(no subject)

[demented-pants.livejournal.com]

Man did I eat some serious crow tonight. I always say that it's a treat when we get a user who's actually tech savvy calling in.

So, because the helldesk gods are clearly hellbent on making me eat the aforementioned crow, a gentleman called our (general purpose, free to all members of the university, generally intended for basic troubleshooting and outage tracking) support line, wondering why he couldn't get connectivity despite having a good IP address on a computer running Windows 7 after flashing his router with DD-WRT.

On the one hand, awesome. Someone who knows how to get his own IP address, and at least has a general idea what we're talking about when we suggest a TCP/IP reset.

On the other hand, ಠ_ಠ look of disapproval for calling the support line on something so obviously beyond our scope of support (we do not support wireless routers at all, much less ones with third-party firmware on them, and we do not support Windows 7 as it is technically still in beta).

Comments

[jimbojones.livejournal.com]

Ecktually, Windows 7 has already hit RTM, and the RTM is already available to Software Assurance customers.

[demented-pants.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but our students are categorically not going to be Software Assurance customers.

[manuka.livejournal.com]

however, your support organization should be using the RTM to get up to speed with Win7 so that when the moronic masses do get it, you have some semblance of clue (or can fake it reasonably well) when you get the call at 6am on Oct. 22.

[thecrazyfinn.livejournal.com]

Which so isn't how any support organization supporting consumers actually works. Some manager might get Win7 in Q1 2010 with documentation finally arriving in time for the fall 2010 semester.

Of course calls will start at the aformentioned 6Am Oct 22 time.

[manuka.livejournal.com]

Wow, you guys are expecting to get it in early, then?

[thecrazyfinn.livejournal.com]

Lets just leave it at I have a healthy disregard for how quickly large organizations can move, even when provided with plenty of warning.

Thankfully I don't personally support end-users.

[demented-pants.livejournal.com]

Our RTM version hasn't reached the support provider site yet; I know because I checked last night.

[hisamishness.livejournal.com]

I already have 7 versions setting on my HD, including Home Basic. (I just want to see it) The first install has already happened in a VirtualBox VM.

Oh, and at work, the RC has been seeded to support for months. It's kind'a cool.

[demented-pants.livejournal.com]

Lucky. I'm still using the RC, and it doesn't play nice with my video card.

[hisamishness.livejournal.com]

Want the RTM? I can FTP it somewhere.... but you'll have to come up with your own codes. Which version?

[demented-pants.livejournal.com]

64-bit ultimate would kick some serious ass.

[hisamishness.livejournal.com]

Do you have an FTP site I can shove it to? amishbill crankylabs.com <-- put details there if you like

[demented-pants.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, the only high-capacity storage I have access to is through the university, and I don't think they'd appreciate me giving you my login info.

[hisamishness.livejournal.com]

darn corporate overlords

Don't they know that data yearns to be FREE!?!

Shoot me an email anyway. I'll reply to it with the address from which you can DL the file ... once it finishes uploading. (about 3:30 from now)

[manuka.livejournal.com]

Since it's already hit MSDN, Chances are the CS department and students also hav access to it through academic alliance.

[codeman38.livejournal.com]

Nope-- at least on my account at the University of Georgia, MSDNAA still only has the RC.

[demented-pants.livejournal.com]

Yeah. We do MSDNAA a little funky here at IU - we have another software distribution site where pretty much everyone has access to everything. Being not a CS kid, I don't know if they have seperate MSDNAA privileges but I haven't heard of anything to that effect from any of my CS coworkers.

We also get free Adobe software. :D

[manuka.livejournal.com]

I guess it's off to BitTorrent with you, then!

[siliconshaman.livejournal.com]

You know... I think I would've carefully told him that we could not possibly help him because we don't support etc etc...and then tried to help him anyway.

Savvy users are to encouraged, even if you have to bend the rules..

[demented-pants.livejournal.com]

That was basically what we did.