER IS A FAG AND HIS SHIT'S ALL RETARDED" isn't coming across as professional.

I think all you really need is some slight alternative wordings (http://thesaurus.com/)...
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on May 03, 2010, 03:11:02 PM
"The developer is known to have homosexual tendencies and his fecal matter is mentally challenged"

SENT
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on May 03, 2010, 03:41:12 PM
"The developer is known to have homosexual tendencies and his fecal matter is mentally challenged"

SENT

See? You just need to think outside the box a little more.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on May 03, 2010, 05:06:25 PM
Speakerphone is disabled for us cubicle dwellers.  It's enabled in the offices and meeting rooms.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on May 03, 2010, 08:30:52 PM
We have speaker-phone capability in my new job, but luckily, everyone is polite enough not to use it. The new job is at a college, for a research team, so a lot of the other cubicles are being used by students or grads to study and... research. We do a good job of keeping to ourselves.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on May 03, 2010, 08:49:30 PM
Hate speakerphone
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on May 04, 2010, 06:28:41 AM
Why?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on May 04, 2010, 07:41:44 AM
Read above.  Sheesh.  PAIC.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on May 04, 2010, 08:28:57 AM
'Splains.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on May 04, 2010, 11:15:11 AM
Oh screw you, Mr. Asshole Boss.

You tell me to troubleshoot something for which I don't even have a login, for a client I didn't know we had. And when I fail to do so, you tell me I "need to be brought up to speed on the technical side of things"?

Go to hell.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on May 04, 2010, 01:26:18 PM
HOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY SHIT

I would have probably decked the motherfucker.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on May 04, 2010, 03:57:50 PM
I hurriedly scheduled some work with a client off-site for this afternoon so I'm not hanging around the office now, tempting myself to say some shit that'll get me immediately fired or (even worse) brought up on assault charges. 

 :x
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on May 04, 2010, 04:11:16 PM
I know it's only Tuesday but this whole goddamned week has been nothing but an endless parade of human failure and I'm the guy at the end of it all with the shit-scooper.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on May 04, 2010, 04:13:34 PM
I know it's only Tuesday but this whole goddamned week has been nothing but an endless parade of human failure and I'm the guy at the end of it all with the shit-scooper.

You're preaching to the choir.

The only thing that keeps me from becoming a serial killer is my distaste for manual labor.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on May 10, 2010, 12:37:55 PM
No, I cannot restore the file you created this morning but accidentally corrupted the shit out of. Rumor has it, back up jobs are run nightly. It's a rumor that's been floating around for the better part of ten years now.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on May 10, 2010, 12:52:51 PM
No, I cannot restore the file you created this morning but accidentally corrupted the shit out of. Rumor has it, back up jobs are run nightly. It's a rumor that's been floating around for the better part of ten years now.


What, no volume shadow copies firing off at regular intervals?  ;)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on May 10, 2010, 03:23:40 PM
What, no volume shadow copies firing off at regular intervals?  ;)

Funny you should mention that. We've been dabbling in VSS on some of our machines and we're getting all kinds of whacky errors. I've read up on places that kick off VSS incs every 30 minutes but that's not gonna happen at this rate, so you're all just gonna have to sit tight and see if you can manage not having any major fuck ups until the next morning for a change.

History, however, is not in my favour.

Besides, if I'm able to fix their human errors for them every time, how will they ever learn?  :lol:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on May 10, 2010, 04:08:52 PM
Every 30 minutes? Great Boris Yeltsin!

My normal policy is to fire one off at like 9:00 am and another at like 2:00 pm.

What about SAN snapshots?  You guys use those at all?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on May 10, 2010, 04:11:25 PM

What about SAN snapshots?  You guys use those at all?

Or are you sans SAN snapshots?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on May 10, 2010, 04:13:03 PM
Every 30 minutes? Great Boris Yeltsin!

My normal policy is to fire one off at like 9:00 am and another at like 2:00 pm.

What about SAN snapshots?  You guys use those at all?

30 minutes seemed like over kill and there's a limit to how many VSS jobs you can run in any given day before they start complaining. SAN snapshots, I'm not too sure about. I, thankfully, only have minimal interaction with that aspect of the job. A different area handles them. I request space and they usually carve it out for me, unless it's from the iSCSI array. Then I do it myself.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on May 10, 2010, 04:16:28 PM
Boss: Hey, come out to the shop and help me tear apart these greasy, filthy 12 year old computers.

Me: How about tomorrow, when I'm not wearing $80.00 dress pants?  :roll:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on May 10, 2010, 04:22:09 PM
Boss: Hey, come out to the shop and help me tear apart these greasy, filthy 12 year old computers.

Me: How about tomorrow, when I'm not wearing $80.00 dress pants?  :roll:

Yup, I was tasked at my old job to help FM&P tear down a gigantic sorter machine and it pretty much wrecked my outfit.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on May 10, 2010, 04:26:42 PM
You know, it's not that I'm prissy about getting dirty in the course of my job or anything.  But I bought these pants at Brooks Brothers (http://www.brooksbrothers.com/), ferfucksake!   :x
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on May 11, 2010, 02:27:02 PM
Woo hoo!  I don't have to go to this complete waste of time (http://www.twincitiestechpulse.com/) tomorrow! 


Here's how I got out of it.

Me: [to my boss] This thing you wanted me to go to tomorrow, it looks like a complete waste of time tomorrow.

Boss: Ok.

*20 minutes later*

Boss: [sticks head into my office] Hey, you know that thing I wanted you to go to tomorrow?

Me: Yeah?

Boss: I think I'll just have you skip it.  It looks like a complete waste of time.

Fin.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: h4wt_b3t4 on May 12, 2010, 07:16:07 PM
Isn't it great when people reliably steal your ideas?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on May 13, 2010, 09:03:25 AM
Isn't it great when people reliably steal your ideas?

My sentiments exactly.  His idea, my idea... I don't care, as long as I get out of it.  :)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on May 13, 2010, 05:57:15 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45HJpjdUzpY#noexternalembed (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45HJpjdUzpY#noexternalembed)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on May 21, 2010, 09:42:57 AM
Him: Here. Set up this incredibly complex ticketing software I just discovered three minutes ago and didn't bother reading anything about.

Me: Where?

Him: Er.  I'll make room on one of our virtual hosts.

Me: You mean the virtual hosts that are already inadequate for the jobs they're barely doing now? (http://www.guildhaven.org/images/smilies/banghead.gif)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on May 21, 2010, 09:57:02 AM
I had a great time explaining to one of the bosses that just because he have a ESX server, that doesn't mean it magically can support an infinite number of virtual servers with a bajilliangazillion RAM each.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on May 21, 2010, 10:00:46 AM
I don't know how to take notes.

All through high school, college, and church, I never needed to take notes. I would listen, study the material and pass the test via memorization. The only things I ever jotted down during lectures were the comments made that were not already in the text provided. My notes are like "..." long. Everyone else would be filling up notebooks and I would be memorizing texts. I never officially taken notes in my life.

The new job requires me to take a recording or transcription of a meeting and turn into detailed business notes that can be turned into the grant givers to prove that "this is what we did with all your money". I don't know how to do this because I've never taken notes before.

Things I have learned about note taking so far:
1.) This is an art form not easily learned.
B.) This is not a numbered list
III.)This is going to take a while before I catch on

What I'm going to have to do:
Sit down and tell my boss, "I don't know how to do this, because... well... I've never had to do it before."

I never thought something that was an advantage to me in school would turn out to be such a pain in the ass at work.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: reimero on May 21, 2010, 10:41:28 AM
(http://www.customerssuck.com/board/images/smilies/runaway.gif)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on May 26, 2010, 09:57:00 AM
Dear Adobe,

I can appreciate why you insist on force-feeding the "Adobe Reader Speed Launcher" down Windows' throat.  By cramming the entire fucking program in memory on boot, it really does speed up opening PDFs.

However, I feel I should point out that this is the wrong way to do that.

The correct way to speed up launching Adobe Reader to open PDFs is to eliminate some of the ridiculous and unnecessary bloat from the program itself and tighten up your gawdawful code.

It's a PDF reader.  It doesn't need to drag a poor old Windows workstation to its knees just to open a 12 page document.

For examples of how this can be accomplished, see other PDF readers, such as Foxit Reader (http://www.foxitsoftware.com/downloads/index.php).  They managed to create a PDF reader that doesn't put an obnoxious and resource-wasting "speed launcher" into Windows' startup routine (that takes msconfig.exe to remove) and still fires up in the blink of an eye.

Learn from that, Adobe, and maybe I'll start installing your PDF reader on servers and workstations again.  Until then, ta.

Your friend,

Demosthenes
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on May 26, 2010, 10:09:41 AM
Dear Adobe,

I can appreciate why you insist on force-feeding the "Adobe Reader Speed Launcher" down Windows' throat.  By cramming the entire fucking program in memory on boot, it really does speed up opening PDFs.

However, I feel I should point out that this is the wrong way to do that.

The correct way to speed up launching Adobe Reader to open PDFs is to eliminate some of the ridiculous and unnecessary bloat from the program itself and tighten up your gawdawful code.

It's a PDF reader.  It doesn't need to drag a poor old Windows workstation to its knees just to open a 12 page document.

For examples of how this can be accomplished, see other PDF readers, such as Foxit Reader (http://www.foxitsoftware.com/downloads/index.php).  They managed to create a PDF reader that doesn't put an obnoxious and resource-wasting "speed launcher" into Windows' startup routine (that takes msconfig.exe to remove) and still fires up in the blink of an eye.

Learn from that, Adobe, and maybe I'll start installing your PDF reader on servers and workstations again.  Until then, ta.

Your friend,

Demosthenes

Dear Adobe,

What he said, and the horse you rode in on.

Hugs,

Xolik
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on May 26, 2010, 10:23:27 AM
I should probably point out that Foxit Reader has its own obnoxiousness, but that's all in the checkboxes in the installer (which want to install a stupid toolbar, and hijack your searches to Ask.com of all places... as if!).

Once it's installed, Foxit is a perfectly fine PDF reader for most purposes.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on May 26, 2010, 02:20:15 PM
I started using Foxit after that one thread.

The only problem I run into is opening .pdf files in a browser. I get the 'ol 'server busy' error with the "switch to .." and "reset" options.

Perhaps I'm doing something wrong, but it's a small price to pay in my mind to get rid of Adobe Reader and it's Sumo Grip on my computer's balls.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Socrates on May 26, 2010, 03:21:24 PM
I actually rip FoxIt reader out of all the Dell machines with images I receive.   Since it's pre-installed it's got tentacles in places that I really do not like.  I may have to go back and give it a try.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on May 27, 2010, 08:41:58 PM
Same thing happened to me with this job at the university. They got lazy and didn't check back with Florida for my Florida state background and I ended up having to wait another week before I could start.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on June 14, 2010, 10:51:17 AM
Most people understand that there is always more than one solution to every problem.
Let's pretend you are one of these people and you just found 2 ways to transfer the configuration of a network device to your PC for backup reasons.

The first method works and meets your requirement. The second (which is basically the same, just with a few added switches or options to the command) does not work and the connection times out.

Do you:

1) Just use method one and forget about the second. Who cares? Especially when method one meets your requirement.
a) Open a case with the manufacturer of the network device's tech support because you absolutely MUST know why the second method doesn't work. Never mind the fact that you have a workaround that meets your requirement, you have to know for what reason, in an ocean of variables, the second method doesn't work.

Just curious.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on June 14, 2010, 11:06:44 AM
a) Open a case with the manufacturer of the network device's tech support because you absolutely MUST know why the second method doesn't work. Never mind the fact that you have a workaround that meets your requirement, you have to know for what reason, in an ocean of variables, the second method doesn't work.
That one.

Just curious.
And that's why.

I am, of course, not proud of that, but I would be viciously curious as to why the second, if it's so similar to the first, does not work. I wouldn't be able to forget about it. I don't know that I would pester IT repeatedly for an explanation after being told "just because", but I would have to know, even if that meant pestering some geek in a forum somewhere.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on June 14, 2010, 11:28:11 AM
The second (which is basically the same, just with a few added switches or options to the command) does not work and the connection times out.


Why doesn't it work?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Scheherazade on June 14, 2010, 11:31:16 AM
Yay, finally have job to bitch about.

Don't get me wrong, I love what I do. But I'm one of those writers who gets about 1000 words into a short story and is convinced it's shit, no matter what. I have no ability to judge my own work objectively.

...so I guess I'm bitching about myself in relation to my job instead of the job itself. :w:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on June 14, 2010, 11:51:04 AM
I am, of course, not proud of that, but I would be viciously curious as to why the second, if it's so similar to the first, does not work. I wouldn't be able to forget about it.

Why doesn't it work?

Horay! Job security!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on June 15, 2010, 04:36:50 PM
I've done that before.  I also have a nice storage room that only a handful of us have access to.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on June 15, 2010, 05:21:04 PM
I can't keep doing this redundant work. I cant keep my eyes open. I sneak off to the bathroom every once in a while to take naps... Those are nice.

How much sleep are you getting at night?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on June 16, 2010, 07:51:04 AM
I suppose the FBI probably isn't as interesting as it used to be back in the Reagan administration.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on June 16, 2010, 09:54:43 AM
You want to switch jobs with me? I'll taking your banking job, you can have my university one.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on June 16, 2010, 11:46:36 AM
Bullshit.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on June 16, 2010, 02:00:41 PM
4 hrs?

Geez. I still consider myself a young college person and I can't function with less than 7-8 hrs. Of course it serves a dual-function. It simultaneously recharges my brain and gives me an excuse to be anti-social when there's a party two doors down.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: h4wt_b3t4 on June 16, 2010, 02:19:43 PM
Four hours is fine with me.

Also, I still do not have a job to bitch about :P
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on June 16, 2010, 03:21:38 PM
I'd sleep 23 hours a day if I could get away with it.  I love sleep.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on June 16, 2010, 03:29:07 PM
I love sleep. Sleep does not like me. Especially when I'm stressed. Mediation helps some. Lately, not so much. I'm working on 34 hours up now.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on June 16, 2010, 03:32:42 PM
picsplzkthx!

If you have trouble sleeping you can try melatonin.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on June 16, 2010, 04:51:23 PM
... they also help at other things  :wink: but I can't mention them, too inappropriate.

Ya know, we do have a section here for things like that . . 8-)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: TheJudge on June 16, 2010, 06:28:16 PM
I'd sleep 23 hours a day if I could get away with it.  I love sleep.

Then you must be one hell of a sex machine!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on June 21, 2010, 09:19:42 AM
There's nothing quite like having someone else's stress filter down to you. I love office work.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on July 14, 2010, 07:13:19 PM
I love having to import legacy DTS jobs, convert them to SSIS format then hand create agent jobs to run them then spend seven hours figuring out why the fucking things won't run. SQL upgrading is EASY!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on July 14, 2010, 08:49:53 PM
I love having to import legacy DTS jobs, convert them to SSIS format then hand create agent jobs to run them then spend seven hours figuring out why the fucking things won't run. SQL upgrading is EASY!

I went through that 2 years ago.

What's worse is SSIS is 10 times more finicky and half as intuitive as DTS, so it doesn't get easier after the transition.

SSIS is a giant time sink. These days, instead of making a new SSIS package, I write a console app in VBNET.

If you run into any perplexing issues, run it by me -- I may have been through it and solved it.

Although some things are unsolvable, like for instance certain encodings just don't work. I have to scrub some text files with vb scripts or SSIS explodes and dies with a whimper.

One important tip: If you have a job flow with anything more than 3 connected boxes, and you need to copy them or move them, do NOT copy/paste. Because what you expect to achieve (a copy of the original layout) is not achieved. Just for laughs, connect like 5 or 6 job steps in a nice, aesthetic job flow, then copy/paste them to another frame. The first time I did that I think I cried.

This post was much longer and angrier a moment ago.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on July 17, 2010, 11:46:17 AM
Time for a rant.

I've bitched about my last job (a company at which my stint was only 8 months) recently in this thread.  And yesterday in the Shoutbox.

This is actually just a small summary of how fucked up it was to work for Kaltec of Minnesota (http://www.kaltecdatasys.com).


Not surprisingly, I elected not to stick around and train my replacement when it was clear that they were only going to fuck me for it.  I turned in my letter of resignation "effective immediately" the day I found out about that and my boss confirmed it, and packed up my shit and left.

Minnesota has a statute regarding unemployment benefits, statute section 268.095, which states:

Quote
... an applicant who quits employment may be eligible for unemployment benefits, but only if the reason for quitting was one of the following: 1) Quit for a good reason caused by the employer that would make the average, reasonable worker quit and become unemployed....

I immediately applied for unemployment benefits documenting the things I just listed as my "good reason".

Today I got a "go fuck yourself" letter from the Minnesota Unemployment department, saying that "the evidence does not prove that the reasons were so compelling that the applicant had a good reason to quit caused by the employer".

I guess I don't know what constitutes "a good reason" then.  I don't know very many people that would have stayed working at that company for more than 5 or 6 weeks.  I stayed and put up with that bullshit for 8 months.

I guess the joke's on me.  :roll:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on July 17, 2010, 11:50:11 AM
Oh yeah, for those who might be curious.

When I left I took the equipment for which I paid with my own money with me.  I also told them that they had three days to remove my photo from the company website (like I had asked nicely about before) or else I would take legal action.

It was off the website before the end of that day.

I also sent them an invoice for the use of my personal cell phone for client calls and data/emails for 8 months.  They haven't paid that yet.  But hey, I've given them my standard 30 days to pay it in full, like I normally do on invoices to my freelance clients.

And if they don't pay, I'll start collections proceedings on them.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on July 17, 2010, 01:25:42 PM
... because it was easier to deal with the IRS.

That's really all you needed to say.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on July 17, 2010, 01:26:48 PM
That's really all you needed to say.



Well you could have let me know that BEFORE I did all that typing.   :x
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on July 17, 2010, 01:31:36 PM
Well you could have let me know that BEFORE I did all that typing.   :x

I actually meant that's all you had to say to the MN Unemployment dept.

But I'm probably wrong about that.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on July 19, 2010, 01:03:59 PM
Appeal the UI and try to go before an administrative law judge.  Companies almost always contest UI to save money.  The people who accept it on the first shot are just SOL, the ones who appeal receive the UI.  I've appealed twice and won twice.  YMMV though as my experience was in CA and you're in MN.

I'd also suggest speaking with your state OSHA about the headset, and your state DOL about requiring you to use personal mobile devices for work without compensation.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on July 19, 2010, 03:58:24 PM
You people are lucky I don't do steroids.

Are you really going to write a paragraph long email about your "horrible" experience at the restaurant last night after you trash the place? You arrogant fucks. I am there working on a piece of equipment and you can clearly see that because I am in plain clothes, but then stop to help the rest of the crew because you and your faggot friends all wanted ice cream which you couldn't get because that was the machine I was working on. Instead you all wanted smoothies (Which, might I add - is a drink only gays get on their own accord) and then when I'm done helping your group I go to use the bathroom. Upon coming out you decide to antagonize me by saying "duhhh duurrrr". You are lucky it was apparent that I worked there. If I had not, I would have broken your fucking jaw off and then body slammed you through a table. And no, I wouldn't have just let you free fall through the table, I would have followed you all the way to the ground with all 200 pounds of my body weight to make sure you were down for good. That probably would teach you not to fuck with people. But on second thought, your mommy and daddy were driving around an Escalade, so of course you think the world should be given to you. Chances are you wouldn't have learned your lesson, you just would have learned to not fuck with me, which is fine by me, but next time they might not let things slide. They might really put their fist through your mouth, or even worse pull a gun on you because there are crazy people out there. So moral of this story: Had it not been clear I was working there or it wasn't where I worked, this would have went down differently. I don't fuck with people when I go out in public unless they go out of their way to fuck with me. Did I go out of my way to fuck with you? No. If I find out where you work, watch out.

Oh, and really, who the fuck complains about what news channel is being broadcast in a business? Really? Do you have that much fucking time on your hands that you can complain about something like that? Fuck off. You people need something to do with your time.

It's ok though, I'll be picturing all of you when I go for that 500 pound deadlift attempt - I'll just try and visualize myself ripping your arms off your body as I step on your torso and them slamming them back down to the ground when the lift is complete. Thank you.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on July 19, 2010, 04:04:22 PM
So now you have a nice email list to sign up for every conceivable spam service.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on July 20, 2010, 06:06:21 AM
I like smoothies.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on July 20, 2010, 11:00:53 AM
Fuck it. Fuck this cubicle job. I'll go back to waiting tables.
My letter is prepared in case I need to do a "effective immediately", but I'll wait (if I can), until the end of the pay period to hand it in.
I'm done. I'd rather scrape pocket change of off dirty plates than continue doing this shit.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on July 20, 2010, 11:22:56 AM
Fuck it. Fuck this cubicle job. I'll go back to waiting tables.
My letter is prepared in case I need to do a "effective immediately", but I'll wait (if I can), until the end of the pay period to hand it in.
I'm done. I'd rather scrape pocket change of off dirty plates than continue doing this shit.

Aw, but you'll miss the fun part! You know, the part when you're finally ground down, when every last spark of creativity and individuality is snuffed out, when your visceral hatred of the cubicle life gradually dulls to a slow simmering resentment, which in turn is sublimated into a deep, dark, subconscious hatred for all people, forever ruining any relationship or hope of happiness in your life until one day you snap and take with you as many as are unlucky to be in the path of your swinging machete. That part.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on July 20, 2010, 11:36:35 AM
Aw, but you'll miss the fun part! You know, the part when you're finally ground down, when every last spark of creativity and individuality is snuffed out, when your visceral hatred of the cubicle life gradually dulls to a slow simmering resentment, which in turn is sublimated into a deep, dark, subconscious hatred for all people, forever ruining any relationship or hope of happiness in your life until one day you snap and take with you as many as are unlucky to be in the path of your swinging machete. That part.


This.  ^^
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on July 20, 2010, 12:33:09 PM
There's no one else in my office. It's just me. A machete would be useless. I'd need a sniper rifle.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on July 20, 2010, 12:39:03 PM
Just be careful.  Otherwise this forum is the kind of thing that'll be brought up at your trial.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on July 20, 2010, 01:13:03 PM
Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine- Electronic Plantation lyrics
Ya-Ha-Ha
Ho Ho Ho
Shipped your job to Mexico
But we got plans for all of you to re-train

Pit the whole world against each other
For who will work for the lowest wage
The rest of you can die
As epidemics rage

Worked hard all your life
Now you must go on line
And stare all day
At a little plastic screen

Electronic plantation
Electronic plantation

Same old job
Now you're just a temp
Less pay, no benefits
No raise, no vacation
Or sick leave days

Chain the slaves to the oars
Faster, faster, row some more!
In carpel tunnel caverns
Til you break

We monitor you all
Every time you leave your chair
Or talk on the phone
One minute overtime
At the toilet
And you're fired

Electronic plantation
Electronic plantation

Only use we've left for you
Is burn you at both ends
Locked in the research triangle
Shirtwaist fire's flames
Lot's of people need your job
And you can be replaced
Replaced


Replaced
Unemployed and overqualified

Strikers who gave their lives
Fighting for basic human rights
That don't mean nothing anymore

Got you back down on the floor
Through the WTO
Rich get richer
Poor get poorer

Factory or PHD
You are all termites now
Laptop is your ball and chain
Til we downsize you away
Shop at home
Is your reward
Your best friend is a mouse

Electronic plantation
Electronic plantation
Electronic plantation
Electronic plantation


Yep (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaZU1jQwpV0)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on July 20, 2010, 04:42:27 PM
That's the thing about machete-swinging berserkers -- they never make it to trial. A sniper? 50-50 chance they take you alive before you jump.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Scheherazade on August 01, 2010, 02:08:19 PM
I have a general complaint about my job. I work as a public relations coordinator. On my organization's website is a form that you can fill out with any questions you may have, your name and your email address. When  you hit "send" the whole form gets sent in email form to the PR email account. Now, from here, I can just hit "reply" to any of these emails and it will send my response to the person's email address. Sounds simple enough, right?

You wouldn't believe how many people send in this form telling me they don't have an email address. --;
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on August 04, 2010, 07:50:33 PM
Writing temporary tables to tembdb is for pussies. I say write 400,000+ 'temporary' tables directly to the database instead. Who gives a fuck if this causes it to grow from 17GB to 40GB?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Pyrenus on August 11, 2010, 04:29:43 PM
I'm *this* close to quitting.  I'm really disliking my job these days.  But its a freaking dream compared to Demo's above.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on August 11, 2010, 08:57:43 PM
Heh.  I don't work there anymore.  I walked out on them in the middle of the day on June 4th.   :lol:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Rizzy on August 11, 2010, 09:04:25 PM
Walking out is great. But, have you seen this? A whole new realm of quitting possibilities.
http://thechive.com/2010/08/10/girl-quits-her-job-on-dry-erase-board-emails-entire-office-33-photos/

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on August 13, 2010, 08:10:53 PM
Dear Application Managers,

The next time we agree to have me upgrade your archaic application with a lot of custom plug-ins and you assure me that you'll be 100% available during the upgrade time to log in and address any custom plug-ins that may break YOU FUCKERS BETTER KEEP YOUR GODDAMN WORD. Everything broke and NOBODY was available to do anything about it.





Yeah, I fixed it all, but that's not my responsibility.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Probie on August 17, 2010, 07:50:39 AM

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

People fucking piss me off!!!!!!!


*deep breath*
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on August 17, 2010, 08:30:26 PM
ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

People fucking piss me off!!!!!!!


*deep breath*

Tell them to get a room!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Pyrenus on August 19, 2010, 09:55:53 AM
I love having to import legacy DTS jobs, convert them to SSIS format then hand create agent jobs to run them then spend seven hours figuring out why the fucking things won't run. SQL upgrading is EASY!

I'll be upgrading sql 2000 later on this year.  I'm not looking forward to it.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on August 30, 2010, 12:31:41 PM
I hate bitching about stuff but...I just gotta bitch about it.

I'm SO FRUSTRATED!!!!  Last year I spoke with the director of personnel for the school system for which I was working.  He assured me that my school could hire me part time...as could any other school in the county...as long as any rifs have been placed  (there are no rifs in high school math).  So I resigned my position and let it be known that I wanted a part time position.

My school hired three new teachers with no experience...instead of splitting one of the positions between me and another experienced teacher.  Then I started hearing from all over the county that central office told them not to hire any part time teachers due to budget cuts.  Uh...it's cheaper to hire a part timer because you don't have to pay for benefits.

I could see how it might be expensive to hire the retired part timers because they are so high on the pay scale.  So now it came down to the wire and some schools had to hire part timers.  They hired the retired ones.  And I'm sitting here with no job.

I would not have resigned my position at the school where I LOVED working if the central office guy didn't assure me that I could be hired part time.  What the ef?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on August 30, 2010, 12:51:56 PM
Never believe people in customer service, administration, et al.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on August 30, 2010, 01:26:17 PM
I JUST FOUND OUT THAT THE NEIGHBORING COUNTY HASN'T BEEN CONSIDERING ME FOR OPENINGS BECAUSE MY DEPARTMENT HEAD AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL DIDN'T SEND IN MY REFERENCE FORM!!!!!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Rizzy on August 30, 2010, 09:55:30 PM
While I guess being a Lab Teaching Assistant isn't a REAL real job (though I do get paid), it's already been the second week, and I've realized that apes could probably follow instructions better than these kids.

*facepalm*
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on August 31, 2010, 12:53:06 PM
No kidding.  Apes are at least smart enough to stay off of my grass.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on September 15, 2010, 07:37:00 PM
Me: So the firewalls are directly connected with a single cable?
Cu: Yes. Why can't they communicate?
Me: There doesn't seem to be an ARP entry . . There's no switch or anything, just a cable?
Cu: Yes. I am positive. They are directly connected. Why won't this work!?

 . . . 2 hours later.

Cu: OK, we took the switch out from in between and they can communicate now.
Me: OH! GLAD TO HEAR IT!


I think the problem is that I trust them to know their own network.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on September 15, 2010, 07:39:59 PM
Wow.

(http://www.guildhaven.org/images/facepalm.jpeg)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on September 15, 2010, 08:14:41 PM
I worked from 8:30am until 2:30am with an hour and a half break for dinner/dealing with the monsterchild yesterday.  Today I might be done by 10pm.  So at least I have that going for me.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on September 15, 2010, 08:20:34 PM
dealing with the monsterchild yesterday

So, the prophecy is true then?  He is the One?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on September 15, 2010, 09:40:44 PM
So, the prophecy is true then?  He is the One?

 Neosaurus?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on September 15, 2010, 10:19:41 PM
Damiensaurus.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on September 16, 2010, 12:29:04 AM
IanZacharySaurus.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Banshee on September 16, 2010, 09:10:59 AM
Me: So the firewalls are directly connected with a single cable?
Cu: Yes. Why can't they communicate?
Me: There doesn't seem to be an ARP entry . . There's no switch or anything, just a cable?
Cu: Yes. I am positive. They are directly connected. Why won't this work!?

 . . . 2 hours later.

Cu: OK, we took the switch out from in between and they can communicate now.
Me: OH! GLAD TO HEAR IT!


I think the problem is that I trust them to know their own network.

Hah, it's not directly related, but this reminds of the troubles I had setting up my new home router a couple months ago. Everything was being detected fine, but the router wasn't allowing any of the networked computers access to the modem. It took me several hours and multiple hardware resets, restarts and driver re-installs to ask the question "why are there four cables plugged into the back of the router if there are only two computers on the net-- fuck."

Yep, there was a CAT5 plugged into two ports on the router. The router was going crazy trying to use DHCP to assign an IP address to ITSELF. Possibly twice over. When I switched routers, I had simply plugged in all of the cables I could find without thinking about it. Oops.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on September 22, 2010, 08:41:28 PM
Well. In five months, I either move to Cary, NC; or lose my job.

 They are moving my entire group, and as there will be no more telecommuting; if you can't move with the job - you lose it.

I could rage on about how it makes no sense to take your last group of alarm monitoring and Remote Clear engineers - who

 cost the company very little as we all telecommute since there is nothing here in Alpharetta but office space (The servers we log into and use are in

different states anyway.) and delete them all; and then have all new, inexperienced engineers reporting to hard Office Real Estate to figure out how to do

 what we are doing  from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina RIGHT NOW at our own personal cost (broadband payed for by employee)...

 but...  whatever.  Any tips, leads, hints, sites, etc. that you can share; please feel free. I havent decided what Im going to do yet; still have about five

 months yet.

  So anyway.  Yep.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Banshee on September 23, 2010, 11:05:53 AM
Well. In five months, I either move to Cary, NC; or lose my job.

 They are moving my entire group, and as there will be no more telecommuting; if you can't move with the job - you lose it.

I could rage on about how it makes no sense to take your last group of alarm monitoring and Remote Clear engineers - who

 cost the company very little as we all telecommute since there is nothing here in Alpharetta but office space (The servers we log into and use are in

different states anyway.) and delete them all; and then have all new, inexperienced engineers reporting to hard Office Real Estate to figure out how to do

 what we are doing  from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina RIGHT NOW at our own personal cost (broadband payed for by employee)...

 but...  whatever.  Any tips, leads, hints, sites, etc. that you can share; please feel free. I havent decided what Im going to do yet; still have about five

 months yet.

  So anyway.  Yep.



Spend five months looking for a new job and documenting every shady employer practice you can find to get leverage for a severance package to let you live on while you continue looking.

Don't move under those conditions, imo. It's clear that your employer doesn't plan around their employees at all; I would wager it's only a matter of time before they screw you even harder.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on September 23, 2010, 10:07:14 PM
Well. In five months, I either move to Cary, NC; or lose my job.
Cary isn't actually all that bad. But it is in NC. NC. NC is the northern most state still considered below the Mason/Dixon line. We have no fucking clue who we are, but we make great illegal liquor and we drive like it's a NASCAR track.

The good news is you'd be 4.5 - 6.5 hours away from me.

Closer for better stalking.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on September 24, 2010, 08:55:00 AM
The good news is you'd be 4.5 - 6.5 hours away from me.

Closer for better stalking.

 :-)  That was the very first thing that crossed my mind. Honestly.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on September 24, 2010, 02:13:30 PM
Actually, according to the stupid map; I'm closer to you now than I will be when in Cary.  :|

 

  **edit - ok - mileage-wise it will be closer. Time-wise; probably not.  I just looked at the interstates and at first it looked shorter
from here; since it's just a straight shot down I-85.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on September 24, 2010, 10:35:51 PM
Wow, that really sucks.  Banshee makes good points, don't uproot for a company that's going to screw you.  You seem to have a pretty good skill set.  Is it going to be very difficult to find a new job in your area?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on September 25, 2010, 07:42:53 PM
Well, I've been there ten years, and nowhere will I start out making what I make now. That is IF I could even find a job anywhere near here.
  Also, I have no ties to this place other than the house. No friend network, no family, nothing. So there is just as good as here; except for the moving
part. Verizon's giving $10k for moving expenses, so that much is taken care of; but I have no idea how I'll manage to get a loan to buy another house.
 Even if I could sell this one; my loss at this point would be massive; and that still wouldn't help me much as far as securing another loan. I intend (at this point) to rent it; and I already have a potential renter - someone who lives and works here; not a college student (so it won't be only seasonal rent).
 And if it turns out that I have to sell just to secure a loan for a place in Cary; then so be it. No hurt feelings here.
 
  So, as you can probably guess; I suppose I'm going.

  In fact I've already started looking for places.

 http://www.remax.com/property/84915174-60470227/202-Fancy-Acres-Ln-Carthage-NC-28327/

 http://www.remax.com/property/81208433-60470227/214-Fancy-Acres-Ln-Carthage-NC-28327/

 I like the first one building-wise; but the second one has EIGHT ACRES with it.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on September 25, 2010, 08:18:02 PM
Spend five months looking for a new job and documenting every shady employer practice you can find to get leverage for a severance package to let you live on while you continue looking.
The severance is 2 weeks for every year of service. For me = 20 weeks (10 years).
  And it's VerizonBusiness; they have their asses covered as far as trying to find shady practices.


Don't move under those conditions, imo. It's clear that your employer doesn't plan around their employees at all; I would wager it's only a matter of time before they screw you even harder.
They never have planned around employees; this is big business. In fact; they don't even plan using logic.
 Why would you take a group that telecommutes entirely (meaning it makes no difference where the office is; whether in Alpharetta, GA or Cary, NC) and
 have them relocate (or resign) simply to work from an office space? Why not just start calling Cary, NC the new "HQ" or whatever; and let us just drive on doing what we do?
  (Answer: They don't want anyone telecommuting. Reason: If employees can do the work reliably from home; many management positions become unnecessary.)

 All of the applications we use are hosted on servers in other states; we vpn into Verizon's network and thus have access to everything we need. Now, for no real reason; everyone will have to report to an office in Cary, NC daily to work their shift.  Currently we employees buy our own broadband at home; so for us to access and work costs the company nothing. It also saves us employees in fuel, and/or hotel rooms (we have one guy in FLA, one in TN, one in NC, and the rest of us in GA).
  Presently; we will have to have an entire building, site, and utilities on and operating 24/7, usually with Security Guards on duty, in addition to each employee having to drive in to the office and then home again at the end of the shift.

 THAT is VerizonBusiness's idea of an environmentally Green, cost-cutting, practical solution to an existing, non-problematic, smoothly operating situation.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on September 26, 2010, 10:31:44 AM
That's about an hour away from the house my dad owns.  Once he retires there, we can do lunch sometime when I visit him.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on September 26, 2010, 06:12:10 PM
That's about an hour away from the house my dad owns.  Once he retires there, we can do lunch sometime when I visit him.

 That would be awesome! :-)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on September 28, 2010, 01:55:31 PM
Hmm.

 Slight change of plans.

 I am now not looking to buy property in NC. Rent; yes, buy - nope.

 For some reason, not only are they consolidating all of our app servers in one place (in Cary); but they've also implemented time-out security
 on all of them. This is totally new; and totally unnecessary  - unless!

  unless the long range plan is to offshore my entire group. Avaya's NOC is in the Phillipines, and our own Helpdesk is in India. When we call our own helpdesk
 NOW; we are classified as an "offshore resource". Here; in Georgia. They call us "offshore resource".  Umm... Weird Tingly Feeling?
  If *I* were going to have a group accessing my app servers from a foreign nation, I would probably implement more security as well; in addition to what is already in place.

  Also there's the matter of sticking employees with the choice of "go and work" or "stay and quit". WHY would you do that to a group who telecommutes and costs the company nothing to access and work?? To get rid of a chunk of EMPLOYEE$ (who it is very hard and expensive to get rid of), backfill those positions with CONTRACTORS (who can be let go at a moments notice for no reason); have the remaining employees train the Indians or Filipinos, then

  WHAM! The group goes overseas and they give us remaining employees options to go with the job or quit.

 I can see that happening almost clear as daylight. So then I'd be fucked; having a house note here in Georgia, AND a house note in Cary, NC; and being RIFed from my job.

 So, no thanks. Renting I will probably do; but I have to find a house with a landlord who allows dogs. Apartments are out of the question.

  FML  :|
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on September 28, 2010, 03:20:37 PM
Sounds like you've got their gameplan, 12. Sorry to hear about it, though.  :-(
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on September 30, 2010, 05:40:19 PM
http://www.skillinity.com/index.html
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: xolik on November 12, 2010, 11:43:56 AM
Today's rant: Scripted co-workers.

My direct boss: (If conversation=1, then start each sentence with "You realize, " end sentence with ", right?" regardless of topic) "You realize that, back in the ancient days, druids were actually space aliens, right?" "You realize that I love to proclaim assumptions that you know the same things I know about idiotic topics that nobody actually gives two shits about, that way when you say no, I sound so much smarter than you, right?"
Also, (If silence = longer than 10 minutes, then goto "overused jokes") "ANOTHER DAY ANOTHER NICKLE AFTER TAXES" <--repeat every time somebody walks in to the room.
Sometimes he changes the script to start every sentence with "Basically, ....." but those are more rare.

Then there's this one guy who makes it a point to always enter the room halfway into a verse from "Good Morning America, How Are You". Won't say a damn thing until he's got the door halfway open then he bursts into mid-verse. HAY I'M MAKING PEOPLE THINK I COME TO WORK SINGING I'M SO COOL!

I work with robots.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on November 12, 2010, 12:23:57 PM
I work with one guy who starts every sentence with the word "So...", and another coworker whose response to everything anyone says is "Fair enough".

It's very distracting.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on November 12, 2010, 01:37:10 PM
My boss has the same ending to each sentence but not the same antecedent.  I keep on responding with either "Correct", or by explaining why it is incorrect.  I'd like to campaign to remove the dual meaning.  Right should be a direction not an affirmation.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Pyrenus on February 23, 2011, 05:31:33 PM
Co:  I updated the change log with the changes!
Me:  Ok, I'll remove my entry then since I had already logged it.  (edits quickly)
Co:  Did you just update it?
Me:  Yes.
Co:  I don't see your entry??



Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12AX7 on March 09, 2011, 07:07:37 AM
The same asshole who did away with telecommuting and forced an entire group to uproot and relo or lose their jobs scheduled an "All Hands Meeting" this morning. The night shift gets off at 6am, when the first people on day shift come in. This asshole schedules the meeting at ... 6am? Nope. 6:30? . . .7? ..nah.
 He has the consideration to schedule it at 7:30; making the entire group sit here for an hour and a half cos he can't get his fucking sorry ass out of bed and get to the office before then.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: MISTER MASSACRE on March 09, 2011, 09:15:53 AM
That guy sounds kind of evil. Don't stand directly next to him since he sounds like he's liable to shoot someone to make a point.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Novice on October 13, 2011, 02:50:24 PM
Alright. To make a long, boring story short, my project at work has a Wiki-based table online which gets updated by everyone in the project. Project members update the table with various information.

There is one particular field in the table which is for my use only and which clearly states this. Throughout the course of the project, I have probably sent 4-5 emails regarding this as well as mentioned it numerous times in our meetings. However, project members continue to modify the field.

I wrote this email today about not modifying the field:
"
. . .

Just don't do it. Just say no. This field is not your friend. Mutant Kansas groundhogs will burrow themselves into the foundations of your home and murmur suggestive groundhog messages into your ear while you sleep. You will spend thousands of dollars on therapy trying to understand why you have a sudden craving for grass and insects. The therapist will have you committed to an asylum where you will be surrounded by your former coworkers who whisper things like "groundhog day approaches". You will slowly lose your mind after realizing you've hibernated through the entire winter. And right before your mind is about to break, I will send you a letter which reads simply . . .

"You shouldn't have modified the 'Submitted' field."

. . .
"

Think they'll get it?
(I contemplated putting this is Writer's Corner, BTW).
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on October 13, 2011, 04:32:16 PM
Bwahahahaha, even if they don't, it's still got to be at least a little satisfying on your part!   :lol:
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12 on December 08, 2011, 11:27:58 PM
ah HAH. I knew it.

A while back I told you guys I was suspicious of Verizon having us move to NC. I assumed we were soon to be axed. Well, it isn't happening the way I predicted, but it IS happening.

 Yup. Verizon will no longer be in the Customer Premises Equipment business. No NOC Center, no field techs, no PBX's, no business equipment - period.
  My job: monitor business equipment in the NOC center, troubleshoot PBXes, and dispatch field techs.
 
  Dunno what Im gonna do yet. They aren't cold-turkeying; it will be a phase-out type thing; when each customer's contract expires it won't be renewed. The contracts will be all expired by 3rd quarter next year.
 So I have time to react, at least.

 
 
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Socrates on December 09, 2011, 07:47:43 AM
That does suck, start looking now for the new job
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Min on December 09, 2011, 08:00:54 AM
It feels great to be right!

Oh wait, no it doesn't.  I'm sorry.  That sucks.  I hope you find something quickly.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on December 09, 2011, 03:17:35 PM
It's nice that you have notice.  If you stay the whole time, how much severance would you get?

But it does suck that they're dissolving the business.  Any chance that you could transfer to a different role?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12 on December 09, 2011, 03:41:35 PM
It IS nice to have a long heads up.

As for severance; I've no idea. They haven't put anything out about anyone's actual job yet, except to say "As the contracts expire and the volume goes down, well... it's going to 'get tight'." (as far as manpower)

I punched in telecommunications jobs for Greenville, SC (which is where I'm actually from- not Georgia; and where I'd like to get back) and there are quite a few. The ones I'm interested in are very similar to what I'm doing now; as far as I can tell by the job description. Communications equipment monitoring/troubleshooting in a NOC center. The company is Windstream. Now here's where it gets potentially really good..  Alltel rolled out Windstream, then Verizon bought Alltel. So it could be a lateral move for me as far as seniority, pay, etc. I just don't know (yet) if Windstream went on as its own entity or if Verizon acquired it in the buyout of Alltel. Or even if any of that matters.

What doesn't suck about the whole thing is finally knowing. It's almost a relief. At least I can move on with life; instead of living on *pause*.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: 12 on December 10, 2011, 09:58:55 PM
 :-(

http://www.technogadge.com/virtual-pbx-phone-system-for-business/#more-2165

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Vespertine on January 11, 2012, 06:43:49 PM
Um, yeah, if you read a headline about some bitch in Arizona going off the deep end and firebombing her workplace...it's probably me.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on January 11, 2012, 07:04:27 PM
Cool!  They deserve it!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: damoose on April 28, 2012, 10:07:47 AM
Any l33t haxx0rs out there wanna hack into the U of Iowa Hygeinic Lab database and put my name at the top of the hiring list for the Molecular Biologist position? Please? Getting so tired of the freaking retread that is my boss. Been puting up with her shit for nearly 10 years, and I seriously need out. I've gotten used to the bad memory thing (although the 6 identical e-mails I sent her one day was a personal best), but the retreadedness is driving me off the deep end. I am a relatively passive, non-agressive, person, but I want to rip her frigging head off. Needed to vent as I am at work on a Saturday.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Nowledge on May 10, 2014, 06:12:52 PM
My boss alludes to being the reincarnation of G.I. Gurdjieff. His own teacher. He is his own teacher...
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: ivan on June 22, 2014, 06:46:40 PM
My boss alludes to being the reincarnation of G.I. Gurdjieff. His own teacher. He is his own teacher...

Must be some kind of whacky place you work in, if your boss is a Gurdjieff disciple.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on June 24, 2014, 10:16:03 PM
I sometimes feel like I'm managing a bunch of high school kids at a Hardee's.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on June 25, 2014, 11:54:30 AM
Har har.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: zorgon on June 26, 2014, 04:21:55 PM
Known as Carl's Jr. west of the Rockies?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: h4wt_b3t4 on June 26, 2014, 07:19:48 PM
I walked past a Carl's Jr. in a mall in Shanghai. That was a strangely exhilarating experience.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on July 09, 2014, 09:43:30 PM
Sorry for my absence. I have been so effing busy at work I can't even take pee breaks.

I haven't even been on #HN in a week or more.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on July 09, 2014, 10:31:09 PM
Fortunately that's over for me.  I did get a 5% raise out of it though.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: zorgon on August 14, 2014, 11:10:45 AM
NASA has completely scrooged me. I may not have something to complain about in this thread in a few months IYKWIMAITYD.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: pbsaurus on August 14, 2014, 01:53:12 PM
Meanwhile we have plenty of funds to build attach aircraft that will never be used.  Here have one of these :stbm:
Title: Re: Kamery
Post by: xolik on December 16, 2014, 11:57:38 PM

Thanks regarding providing such superior written content.


I eat dicks.

This is SO being used for the new guy's annual review.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Jaepheth on April 01, 2015, 06:13:37 PM
We tell children not to accept candy from strangers...

but then no one thinks twice about grabbing one of those cupcakes that anonymously appears in the break room on April Fool's day.

I'm sure it'll be fine. After all, that camera that may or may not be a decoy and may or may not have been pointed in the right direction and may or may not have been noticed by any would-be pranksters will surely deter any tomfoolery.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on November 08, 2016, 10:19:00 PM
Dear Miss That Eyeshadow Looks Good On No One,

I'm sorry you aren't a high end wine drinker. I would apologize that my waitress didn't filter the sediment out of the bottom of that Merlot bottle for you, but the mere fact that you didn't know sediment was even a fucking word shows me that you have no fucking clue what you're drinking. So please stop bitching about my ten-year-old barrel aged house Merlot and go to Food Lion where you get your cardboard box, alcoholic grape juice in a plastic bag drivel.

Also, if you really want to take my $18 crystal glass to have it "tested", you are definitely being charged for it.

Thank you sincerely,
The person in this arguement who actually drinks wine
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on November 08, 2016, 10:50:20 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/QasnnzC.gif)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on November 16, 2016, 10:16:20 PM
You came in two hours before your shift and you said you couldn't work because you had MRSA. We said, okay, where's the doctor's note so we know when you can come back to work. You said, you didn't have one. We said, go get one, we need to know when you can safely come back to work.

You then showed up for your shift after saying you had an open sore from MOTHERFUCKING MRSA. And you were shocked when we said, yeah no, where's the note that says you can work. BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT FUCKING MRSA. IN A RESTAURANT.

You said, don't have it, didn't have time. But it's okay you can work. We said, no you fucking can't. You have time now, you ain't working, go get one. You were actually surprised

You said you had motherfucking MRSA. This is a fucking restaurant. We serve people food here. They bring their vulnerable nubile offspring here. Elderly eat here. What the fuck is wrong with you?
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on November 17, 2016, 07:31:34 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/urAYMgI.gif)
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on November 17, 2016, 07:35:45 AM
I could bitch about my job all day. 

With that said, lately I'm noticing my hours have been creeping up again and I always know where that's heading.

So I've been making a (semi-successful) effort to not go in any earlier than 7:30-ish in the am, and to pretty much force myself to be home by 6:00 pm.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: BizB on November 17, 2016, 07:56:05 AM
24 months ago, I was added to a team that will turn social media data into actionable insights via a standard operational procedure using an enterprise solution that we would build
16 months ago, we started building the solution.
12 months ago, my boss actually managed to find the resources to take over the old work on my plate so that I could work on this solution
8 months ago, we demonstrated an alpha version of the solution
7 months and 28 days ago, the person that we did the demo for went wide with the solution as though it was better than beta
4 months ago, the business got fed up with the solution because it falls down too often (yeah... because it wasn't properly tested, morans)
3 months ago, we started an initiative to go "back to beta" and fortify the solution by the end of January
2 months ago, we had made good progress on the back-to-beta effort
1 month ago, we began reviewing how projects are accomplishing the tasks outside of the solution (since they are)
2 weeks ago, we presented the results of that review
1 week ago, the business decided that they want the enterprise solution to do different things
4 days ago, our primary programmer gave his notice that he would be leaving the company 12.31.2016
Yesterday, they told us what they want the new solution to do and expectation that the completely new/different enterprise solution would be ready for action by the same "end of January" target date.

Today, I updated my resume
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on November 17, 2016, 09:14:18 AM
24 months ago, I was added to a team that will turn social media data into actionable insights via a standard operational procedure using an enterprise solution that we would build
16 months ago, we started building the solution.
12 months ago, my boss actually managed to find the resources to take over the old work on my plate so that I could work on this solution
8 months ago, we demonstrated an alpha version of the solution
7 months and 28 days ago, the person that we did the demo for went wide with the solution as though it was better than beta
4 months ago, the business got fed up with the solution because it falls down too often (yeah... because it wasn't properly tested, morans)
3 months ago, we started an initiative to go "back to beta" and fortify the solution by the end of January
2 months ago, we had made good progress on the back-to-beta effort
1 month ago, we began reviewing how projects are accomplishing the tasks outside of the solution (since they are)
2 weeks ago, we presented the results of that review
1 week ago, the business decided that they want the enterprise solution to do different things
4 days ago, our primary programmer gave his notice that he would be leaving the company 12.31.2016
Yesterday, they told us what they want the new solution to do and expectation that the completely new/different enterprise solution would be ready for action by the same "end of January" target date.

Today, I updated my resume

I had a bullshit inside sales job for about two years and over my tenure there the timeline of events was very similar. You could actually see them tightening the noose. I left back in June right when shit was really starting to hit the fan and now it seems almost every week I'm hearing about one of my ex-coworkers jumping ship.

You're making the right call here. Best of luck to you on your search!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on November 17, 2016, 09:18:53 AM
You came in two hours before your shift and you said you couldn't work because you had MRSA. We said, okay, where's the doctor's note so we know when you can come back to work. You said, you didn't have one. We said, go get one, we need to know when you can safely come back to work.

You then showed up for your shift after saying you had an open sore from MOTHERFUCKING MRSA. And you were shocked when we said, yeah no, where's the note that says you can work. BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT FUCKING MRSA. IN A RESTAURANT.

You said, don't have it, didn't have time. But it's okay you can work. We said, no you fucking can't. You have time now, you ain't working, go get one. You were actually surprised

You said you had motherfucking MRSA. This is a fucking restaurant. We serve people food here. They bring their vulnerable nubile offspring here. Elderly eat here. What the fuck is wrong with you?

Ahh, the good ol' restaurant industry! I miss some of the entertainment like this from my restaurant days. I will say, the thing I miss the most about restaurants is the fact that it's literally something new every. single. day.

I had one kid who abused cocaine and other drugs and somehow wound up with a staph infection and he too thought it was alright to work. Had to tell him to gtfo and don't come back until he had a doctor's note stating he was clear to work. Wasn't long after that I fired him for doing heroin in the restaurant on an overnight shift. Luckily for me, an overnight Walmart employee tipped me off saying that he could not even stand up to take her order when she came through at about 3pm.

Oh, and the employees I had sitting on the front counter after the doors were locked passing a bong back and forth right in front of a camera. Yea... they were fired, too.

I feel for you though. Endless BS every day.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on November 17, 2016, 10:48:29 PM
I feel for you though. Endless BS every day.

I fucking love my job. I have tried office jobs. I have worked in other fields. I always circle back to restaurants and hotels. I absolutely love my job.

It's a living petri-dish of human nature that any writer would pay good money to observe. Except the petri-dish pays me.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on November 18, 2016, 08:41:30 AM
I know what you mean. I was practically born and raised in the restaurant business and sometimes I feel like I'm going nuts working a desk job for almost three years now. It was a tough transition that's for sure.

The hours were what really got to me the most. It was next to impossible for me to take off for family gatherings on the weekend and having three nieces and nephews pushed me over the edge to switch gears.Still though... I miss those days.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on January 26, 2017, 02:15:11 PM
Internal emails that require a response but never get answered and go ignored for prolonged periods of time.

I realize that things get hectic and there are bigger fish to fry but if someone from outside of your department emails you at least try to get back to them within a few business days.

This was a big problem at my previous employer because the workforce was so large and spread out across the country that you would from time to time email people whom you've never met or never will meet in your life. All the more reason for them to ignore your email and hide behind their computer screen like nothing ever happened. Even if you'd reply on top of the first email it would still go ignored.

</rant>

This one really, I mean REALLY, grinds my gears to no end.

Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Demosthenes on January 26, 2017, 07:48:14 PM
Honestly, one of the things that has made me successful professionally?

Being responsive.

That's feedback I've gotten consistently, at multiple companies, from lots of people, and it made them advocates for me, which can really help in a lot of places.

It's not really that hard, and it can really make one stand out, especially in a big company that's spread out and has a lot of people not so good at it.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on January 27, 2017, 08:07:09 AM
Exactly!

It's not that hard of a concept, really. Even if it's something that requires a lot of leg work and you can't answer it right away that day, a simple email back saying something like, "Hey, this will take me some time to pull the reports. Will get it back to you by end of day tomorrow." is totally understandable.

I got into the habit of attempt #3 to CC their manager on the email. Mind you this was usually like 7 business days after the first one. It was always amusing to see how upset they got. Seriously... what did you think was going to happen? LOL!
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Wunderkind on March 12, 2017, 10:13:27 AM
Hey, it turns out that you can send back a plate every time you visit a restaurant and we won't kick you out. EVERY DAMN TIME. You have a problem with you food. But this time[/] you got verbally abusive with the staff and were loud and belligerent enough to make other customers complain about YOU. So, yeah, we fucking want you to leave now. Please fucking leave and never come back.

Take the trash out with you.

Thanks.
Title: Re: The 'Let's Bitch About Our Jobs' thread.
Post by: Chris on May 19, 2017, 01:31:23 PM
Hey, it turns out that you can send back a plate every time you visit a restaurant and we won't kick you out. EVERY DAMN TIME. You have a problem with you food. But this time[/] you got verbally abusive with the staff and were loud and belligerent enough to make other customers complain about YOU. So, yeah, we fucking want you to leave now. Please fucking leave and never come back.

Take the trash out with you.

Thanks.

This brings back TONS of memories from my food service days. When it's every damn time you go to the same restaurant chances are it's not the staff but YOU who are somehow causing the problem. I can see once or twice... but every. damn. time? No. Glad to hear you guys kicked one out.