Computer Stupidities

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Neil Jones
Posts: 661
Joined: Thu 11 Sep, 2003 20.03
Location: West Midlands

(lifted from the site's introduction)

The following is a large collection of stories and anecdotes about clueless computer users. It's a baffling phenomenon that in today's society an individual, who might in other circumstances be considered smart and wise, can sit down in front of a computer screen and instantly lose every last shred of common sense he ever possessed.

Couple of examples from the site:

(paraphrased)
Customer: "I got this problem. You people sent me this install disk, and now my A: drive won't work."
Tech Support: "Your A drive won't work?"
Customer: "That's what I said. You sent me a bad disk, it got stuck in my drive, now it won't work at all. ... The disk got stuck in the drive and wouldn't come out. So I got these pliers and tried to get it out. That didn't work either."
Tech Support: "You did what sir?"
Customer: "I got these pliers, and tried to get the disk out, but it wouldn't budge. I just ended up cracking the plastic stuff a bit."
Tech Support: "I don't understand sir, did you push the eject button?"
Customer: "No, so then I got a stick of butter and melted it and used a turkey baster and put the butter in the drive, around the disk, and that got it loose. Then I used the pliers and it came out fine. I can't believe you would send me a disk that was broke and defective."
Tech Support: "I need you to boot the computer."
Customer: (THUMP! Pause.) "No, that didn't help."
http://www.rinkworks.com/stupid is the web address.
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Pete
Posts: 7631
Joined: Fri 15 Aug, 2003 13.36
Location: Dundee

course there's always the old classic

"how do i turn it on?"
"He has to be larger than bacon"
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rts
Posts: 1637
Joined: Fri 15 Aug, 2003 14.09

And who can forget Homer Simpson's classic.

Press any key? Where's the any key??
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Chris
Posts: 845
Joined: Fri 15 Aug, 2003 19.03
Location: Surrey

Hymagumba wrote:course there's always the old classic

"how do i turn it on?"
I was using the copier at college the other week and could not figure why the damn thing didn't switch on. I kept on jabbing the power 'on' button on the front panel in the hope that it would work (well, after all it did say power on it) after checking round the back for a switch and ensuring that the thing was plugged in and switched on at the wall.

I went up to the desk and asked for help as the thing didn't appear to be working, and guess what ... there was a big-ish red switch on the front that you had to flick to get it to switch on, and I had completely missed it. Sure enough, after the person behind the desk came and flicked it on, it worked. I felt rather embarrassed after it.

Just shows how useless I am with copiers! Has anyone else had a similar faux pas with technology? :oops:
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Cheese Head
Banned
Posts: 918
Joined: Fri 15 Aug, 2003 13.39
Location: Rockhampton, Australia

Photocopiers. I got a jam in the copier at DHL during work experience because I sent a small peice of paper through with some A4 paper, I just kept trying to put it through, I didnt even look through the weird feeder thingy 'till I thought it'd be a smart idea to ask.
» James »
I don't know my future after this weekend, and I don't want to
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russnet
Posts: 278
Joined: Tue 09 Sep, 2003 09.32
Location: Milton Keynes

I work in I.T. at the moment offering support to computer queries in the Pub and Hotel trade. Basically anything from their tills going down to the printers playing up.

So I never could explain the lady who rung up for support on how to use their microwave (!) One of many printed off onto the wall of stupidity in the office!
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hjr
Posts: 53
Joined: Fri 16 Apr, 2004 11.43
Location: Manchester Status: Back Online Outof10: 8

You have performed an illegal operation and this program will shut down

Me? I've broke no laws
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