| Author |
Examples of dumb smart people
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| curiousgeorge 2005-01-20, 3:00 am |
| I work at a university. TWO TIMES this week two different college professors asked me to look at their printers. Keep in mind, these are people who have PhD's. Both professors said their printers don't work at all.
"No matter what I try, nothing will print!"
Resolution: The printer was turned off.
I pressed the power button and while ALL of the print jobs started spitting out of the printer, I just walked out of the office without saying a word.
I can't believe it happened twice in one week.
It gives so much credence to the phrase:
I can. Therefore, I do. I cannot. Therefore, I teach. | |
| enforcer 2005-01-20, 9:27 am |
| Confusion says: It is not the Professors of a University that have the power, but those that work behind the scenes do.
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| Setht37 2005-01-20, 12:08 pm |
| I know what you mean, I work at a community college and I get tech support calls like that all the time. I have had an instructor who teaches intro to computer classes call for easy tech support issues. | |
| JimmyD 2005-01-20, 3:54 pm |
| quote:
Originally posted by curiousgeorge
I pressed the power button and while ALL of the print jobs started spitting out of the printer, I just walked out of the office without saying a word.
If you don't mind a bit of constructive criticism, that was not a smart move on your part. You probably made two of your customers mad, and they will probably complain as high in your chain of command as possible.
Unfortunately, such an attitude is common among techies, and I have been just as guilty in the past, but, even if you don't see it, it will affect pay and promotions. | |
| everetjo 2005-01-20, 5:43 pm |
| look at it this way... if they were technically talented, you wouldn't have the same job security. | |
| Kasor 2005-01-22, 11:30 pm |
| Happen all the time... | |
| marathoner 2005-01-23, 3:16 pm |
| Those professors are paid to know wanky head stuff like mating habits of two finned zebrafish or whatever, not to know how to turn on a printer. Turning on a printer is obvious to you because that is your job. Not knowing how to turn on a printer doesn't show that they are stupid, just ignorant (and possibly phobic) of that particular area. It's very natural and obvious to me how to sing on pitch but I don't think people who can't are stupid. This kind of thinking is putting yourself down. Be glad you know stuff they don't want to be bothered to know. That's why you have a job. They asked you to do your job and you did it. Do it with a smile and you'll move ahead faster.  | |
| hwg103 2005-01-24, 10:13 am |
| I was in a networking class and a professor explained to me the ATM was a MAC machine | |
| curiousgeorge 2005-01-24, 11:30 am |
| lol
before I was in IT, I was a branch manager at a bank. I can assure you ATM's are not Macs (if that's the ATM you're referring to). ATM's are dummy terminals connected to the main network. They're about as sophisticated as a network printer.
What I always think is so amuzing is the professors in our Computer Science department always need help with their computer problems.
I visited one professor and he thought I was a student, so he acted real arrogant and said "What do want and why are you blocking my doorway?" I just told him "I'm here for what you want... to fix your computer."
The entire time I was in his office he kept apologizing.
The sad part about that is he thinks because he's a professor, that he has free reign to act arrogant.
It's a different ballgame working at a university. You have to put up with arrogance from ignorant people. You don't get the same respect as corporate environments. | |
| evilkid 2005-01-25, 2:33 pm |
| you guys just reenforced my thinking on colleges and universities. i don't wanna go. not where the instructors are arrogent and ignorant at the same time. thanks for the heads up guys  | |
| hwg103 2005-01-25, 3:34 pm |
| It's not that all professors are dumb. I prefer professors that have some backgorund in IT, not the ones that are tenured and only have book knowledge of how things work. | |
| onoski 2005-01-26, 8:31 am |
| I know relate to exactly what your experience was like with the printer and the professors. As someone rightly said if these don't occur in the workplace then as ITiers we'd be out of a job. The exciting world of IT, I just love all the attentions and especially when users think your a genius for resolving a computer related person. | |
| prezbedard 2005-01-27, 12:34 am |
| an end user is an end user no matter how "smart" they are
BOW END USER BOW!!!!
muhaahaaaa!!!! | |
| enforcer 2005-01-27, 5:38 am |
| quote:
Originally posted by prezbedard
an end user is an end user no matter how "smart" they are
BOW END USER BOW!!!!
muhaahaaaa!!!!
Any particular reason you want them to leave their upper half over with their rear in the air? | |
| evilkid 2005-01-27, 11:07 am |
| Now thats a visual I could have gone without. But then again, there are some pretty female professors......I hope. LOL. | |
| prezbedard 2005-01-27, 9:07 pm |
| quote:
Originally posted by enforcer
Any particular reason you want them to leave their upper half over with their rear in the air?
go ahead twist aweay Mr Confusion!!
DO your BEST!!!! | |
| centory 2005-01-28, 6:06 am |
| The fact of the matter is that those people have no connon sense. You should have said something nice, so as not to make the customer feel foolish. Since they said they tried everything, in my mind you had a right to be annoyed but try not to let the customer see that. | |
| curiousgeorge 2005-01-28, 6:18 am |
| OK I fibbed.
The first professor it happened to, I didn't want them to look stupid. So I just said "There you go!" and walked away. But she kept asking how I fixed it, so I finally told her "I turned it on." and walked away.
The second time it happened that week. I just turned on the printer, let it print, smiled and walked out.
I've been working with these professors for a couple of years. They know when they've done something stupid, and sometimes I just don't need to put it into words.
I had a professor today call me FIVE TIMES about his email password. Now keep in mind, I don't take care of our email servers or email accounts.
Here's how it went down:
Professor calls me and says he can't remember his email password.
I tell him he needs to call the Helpdesk so they can reset it for him.
He says he wants me to call because he doesn't know what he's doing.
I call the Helpdesk and get the password reset and I tell him his new password.
He WRITES IT ON A SHEET OF PAPER.
ONE HOUR LATER he calls and says he forgot his new password.
I told him to look on the paper because he wrote it down.
ANOTHER HOUR LATER he calls me again saying he can't remember the password.
I tell him to look on his sheet of paper because he wrote it down.
AND HE STILL CALLS ME TWO MORES TIMES.
Some days I just have to laugh. | |
| centory 2005-01-28, 7:20 am |
| I just have to say this and thanks for the laugh by the way. That Guy is not a professor, he has to be faking. No one can have a PHD and be that stupid, thats impossible! | |
| evilkid 2005-01-28, 5:54 pm |
| I don't know about that. I've seen people with PHDs and still be lacking in some departments. The problem is, they focus on one area and let the others go to crap. So maybe he's the best in his department, but when it comes to other things, he could be a 2 year old child. | |
| prezbedard 2005-01-28, 9:15 pm |
| sometimes I'm called over to resolve an issue and as soon as I arrive the problem disappears. |
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