It never fails.

[kizayaen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we've all had this exact same anecdote a dozen times, but it's no less frustrating every time.

Luser: "I tried signing up on the website and the $URL said page not found"
Me: "Strange, I just tried typing it exactly like that and it came up just fine. Try it again just in case it was typo'd?"
Luser: "I did 7 times"
Me: "What about just $BASE_URL, does that come up okay?"
Luser: "let me try"
(several minutes of waiting)
Luser: "i tried that and it brought me to a whole list of differsnt ones to click but not the $SITE"
Me: "Sorry, I don't have any idea. If you've tried it seven times that makes a typo awfully unlikely, but nobody else has had a problem getting in, so I'm not sure what it could be."
Me, thinking: Quit typoing it, retard.
Luser: "ill try it again"
Luser: "maybe its the search engine im using"
Luser: "which one do u use aol,google what"

*headdesk*

Comments

[70schild.livejournal.com]

I was at my aunt's and saw her do this - click the google button then type in the URL in google to find it.

I slowly pointed my finger up to the address bar and said "type there".

And then I banged my head on her desk for a while. She was pretty gobsmacked. "There it was, all this time! I never knew I could do that!"

[hangar.livejournal.com]

How the hell did stupid people manage before Google?!

[wxgeek.livejournal.com]

I hate Microsoft for making the address bar and the search bar indistinguishable from each other. I deal with this constantly. Several times per day.

So much, in fact, that I've learned to recognize our company's listing in Google and Yahoo, and can simply direct the customer through the search listing :(

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

By doing other, equally stupid things.

[canray.livejournal.com]

"Type it in the address field." "OK, Google results came up." "Did you type it in the Address Field, or the Google Search Field?" "Google." "Type it in the ADDRESS Field." "Google search results." "Do you see the area you can type marked Address?" "Yes." "Did you type it into the area called Address?" "No." "Did I tell you to type it into the area marked Address?" "Yes." "OK. Type. It. In. The. Area. Marked. Address." "Google results." "I am sorry, Sir, but if you refuse to follow instructions, I am unable to assist you, and must now move on to other callers. Have a nice day."

[hangar.livejournal.com]

Funny thing is that before Google, when people in my classes were using Dogpile or Yahoo, I was asked a lot fewer times how to do something. Since Google, the rate of people asking me things has skyrocketed.

[xforge.livejournal.com]

Gah, just lobotomize me so I can think on these people's level.

Related:
luser: "I can't log in!"
tech: "To Windows?"
luser: "To my desktop!"
tech: (checks) "Your account isn't locked..."
luser: (reads dialog box aloud, it's a dialog box from a database app used by Accounting and has nothing to do with Active Directory or Windows at all)
tech: (cracks the Scotch)

[xforge.livejournal.com]

Could be worse; their IE7 could still be pointed at "Live Search" and they could be getting fricking bupkes back for results. = )

[linguafranca.livejournal.com]

You know, people ask me once in a while whether I think libraries/librarians will be replaced by Google. I just laugh.

[rwarner.livejournal.com]

I absolutely despise those search bars in browsers. What's even worse is the search bars that come with the 10 toolbars that these lusers have installed. They take something that's supposed to make calls easier and shorter (Go To Assist) and turn it into the call from hell. If I get another person asking me to roll a truck and send a tech because they are incapable of typing the correct thing into the correct spot on their pc, I swear there will be blood - mine or theirs, I haven't decided yet. :)

[darkmattr.livejournal.com]

AOL

[darkmattr.livejournal.com]

I don't even bother half the time.


Hit Start
Hit Run
Type in iexplore www.whatever.com

[attackgypsy.livejournal.com]

I get this all day long.

"try this. Type www.abc.123.com"

"It says ABC 123 Company. Maker of Fine Widgets."

"Please type it in the address bar, not a search bar."

"where's the address bar?"

ALL DAY LONG!

[attackgypsy.livejournal.com]

Gods, I wish I could do that. I can't. I have to help them until they are completely fixed. I'm never allowed to hang up on them.

[canray.livejournal.com]

It was 2:55 AM, on a Saturday (My Friday), I get off work at 3 AM, and I wasn't about to take any more BS from an idiot.

Anyhow, my Call Time that week had been insane. And he was not following instructions. Simple as that.

Mostly, it was me not giving a damn at 3 AM, however.

I hated that shift.

[canray.livejournal.com]

Librarians have controlled knowledge for all of recorded history.

In fact, they are the keepers of recorded histroy.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, so much for the Illuminati!

G2A all day

[ace-brickman.livejournal.com]

just keep clicking 'yes' or 'run' when it comes up
..yes, there too
uh huh, one more 'OK' button
...

[mouser.livejournal.com]

I had a former minion who tried to convince me the company search engine should default to Live.

We had a "search off" vs Google.


I won *every* search.

[jecook]

Yep, we get that over here as well.

and half the time, we've already reset people's passwords before they tell us what the hell they are trying to get into. :)

[ravenshrinkery.livejournal.com]

AOL users are going to the special hell. AOL tech support is already there.

[ptstech.livejournal.com]

Way back in the day, I served as a "technical liason" between web designers and clients. Had to go out to a site one day b/c the client was unhappy with both the search results for his business and the explanation he was given over the phone. Got there, and had a convo with Mr. Big. Turns out that:

1. He "taught" a class on using the internet
2. He "thought" that the proper way to access a given site was to use (wait for it)...the search bar
3. He had apparently NEVER accessed a site by typing the address in the actual address bar, and was absolutely stupefied that anyone would ever do so.

Never did get to find out exactly how he was doing searches due to his short fuse and my refusal to be treated as a serf. His business partner, however, did get a primer on the internet and a suggestion to leave a copy where his synaptically-challenged cohort could stumble upon it.

Hopefully before his next "class" - after all, we have to think of the children...

[yanni85.livejournal.com]

And just where do you think the librarians come from and where do you think they get their knowledge?

[yanni85.livejournal.com]

Of course, if they're on vista they don't have a "run" anymore. I actually like vista for my own uses. I hate supporting it.

[darkmattr.livejournal.com]

Ok, look down at your keyboard, you see that windows logo? Under the Letter Z? Yes, that thing, hold that down with your thumb, now while you hold that down, hit the letter R on your keyboard.

Did a window open up?

Good, now type in.. whatever.

Freaking lack of run box....

[yanni85.livejournal.com]

Of course you can still get to it but walking people through pressing two buttons at once? Seriously, you'd think it would be less complicated than it is. I've explained it almost exactly like that and they still don't get it. *le sigh*

Seriously stupid lack of run link by default.

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

Secret librarian factories, obviously.

[yanni85.livejournal.com]

Exactly, run by the Illuminati.

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

Sounds like someone who needs to have traffic to their search engine 'accidentally' blocked.