an hour and a half that I'll never get back

[anivair.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure that I can even convey the inanity that we have just been through, but I'll try.

codedigital and I were scheduled for a conference call with a client of ours. I and the SysAdmin here an he as the head tech “dood” for our ftp site (he has more direct access than I do at least).

The client has been unable to access out ftp site. They are using a Brand X program to transfer these files. it will not allow them (they way) to use passive ftp transfers, so they are restricted to active.

They requested this call.

codedigital had already tested active ftp on his side and saw that it was working just fine. We concluded that the problem was probably their firewall.

We get on the phone with “John” and “Bob” (names may or may not have been changed to protect the “innocent”). The call goes a bit like this (I'm paraphrasing)

Me: howdy. This is Joe. I have codedigital on the line. Anyone there?
John: Sure, this is John. Bob's here as well.

silence for a bit

Me: So, guys. Let's get going. codedigital, is there anything you need to know before getting started?
codedigital: Not really.
John: See, we can't send files.
Me: right.

We then sit for a while while John and Bob fiddle with something. (meanwhile on our end we're doing some firewall work back and forth and trying to get the problem solved from another angle)

After quite a bit we ask if the “Active Y” flag in their screen might not refer to active ftp.

John: I think that means it's an active process.
Me: Well, can we switch it to No and try it out?
John: I'll send you a screen shot. We just tried to send a file.

So I wait for John' screen shot. It takes about ten minutes to come through my email during which time we get just about no talking on the phone.

His screen shot finally comes though. I'd say 35% of it was actually useful and the rest was blank screen space. In bitmap format. It was huge. needlessly huge. I sent it over to codedigital in jpg after clipping out the crap. much faster.

Another 15 minutes goes by while we're waiting for them to try this. codedigital asks what the hell is going on over there.

Me: Guys, did we find out if that active flag did any good?
John: should I go ahead and try that?

codedigital and I: respective heads hit respective desks

He tries that. No good. Not shocked since Brand X software blows.

We sit for another 20 minutes or so. In the background we can regularly hear pieces of conversation between John and Bob. Things like . . .

John: people always ask me why I use Microsoft and I'm so big on it n'all but I'll tell you what, we got a small department here and it jus works. Jus a couple three weeks ago I bought some programs myself . . .

(couplethree weeks?)

So basically, we got the Microsoft argument while we were trying to do work. Very nice. It was also clear by listening to John that he as not what we might call savvy.

So after an hour I get Brand X on the phone (finally). Conversation goes like this . . .

Woman: Brand X.
Me: Hi, this is Joe calling from myplace. I've got a client on the phone and they're having some trouble with Brand X so I have a quick question for you, it's pretty basic.
Woman: So are you interested in buying Brand X?
Me: . . . umm. . . well, we already bought it. I was just wondering what sort of capabilities it has regarding passive ftp transfer.
Woman: pass what?
Me: passive ftp?
Woman, let me let you talk to Lady.

... hold...

Lady: . . . is Lady may I help you?
Me: gives info again.
Lady: So do you want to buy Brand X?
Me: *
Me: . . .
Me: . . . no.
Lady: they'll have to get their account rep on the line (hangs up)

SO I finally call him. he's out. So I call some other guy. he has no idea. he says he'll get back to me with an email in ten minutes.

Almost an hour passes.

In all this time we still have John and Bob on the phone and they still are not saying anything.

Me: Guys, how's it coming over there.
John: uhh. . . I'm just playin around with some stuff.

(some stuff?)

More time passes. This is looking hopeless.

Me: John, when you create these files you send us can you just put them on a PC of a file server?
John: Well, that's just one more thing on my list of things to do.
Me: umm . . . before you email us those files. Where are they?
John: my desktop.
Me: . . . uh huh. SO why don't you download an ftp manager (I recommended ftpcommander) and use that? I can send you the configuration.
John: well, I'll have to do the download and the install . . .
Me: I'll just send you a link.

I did so.

Call sort of ended after another ten minutes.

So basically that was an hour and a half of my life for five minutes of conversation. And the problem? Odds are their firewall is blocking active ftp, but there was nothing even looked at regarding that. It was like talking to glue.

Comments

[teriwyn.livejournal.com]

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy~~~~~~?
This is a beautiful, loving example of why conference calls make me want to bash my head repeatedly into a brick wall. Because, you know... that's ultimately more productive.

(And as a side note, it almost sounds like a stinkin' command line FTP built into the freakin' Windows OS has more capacity than this "brand X" crap.)

[anivair.livejournal.com]

you are so many kinds of correct . . .