Following directions: why is it so hard?

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

A student wanted help scanning her document. When I went into the lab, she had the instructions website pulled up, which was good...but the scanner was not plugged in to her computer. The scanner sits between two computers, and people plug it into whichever computer they need (which is handy, because sometimes the connected computer is being used).

Oh, it's going to be a long shift. When my evening also starts with an email from my mom asking that I give my sister email instructions on creating a spreadsheet (without even telling me what applications she has), I know it will be a long night.

On a slightly related note, my thesis adviser wants me to use Excel for statistics. Excel? When we have academic licenses for JMP and StatView? Whatever, I'll export the JMP file to xls for my thesis meetings.

Comments

[jecook]

::facepalms::

For the same reason I'm forced to put all my work orders into seperate word documents instead of oh, say, dumping the data into an excel spreadsheet or a quick n dirty access table.

::rolls eyes::

[prozacnation.livejournal.com]

I had a co-worker brag to me that when he went to job interview (that he's been bragging about for two weeks - makes me think he didn't get the job) he told the person interviewing them, he could set up a database for them.

Me: "Do you know Acess?"
Him: "No."
Other Co Worker: "Do you know MySQL?"
Him: "No."
Me: "Then how are you going to set up this Database?"
Him: "HTML!"

::blinks::
::facepalm::

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

I've known a few people who wanted to format their theses in HTML instead of using Word. (I should have suggested LaTeX...)

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

Nuclear as in nuclear explosions?

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

Oh, I get it now. (I've never heard that term before.) Personally, I find PDFs make things a lot easier (transferring files, assuring formatting gets across, printing), but to each their own irrational likes and dislikes.

I want to invoke this nuclear option on Word 2004, honestly. I hate having to tell people "yup, that's a known bug, and here's...yes, a workaround."

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

The way Acrobat and basically any browser interact strikes me as needlessly awkward. I generally download PDFs separately and open them in something else, like Preview or TeXShop.

I actually was helping a girl the other day insert graphics into Word, and she commented "Word sucks, doesn't it?" I told her I was glad she said that, because usually when I even allude to the issue being Word's fault, people get upset. (I'm sorry I don't have magic powers!)

Our campus uses primarily Macs, although 50% of our students have PCs and there are PCs in the library. As a result, my PC knowledge has dwindled to cleaning off the easier malware.

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

We require that students have SP2, a firewall set up, system update set to automatic and an antivirus (which we can provide) also set to automatic. We have a network registration system that will--but not currently--ID and isolate infected computers. Honestly, it seems that most viruses seem to be coming from files downloaded via p2p systems and I don't know precisely what measures NTS takes to control those besides capping bandwidth.

We have Appleworks installed on the lab computers, but the thesis template is not set up for Appleworks. There was a request to install Open Office but that got shot down for reasons I no longer remember.

My favorite Word bug is the "if the app has been running for hours and your document is over 15 pages, I will be rendered completely unable to save." We get lots of panicked seniors who can't save their theses because Word has been tacking changes onto the end of the file and now the file is too big to handle. Or at least that's how I understand the problem. They have to copy paste the document into a Text Edit file and quit Word. FUN times. (But at least it's there!)

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

At least, I'm pretty sure that Word 2004 has the memory leak. Word X definitely does. (I find that Firefox has a memory leak problem as well, but nothing that drastic.)

I'm very tempted to have the creation of an Appleworks template be my summer project, especially now that we have Appleworks on the lab boxes.

My favorite up to date story:
During orientation week, we give all the dorm parents a CD with the requisite PC care crap on it. As part of network registration, the kids have to agree that they will keep their antivirus up to date.
A month later, a kid calls in, irate because his enet jack has been turned off due to his infected XP box. I ask him to check when his virus defs were last updated, and bingo, they're four weeks old.
"This is all your fault!" He yells, "I used that CD you gave us! You should keep everything up to date!" And so on and so forth. (This kid was in my dorm once and complained the entire year about how he hated the school and was transferring. He never left.)
This was my first month on the job and I had never dealt with a pissed off student before. So I just stammered into the phone and was about to either cry or hang up in frustration when my boss hands me the requisite new version of the CD and I am able to tell him that he can come over any time to pick it up.

Er. Anyway.

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

because multiple documents mean multiple backups! really! Even though each document is different...aw man.

The logic of some people is often beyond me. Sometimes that's because it's over my head, but sometimes, it's because the thinker is on crack.

Re: ....

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

Well, it generally isn't an issue, but I just noticed that the instructions online don't include the words "check to make sure the scanner is connected." I'll suggest the change--and the switch--next time I'm working with a full-timer.

Actually, I really like my job. It's an engaging and useful way to yes, get my fws. I could have a more rote job like working in the bio stockroom or at the library circ desk, but I choose to stay here because I work with--and for--neat people, doing interesting things.

Re: ....

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

It may pay off to send an email to the Systems/Hardware manager about that stuff and CC your help desk manager on it.
Good tip, thanks. I think I know just who to talk to, then.

Re: ... (post kopfschmerzen)

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

Ok, now your FWS paragraph doesn't quite make sense. Actually, if one wants to get anecdotal and nitpicky, the few people who are bitchy and complain about their job at the desk aren't FWS.

Some student desk jobs at my school are notorious for having people who complain if you interrupt their homework. CUS usually doesn't have those people.

(A recent argument broke out on our livejournal about tipping bookstore and coffee shop workers, but that's another rant.)

Thanks for editing the comment though; now your point comes across more clearly and you don't seem like an asshole.

Re: ... (post kopfschmerzen)

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

You actually had people proof-read it? I'm impressed, you definitely felt serious about the comment.

In any case, the difference in attitude among workers probably has more to do with the people hiring than anything else: CUS student workers are chosen very carefully (and selected for people and tech skills) while most library and gym center jobs aren't, really. I think the circ desk is a position you only attain after gaining some seniority because you can do homework then, but people skills aren't necessarily a job requirement.

I could be wrong; I haven't worked in the library. (I did apply for my freshman year, but I didn't want to work more hours during finals.)

Re: ... (post kopfschmerzen)

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

Haha, at least you redeemed yourself.

I like being able to do homework while I sit at the desk and will admit to occasionally being frustrated when I get interrupted (especially when I'm right in the middle of a calculation), but taking it out on the student or resenting them for interrupting? Not okay.
(Also, that was an awkwardly long sentence, but I don't care.)

[jjjiii]

The scanner sits between two computers, and people plug it into whichever computer they need (which is handy, because sometimes the connected computer is being used).

This is perhaps the dumbest thing I've ever heard of. You'd think they could connect a multiport USB or Firewire hub and have both computers connected to it at the same time. Of course if both tried to control the scanner at the same time they'd probably crash, but sharing a resource like that is pretty dumb.