Friday, May 4, 2007

 Hey,

 Hey, plastic is plastic, right?-Computerworld
Home   (Related)  Home
News   (Related)  News
E-mail Newsletters   (Related)  E-mail Newsletters
Tech Dispenser   (Related)  Tech Dispenser
Shark Bait  (Related)  Shark Bait
Back In The Day   (Related)  Back In The Day
Boss Ahoy!   (Related)  Boss Ahoy!
Floundering Users   (Related)  Floundering Users
Miscellaneous Bait   (Related)  Miscellaneous Bait
News Bait   (Related)  News Bait
Office Politics   (Related)  Office Politics
Q&A   (Related)  Q&A
Sinking Projects   (Related)  Sinking Projects
Tricks Of The Trade   (Related)  Tricks Of The Trade
Video   (Related)  Video
Suggest a Topic   (Related)  Suggest a Topic
Submit a Bait   (Related)  Submit a Bait
Register   (Related)  Register
Login   (Related)  Login
FAQ   (Related)  FAQ
Top Baits & Big Fish   (Related)  Top Baits & Big Fish
Invite a Friend   (Related)  Invite a Friend
SharkTank   (Related)  SharkTank
Knowledge Centers  (Related)  Knowledge Centers
Operating Systems  (Related)  Operating Systems
Networking & Internet  (Related)  Networking & Internet
Mobile & Wireless  (Related)  Mobile & Wireless
Security  (Related)  Security
Storage  (Related)  Storage
Business Intelligence  (Related)  Business Intelligence
Servers & Data Center  (Related)  Servers & Data Center
Hardware  (Related)  Hardware
Software  (Related)  Software
Development  (Related)  Development
Careers  (Related)  Careers
Management  (Related)  Management
Government  (Related)  Government
Opinion/Blogs  (Related)  Opinion/Blogs
Webcasts   (Related)  Webcasts
Podcasts   (Related)  Podcasts
White Papers   (Related)  White Papers
Computerworld Reports   (Related)  Computerworld Reports
Zones  (Related)  Zones
RSS Feeds   (Related)  RSS Feeds
Events   (Related)  Events
Print Subscriptions   (Related)  Print Subscriptions









See your link here  (Related) 





 Subscribe to our e-mail newsletters

 For more info on a specific newsletter, click the title. Details will be displayed in a new window.
Computerworld Daily News (First Look and Wrap-Up)  (Related) Computerworld Blogs Newsletter  (Related) The Weekly Top 10  (Related) 
More E-Mail Newsletters   (Related) 
 Subscribe to
Computerworld

 
40 years of the most authoritative source of news and information for IT leaders.


 May 4, 2007
 Hey, plastic is plastic, right?



 This pilot fish does general tech support for a small, family-owned business that makes avionics equipment.




 
"For some reason we had very high turnover in our administrative assistant positions, particularly the front desk receptionist," says fish. "We would get someone in for a month or two, she would leave, and the temp agency would send over a new one.




 
"After training two or three people on how to use the laser printer, fax machine and copier, I eventually gave up on training and started just making their copies and sending their faxes if they needed help."




 
It's also the receptionist's job to order office supplies. So when one of the sales reps uses up the last of the transparencies for a big presentation, she orders transparencies -- or thinks she does, anyway.




 
What arrives instead is a box of clear plastic report covers. The receptionist makes do the best she can: She uses a paper cutter to slice each report cover in two, stacks them neatly and puts them in the transparencies box that the sales rep has recently emptied.




 
And how does fish learn about this? The hard way.




 
"She came to me because a sales rep called and asked her to make some transparencies and overnight them to his hotel," fish says. "He hadn't left her an electronic copy of his presentation, just a printed copy.




 
"Not knowing how to make copies onto anything other than the paper already loaded into the copier, she brought me the presentation and a stack of 'transparencies' and asked me to set up the copier for her."




 
Fish loads the 'transparencies' into the manual paper tray, puts the presentation in the feeder and hits the start button. The first page feeds in, the copier makes a  glub  sound -- and then goes silent.




 
What kind of transparencies were those? fish asks receptionist. She stammers and finally runs to the supply room to "check."




 
Fish opens the copier. The plastic report cover has melted -- it's still liquid to the touch. Fish unplugs the copier, hangs an "Out of Order" sign on it, and lets it sit overnight.




 
"By morning, the plastic had cooled and I was able to pull it out as a single chunk," says fish. "In the end the copier was no worse for wear.




 
"The receptionist, however, was convinced she had destroyed the copier, and never came back to work. I called the sales rep and explained what happened, and he found a copy shop near his hotel and got his transparencies made. I still don't know why he couldn't have done that in the first place.




 
"And I wrote notes all through the office supply catalog instructing any future receptionists to check with tech support before ordering  any  printing or copying supplies."



 Submit your own true tales of IT life to sharky@computerworld.com  (Related)  sharky@computerworld.com . If Sharky uses it, you'll snag a snazzy Shark Tank shirt! .



 Have a similar experience? Then add your comments  (Related)  add your comments  to the daily Shark Tank blog!



 Join Shark Bait

 If you love Shark Tank, you'll have fun with Shark Bait, a place where you can really tear apart IT. Submit your own tech-related "baits" for points, or rate other baits. Leave comments, build your profile, and try to become one of the "big fish." Visit the Shark Bait site  (Related)   to get started.

 April 30, 2007
Unclear on the Concept  (Related)  Unclear on the Concept



 This company uses BlackBerry devices for remote e-mail, and also allows remote e-mail access via the Web. So what's the logical way for an Internet-capable BlackBerry to get e-mail? Read More   (Related) 

 May 1, 2007
It's absurd! It's insane! It's ... tech support!  (Related)  It's absurd! It's insane! It's ... tech support!



 User calls for help with her check-sorting machine -- it keeps indicating a jam, but no jammed checks can be found. The IT support guy can't find a problem either, so he calls in his boss. Read More   (Related) 

 May 2, 2007
Lost and found  (Related)  Lost and found



 Pilot fish gets a trouble ticket from a user who says she's not receiving e-mail from a particular customer. Fish dutifully searches the mail log files -- and can't figure out what she's talking about. Read More   (Related) 

 May 3, 2007
See if you can spot the ones having problems  (Related)  See if you can spot the ones having problems



 This manufacturing plant outsources a simple assembly job to a "sheltered workplace," where the work will be done by people with mental disabilities. And when do the problems start? Read More   (Related) 


April 23, 2007
  (Related) 


April 16, 2007
  (Related) 


April 09, 2007
  (Related) 


April 02, 2007
  (Related) 


March 26, 2007
  (Related) 


March 19, 2007
  (Related) 


March 12, 2007
  (Related) 


March 05, 2007
  (Related) 

 Select Week February 26, 2007 February 19, 2007 February 12, 2007 February 05, 2007 January 29, 2007 January 22, 2007 January 15, 2007 January 08, 2007 January 01, 2007 December 26, 2006 December 18, 2006 December 11, 2006 December 04, 2006 November 27, 2006 November 20, 2006 November 13, 2006 November 06, 2006 October 30, 2006 October 23, 2006 October 16, 2006 October 09, 2006 October 02, 2006 September 25, 2006 September 18, 2006 September 11, 2006 September 05, 2006 August 28, 2006 August 21, 2006 August 14, 2006 August 07, 2006 July 31, 2006 July 24, 2006 July 17, 2006 July 10, 2006 July 03, 2006 June 26, 2006 June 19, 2006 June 12, 2006 June 05, 2006 May 30, 2006 May 22, 2006 May 15, 2006 May 08, 2006 May 01, 2006



Join SharkBait today  (Related)  , and offer a few of your own IT war stories. Then tee
off about troublesome technologies, clueless consultants, bungling bosses and useless users.
SharkBait home page 
  (Related) 
Post a story now 
  (Related) 
Endpoint Security Virtual Conference  (Related) 



See more Webcasts   (Related) 
 The Poll of the Week:



 Poll: 

Did your last Windows PC come packed with unneeded junk applications?

 Yes, and I promptly removed them Yes, but I'm not sure what I can safely delete No, it didn't No, I use Mac OS X or Linux
See all Computerworld Polls  (Related)  See all Computerworld Polls
 Subscribe to the Daily Shark e-mail newsletter

 
A chuckle a day right to your inbox, courtesy of Sharky's many intrepid pilot fish.

 E-MAIL
 Clueless Consultants? Bungling Bosses? Useless Users?

 
Tell me your tale. If it gets published you get a sharp Shark shirt.

Submissions   (Related)  Submissions

Shark Tank FAQ   (Related)  Shark Tank FAQ
 Hungry for some Shark?

 
Get your fill with our Shark Tank RSS feed

Get the Shark Tank RSS feed   (Related)  Get the Shark Tank RSS feed
 Why So Many People Are Making the Move to Internet Fax
 
Businesses are adopting Internet fax services at a record rate. Why? Read about improved productivity, performance, privacy, security, and regulatory compliance — plus dramatic cost savings.

Download this white paper   (Related)  Download this white paper 
 Replacing Your Fax Server with Outsourced Internet Fax
 
The number of organizations choosing to replace their fax server with an outsourced internet fax service is on the rise. Read why and what to consider when you do.

Download this white paper   (Related) 

 
Download this white paper 
  The Unseen Leak: Faxes in the Era of Sarbanes-Oxley

 This white paper examines the issues surrounding faxing in a SOX context, and how companies can use Internet faxing technologies to plug a leak they may not even realize they have.
Download this white paper   (Related) 

 
Download this white paper 

Manage your time, power and resources with the HP BladeSystem
  (Related)  Manage your time, power and resources with the HP BladeSystem




3PAR's On Demand Webcast featuring BEST PRACTICES STORAGE AWARD FINALIST
  (Related)  3PAR's On Demand Webcast featuring BEST PRACTICES STORAGE AWARD FINALIST




CA's Identity and Access Mgmt - for security without question.
  (Related)  CA's Identity and Access Mgmt - for security without question.




White Paper: Securing Virtualized Infrastructures
  (Related)  White Paper: Securing Virtualized Infrastructures




Secure your mobile workforce - Nomad Mobility Platform by Trellia
  (Related)  Secure your mobile workforce - Nomad Mobility Platform by Trellia




Tumbleweed offers an easier way to secure your messaging.
  (Related)  Tumbleweed offers an easier way to secure your messaging.




What is the advantage of TechNet Plus Direct? Full-version software for evaluation, exclusive software tools such as Microsoft® System Center Capacity Planner, and even more advantages- Subscribe now!
  (Related)  What is the advantage of TechNet Plus Direct? Full-version software for evaluation, exclusive software tools such as Microsoft® System Center Capacity Planner, and even more advantages- Subscribe now!




Café Belmondo Artisan Roasted Coffee: Try Café Belmondo Coffee and Receive a Free Melitta 10 Cup Thermal Coffee Maker and a Package of La Tempesta Biscotti, when you buy 2 Bags of Artisan Roasted Coff
  (Related)  Café Belmondo Artisan Roasted Coffee: Try Café Belmondo Coffee and Receive a Free Melitta 10 Cup Thermal Coffee Maker and a Package of La Tempesta Biscotti, when you buy 2 Bags of Artisan Roasted Coff




Check out a Webcast on Web conferencing security best practices.
  (Related)  Check out a Webcast on Web conferencing security best practices.




Save 69% on Omaha Steaks and get 2 FREE gifts!
  (Related)  Save 69% on Omaha Steaks and get 2 FREE gifts!




Computerworld Executive Briefing: The Untethered Worker. A $195.00 value for free, for a limited time!
  (Related)  Computerworld Executive Briefing: The Untethered Worker. A $195.00 value for free, for a limited time!




Computerworld Executive Briefing: Virtual Reality. A $195.00 value for free, for a limited time!
  (Related)  Computerworld Executive Briefing: Virtual Reality. A $195.00 value for free, for a limited time!




SAN/iQ: Enabling Technology for Effective VMware Deployments
  (Related)  SAN/iQ: Enabling Technology for Effective VMware Deployments




Try Sun servers, workstations and storage products free for 60-days.
  (Related)  Try Sun servers, workstations and storage products free for 60-days.




Computerworld Exec IT Summit Webcast: Securing the Enterprise Infrastructure from Wireless Threats
  (Related)  Computerworld Exec IT Summit Webcast: Securing the Enterprise Infrastructure from Wireless Threats




Live Webcast: How a CMDB Drives IT-Business Alignment
  (Related)  Live Webcast: How a CMDB Drives IT-Business Alignment




Contra Costa County Public Works Department uses Palm® Treo smartphones to increase field worker efficiency
  (Related)  Contra Costa County Public Works Department uses Palm® Treo smartphones to increase field worker efficiency




Russell Investment Group delivers wireless email to a distributed, global workforce
  (Related)  Russell Investment Group delivers wireless email to a distributed, global workforce




Gartner Webinar: WAN Acceleration Scalability Requirements
  (Related)  Gartner Webinar: WAN Acceleration Scalability Requirements




Register now for an Exclusive Entrust Webinar: A Revealing Look at Fraud Detection and Authentication
  (Related)  Register now for an Exclusive Entrust Webinar: A Revealing Look at Fraud Detection and Authentication




TechNet: More ways to know it, share it, and keep it running.
  (Related)  TechNet: More ways to know it, share it, and keep it running.




TechNet: More ways to know it, share it, and keep it running.
  (Related)  TechNet: More ways to know it, share it, and keep it running.




Access the SOA Resource Center for a wide range of SOA-related analyst reports, white papers, standards and best practices.
  (Related)  Access the SOA Resource Center for a wide range of SOA-related analyst reports, white papers, standards and best practices.




Best Practices: Architecting a Better Network Storage Solution
  (Related)  Best Practices: Architecting a Better Network Storage Solution




Demystifying the Anti-Spam Buzz
  (Related)  Demystifying the Anti-Spam Buzz




Fighting Spam in an ISP Environment: Challenges, Solutions, and Best Practices
  (Related)  Fighting Spam in an ISP Environment: Challenges, Solutions, and Best Practices




Nine Steps to Effective Networked Unified Storage Consolidation
  (Related)  Nine Steps to Effective Networked Unified Storage Consolidation




Endpoint Security Virtual Conference: Protecting data at the edge of your network. Register now!
  (Related)  Endpoint Security Virtual Conference: Protecting data at the edge of your network. Register now!




TechNet Plus Direct : Subscribe and see all of the advantages
  (Related)  TechNet Plus Direct : Subscribe and see all of the advantages




Learn about the latest encryption and authentication technologies that will help to protect your organization!
  (Related)  Learn about the latest encryption and authentication technologies that will help to protect your organization!




Recovery-focused Data Protection: Research Shows Your Future Depends On It
  (Related)  Recovery-focused Data Protection: Research Shows Your Future Depends On It



About Us  (Related) Advertise  (Related) Contacts  (Related) Editorial Calendar  (Related) Help Desk  (Related) Jobs at IDG  (Related) Privacy Policy  (Related) Reprints  (Related) Site Map  (Related) 
IDG Network  (Related)  IDG Network :   
Computerworld  (Related) CIO  (Related) CSO  (Related) GamePro  (Related) GameStar.com  (Related) GamerHelp.com  (Related) IDG Connect  (Related) Infoworld  (Related)  IT Careers  (Related) JavaWorld.com  (Related) LinuxWorld.com  (Related) Macworld  (Related) MacCentral.com  (Related) Network World  (Related) PC World  (Related) Playlistmag.com  (Related) 
 
Copyright © 2007 Computerworld Inc. All
rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium
without express written permission of Computerworld Inc. is prohibited.
Computerworld and Computerworld.com and the respective logos are
trademarks of International Data Group Inc.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)