My gender clinic really left out some details

Some years ago our dodgy narcissist boss "acquired" a load of kit from an equally dodgy supplier. We reckoned they were shipping customer's RMAs to other customers without testing anything, hoping the next customer would not notice or figure out the problem. Something must have got mixed up with this scheme and we ended up with two large boxes of random kit meant for someone else.

Two items were motherboards, for the time two higher end "workstation" branded ones that had EVERYTHING. It's been a while now so I don't remember what exactly, but at least 6 SATA ports over two controllers, dual gigabit LAN, two or three PCI-E 16x as well as the usual stuff you would expect. Well beyond anything a lowly high street computer shop had seen before.

Almost salivating, boss whips out the pirated XP CD.

And its fucked. Half a dozen drivers refuse to install. Even one of the NICs, identical to the working one. No matter what we try they end up with the yellow triangle "!" warning in device manager.

Ah well. It is a dodgy RMA return. Let's try the other one.

Infuriatingly for the boss, this one has exactly the same problem. Exactly the same devices with the same errors.

He wants his freebies so bad, he's incensed that they both fail in the same way because it smells like a solveable problem, not a defect or damage that could be explained for one or the other.

Bit of background on boss. He stumbled into IT, never really had any plan to get into it and certainly not for the joy of it. It pays the bills. He mocked me and the other staff for our comptia and Microsoft certifications because he never needed all that pompous book learning and he runs his own business.

I have a look at it. Device manager is complaining about "not enough resources" or something to that effect. Thinking back to my A+ and the tedious memorising of IRQs I give it a go myself.

On the motherboard that has EVERYTHING, I disable Almost Everything in the BIOS. The second SATA controller, the NICs, audio, serial, parallel, every single feature unnecessary beyond keyboard, monitor, mouse, hard disk and optical drive. XP gets installed again and unsurprisingly every device is installed.

I reboot and enable a NIC. It works. Reboot and enable the second NIC, it works too! I keep going one by one until every device is installed without complaining. That explains why it was RMA'd if the first customers hadn't tried this. I'm feeling pretty shiny about it.

Boss isn't impressed. "It's too complicated, don't trust it, why do they make everything so hard??"

And that's the story of the two very expensive motherboards we got completely free that never got used until the business went bankrupt.

(I have no idea if it was IRQs or not, that's just the hunch I had about them "running out" when XP tried to install everything at once. It could be a fluke or an incorrect guess, but an educated one that was enough to get it working)

And honestly good for them. I regularly hurt my back and neck now I'm older.

Especially with some places post covid or for security setting the tills behind glass windows it looks awkward as fuck reaching and leaning even a small amount but for 8 hours 5 days a week or whatever the shift pattern. You really don't know what that does to you until it comes for you.

Those over 30 mainly still bag for me but with my physical health, I wouldn't last even half a day. I would have to refuse on those grounds and have no doubt I'd get it in the neck from some customers, and management.

I saw a bus being towed. Hitched up at the front so pulling a bus wheelie.

Also some years ago outside tesco there were people fixing the dodgy wheels on the trolleys. Breathtaking scenes.

My freezy wand (can't remember what its called) automatically froze something in the very top left of my farm. Any ideas?

Not the dialup chirping.

I once had two laptops on a bench side by side, different makes and models and different faults, nothing in common that might cause this. When I got them booted up to work on them, BOTH of them started making the same burbling XP noises I'd never encountered before.

This was back when Infrared was in use briefly as a data transfer method. Being slow and line of sight only it was soon made redundant by Bluetooth.

It turned out I'd accidentally aligned the IR ports just off center to each other and they were repeatedly failing and retrying to establish a link.

I, too, have a tale of someone convinced their PC was haunted. My grandmother asked me to take a look at her friend's computer. She had two problems.

One that the " and @ keys were swapped. I don't know why she mentioned that the last person who tried to fix it was American but that's an instant fix. No shade on Americans, you probably don't have much call to change keyboard settings to en-GB from Microsoft defaults.

The other was it would boot up at random times, day or night, and it would spook her. No rhyme or reason as to when. It was early on in my IT career so I was still geeking out over everything, every new motherboard I bought I'd be exploring every BIOS option before even thinking about installing an OS. One option I'd never had to use but had intrigued me was Wake On Ring. And she did have dialup.

Wake On LAN requires a Magic Packet or some other protocols. But I reasoned WOR might be simpler and the telco sending diagnostic pings that would trigger it (it's a long time ago, I never bothered to look it up or even if I thought to ask if the phone rang at the same time). This computer does indeed have a WOR option which I disable. We won't know straight away if it works so I say to let me know, which she does after a week and is confident it's stopped.

And that is my IT exorcism story to add to the pile. Does everyone have at least one eventually?

Ever have to leave a professional sounding note on a ticket that broadcasts to anyone reading it how rock fuck stupid the user has been?

"User attempting to install software over mobile hotspot, advised to use faster/more reliable connection"

Bob. Bob was a part of a team who did I'm not entirely sure what but it involved network/enterprise architect services for clients. Something like IT infrastructure design for companies without the resources to do it themselves.

Bob raises a ticket because he can't install a piece of software on his new laptop.

Me: "Hey Bob. You want XYZ software? It's deployed automatically"

Bob: "Yeah but it just won't install"

Me: "Logs say it's timing out, it exceeds the deployment window"

Bob: "I really need it though" such a helpful, worthwhile comment thank you Bob.

Me: "This usually takes like 15mins I don't know why it would go over an hour"

Bob: "I am on a pretty slow connection"

Me: "You're not onsite then? Are you at home?"

Bob: "Yeah"

Me: "On what, dialup?" At the time 8Mb ADSL was still very common and more than enough for this.

Bob, sounding a bit sheepish: "Err, well I'm actually using a 4G hotspot"

Me: "You're pulling [GBs] over a cellular network?? I hope you have a good contract deal"

Bob: "Work phone, not my problem"

Me: "Fair"

Bob and I have spoken many times and are familiar enough with each other for a little gentle ribbing.

Me: "Still, that's a pretty slow connection even for 4G"

Bob: "I don't get great reception here"

Me: "Can you move your phone around the house to see if you get a better signal?"

Bob: "Not really, its just a small cabin"

Me: "..cabin?"

Bob: "On me boat"

Me: "BOAT"

Bob: "Boat, aye"

Me: "Boat"

Bob: "Yeah I live on a boat" Waves, waves everywhere and constant drops in link.

Me: "Like, moored up at a docks?" I don't know the terminology. It's like a caravan park for boats.

Bob: "Yeah"

Me: "BOB. Come on you know better than this. Go to bloody starbucks or something. Hell it's 4pm go to the pub and ask for the wireless key" Like maybe Bob if you weren't LITERALLY FUCKING TETHERING you'd have a better experience.

Bob: "But it's nearly finished this time!"

Me: "You tried it more than once??"

Bob: "..."

Me: "Mate. You know what I'm going to tell you. I'm going to close this ticket. Let me know if you're still having problems over a decent connection"

Bob: "Sigh, yeah alright."

ffs, Bob

My first job in IT still haunts me for all the stupid shit we did while bragging about how great we were. Most of that coming from the boss who you could easily convince me invented narcissism himself.

Any way to bodge a job but still call it working was a success story. The boss would boast about finding little tricks to get around Microsoft best practice guides and saying you don't need all that fancy shit that's just a way for MCSEs to overcharge for support.

He had absolutely no interest in IT, it just happened to be the business he got into. He never kept up with anything and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he's still running XP for everything today.

A community center approached us for a job with two requests. Install Windows on about 20 PCs, all ancient beige towers with room for four optical drives. The second was to come up with a way to stop people stealing the RAM from them as they would pull off the blanking plates and reach inside.

They'd already tried hot melt glue but that's nothing a light kick won't solve. Our solution was to brick it up with a load of dead optical or CD-ROM only drives that were worthless, and when we ran out of those we had drive bay adaptors to fit those 3.5" card reader hubs that were partially blanked at the front. They looked so fucking bad, but being a charity with no funding to spare they went for it.

As for Windows, the boss approaches it within the limits of his knowledge. In goes the torrented XP CD with the license key I still remember off by heart.

Boss: "Fuck 'em they're a charity right? Do they have license money? No"

We get it up and running and then next comes the also torrented disk imaging software CD. We make a clone and image the rest.

We get a call a bit after the computers are collected. There's a problem getting them on the domain because they're all named "Computer01".

Boss: "So? Just rename them?"

They call back again, same problem still.

Boss: "We did what you asked, must be an issue with your domain"

As far as he's concerned he's been paid for work done, not his problem.

I, actually having an interest in an IT career do a bit of research. It's the only time I've ever had to know anything about it so it's hazy now all these years later but I think I figured out the PID (a unique identifier unrelated to the hostname) had been cloned so the domain would reject multiple computers claiming to be the same device.

I tell boss this. He does not call the community center to offer further support or solutions.

But narcissist that he is, he knows he's fudged the job. Rather than make things right with A FUCKING CHARITY he instead moans and whines for days about how Microsoft are money grubbing bastards and overcomplicating everything just so you have to do everything "their way" and rake in money through certification training and exams.

I noped out of the place after far too long there. I'm still in IT and been successful enough to learn just how BAAAAAD that business was, now I know enough to reflect. Still literally keeps me up at night sometimes.

I'm glad he went bankrupt.

And no it wasn't FCKGW or whichever one everybody asks.

Where i used to work we had a lot of Chinese students in the city, with varying degrees of skill with English. No problem, English is my main but also not my first language. This story is from about 20 years ago.

A customer comes in for help with their computer. I ask my troubleshooting questions to triage the problem.

"My computer can't connect to the Internet"

OK what happens when you try?

"Nothing"

At home, at work?

"At home"

Have you checked all the connections?

"Yes"

Restarted everything? PC, router?

"Yes"

Have you contacted your ISP?

"Yes"

And?

"No problem"

OK do you see link lights on the network socket?

"Yes"

Is it just websites? Are you having problems with email, MSN messenger or Skype or any other chat clients?

"Yes"

(We are at this for a good 10 minutes but I'll skip the unnecessary bits)

Have you tried a new network cable?

"Yes"

OK bring it in, we can test it here for you.

"Oh but it works in Starbucks"

What? You mean its a laptop? Wireless?

"Yes"

And you connect wirelessly at home too?

"Yes"

But you said.. the cable, the link lights?

"Yes"

And then it hits me. Waves of memories wash over me. My Japanese father talking to clients, head bobbing up and down constantly nodding and bowing.

"Hai, hai, hai, haaaa, hai, hai, kashikomarimashita"

Yes. Yes. Yes. Oh yes. Yes. Yes. I understand.

Yes in japanese doesn't necessarily mean "correct". We say it to show we're listening and being attentive, following the conversation. Yes doesn't always mean "yes that's right", it can means "yes please continue". And now I assume its similar in Chinese too. Like in English you might say "aw yeah! Aw hell yeah!" while listening to a story.

Right. Forget everything we've just said and start from the beginning.

Can you see your SSID in the list at home?

"Yes"

(Fuck. Thats on me)

And what name is your SSID in the list when you connect at home?

"[ISP]-XYZ123"

OK good and...

In our IT store had a few repeat timewaster customers. One in particular though I completely lost patience with. This young man just did not get things. No matter how many times or different ways we explained it. He would keep asking the same question over and over again, I believe some people do this deliberately, it's a tactic to wear people down until they just give you what you want to get you to go away. Or they don't like or won't take no for an answer on principle. This kid did not have that spark, whether the problem was technical or procedural or policy we could explain endlessly why he couldn't have what he wanted and the only thing he could comprehend was that.. he didn't have what he wanted. It wasn't even being offended that he was told "no", it was simply he had a problem, which was very much his problem, and it still wasn't solved.

So naturally it becomes my responsibility to help with his brilliant new business idea. From our previous interactions he had already lost Customer Service Voice privileges and it was straight to barely restrained disdain.

Kid: "Can you show me how to download movies and burn them to DVD without getting viruses?"

Me, already familiar with him yet still stunned by the audacity: "What? No?"

Kid: "But I don't know how to do it and I need you to show me how"

Me: "I.. you mean obtain copyrighted material through illegal channels to also illegally redistribute? For PROFIT?"

Kid: "Yes"

Me: "I'm not helping you break the law, no"

Kid: "But I don't know how to do it"

Me: "This isn't something I'm going to help you with, I'm not going to be complicit in this"

Kid: "But you're a computer shop I thought you would know how to do this"

Me, stupidly: "Yeah but I'm not going to show you"

As I type this I wonder how much shorter this story could have been if I'd just said none of us knew how. But this kid would absolutely have asked us to find out, in order to teach him.

Kid: "But that means I can't sell my DVDs"

Me: "Yes I guess it does, so is there anything ELSE you need?"

Kid: "Yeah"

Me: "..."

Kid: "I want you to help me burn movies to DVD"

I won't bore you with the half an hour we spent going round in circles with this. You've all had this conversation with someone in your life. You get the idea.

Eventually he leaves. For like an hour. Then he comes back.

Kid: "I still don't know how to burn my DVDs and I need you to help me"

Me: "I'm not going to do that for you, I told you all this earlier"

Kid: "But that means I don't know how to do it"

Me: "Yes that's right"

In my career I've found answering repeated "so won't you do this for me" questions by agreeing with them surprisingly effective. No apology, no customer service deflection or never say no to a customer approach after the third or fourth orbit on the merry go round. "So I can't have what I want?" Yes you are correct, I'm glad we are in agreement and we have arrived at this conclusion together.

Kid: "How am I going to sell DVDs then?"

Goddamnit. That usually works.

Me: "I don't know how many times I have to say this. I'm not helping you break the law"

Kid: "What if you just show me the burning DVDs bit?"

Me: "You've already told me what you plan to do with it. I'm not getting involved"

Kid: "I thought you'd know how to do this"

I honestly don't think he's bright enough to question my expertise to manipulate me into giving him what he wants. He's just stumbled dumbly into insulting me.

Me: "Look we are a computer sales and repair shop. We're not a training center. We sell IT equipment. If you have a problem with your computer you pay us to fix it. We do not teach people how to use their computer, it is not a service we provide"

Kid: "Oh I can pay you!"

MOTHERFU.... of god...

Me: "NOT. A. Service. We. Provide."

Eventually he leaves again. Half an hour later he's back again?!

Kid: "The guys in the shop nearby (our competitor) says I won't get viruses if I install linus"

Me: "You mean Linux"

WHY, WHY DID I ADMIT TO KNOWING WHAT HE MEANT?

Kid: "He said you don't get viruses on linus"

Me: "Ok"

Kid: "So can you show me how to do it on linus?"

Me: "Lin.. No, I've already told you countless times I'm not going to teach you how to break the law"

Kid: "But they said it would be better to do it on linus because you get loads of viruses from porn sites"

Me: "P.. PORN?? The movies you want to sell are PORN??"

Kid: "Yeah so I can sell them.."

Me: "I AM NOT TEACHING YOU TO BREAK THE LAW AND I AM NOT DISCUSSING PORNOGRAPHY WITH YOU"

Skip several more repetitions of this argument I won't bore you with verbatim.

Me, finally: "Look we're going round in circles. The answer is NO. You've wasted nearly two hours of my time and I'm not entertaining this any more"

Kid: "But the other guys said.."

Me: "THEN GO BACK TO THEM. I AM NOT GOING TO HELP YOU WITH THIS, OR NOW WITH ANYTHING ELSE. IF THEY SAID THEY KNOW "linus" GET THEM TO DO IT FOR YOU. GET OUT OF HERE, I'M REFUSING YOU SERVICE" x3 rounds of raised voices.

Finally he leaves, crossing the road looking back over his shoulder at me with a nasty scowl. After all these years still I remember looking away when I considered if I didn't break eye contact, he might actually get hit by a bus and blame me for it.

He came back the next day. I simply called the boss over and went on break.

I begged the boss to ban him but he said he didn't want to get into legal trouble for refusing to serve someone with a "mental illness".

What is?

"We need all the display screens on site to show channel XYZ immediately"

Holy shit why what happened?

"It's the England match!!"

.....what?

"It's the World Cup match England vs (I don't care)!!"

You want me to set every single display to tune in to a television station, in a commercial setting without the required license to do so, in place of the stat counters and statistics information they were installed for?

"Yes!!"

Sorry can't help you...

"You don't understand! If we don't display it everyone just watches on their phones secretly under their desk and productivity tanks! This is a morale booster and encourages (corporate newspeak for "we're a family"), we need you to do this HIGHEST PRIORITY!!!!!"

....I can't help you even if i wanted to. Try the Estates team, it's nothing to do with IT.

Fuck you you made me think something important had happened. I thought we'd declared war. Or the queen had died and we'd be getting another bank holiday.

Years ago we replaced our wireless network. It was.. fine, I guess. As a team we worked with the vendor to rip out the existing installation and install something much more comprehensive. I was asked to take on the BYOD part.

There's always going to be some bumps in the road with any project but you hope to work through with the supplier, as if you're travelling in the same direction to your goal.

I hit a roadblock.

We want to introduce shared tablets in one area. So we have a pool of devices people will use their domain logins for. In trialling this I come across a scenario that will become an issue. So I call their support.

Hi. We have these shared tablets for BYOD. We need to log off the previous user's wireless connection to prevent user2 from logging into the device without being authenticated for connection by user1.

"Yes no problem, user1 can just log out of the network"

Yes I understand that but user2 will not be able to.

"Anyone can log off"

The device locks after inactivity. The next person to use the device needs a way to authenticate to the network without using the previous user's network connection.

"Yes, they can log off"

But you have to log into the device to do that.

"Yes, then log off"

But then user2 is using user1's wireless authenticationed session.

"Yes you can log in to the device and disconnect from wireless, by logging off"

Which is a security risk. Users are not going to do that. Every user will log into the device and carry on with user1's wireless session.

"And they can log off any time"

(Are you fucking kidding me?) That is unacceptable. That is terrible security practice and is not an option. We need a way to force users to use their own credentials for both the device and the network.

"Yes they can log in to the device and log off the wireless"

No you don't understand the problem I'm describing.

"I understand completely. You want to log off user1's wireless session. Any user can log off"

But they will be using user1's network session to log into the device. It is not acceptable for any user to use another user's credentials for any purpose at any time.

(Repeat that last part three or four times in your head, to save having to read it)

I'm telling you, you don't understand the problem I'm describing.

"I understand perfectly, you simply need to log off..."

HOW? Without using user1's wireless session to log in? There is no way from the lock screen to disconnect or reauthenticate to the wireless network? How does user2 use their credentials to login without using user1's connected session??

"Well then user1 must log off the wireless"

And where (THE BASTARDING BASTARDING BASTARDING CUNTING FUCK) is user1, please?

"I'm sorry I don't understand"

Yes. I said as much several times. User1 returns the device to the pool without logging off. Lets assume they have gone home for the day and are unavailable. The next user must log into the wireless network with their own login before logging into the device.

"If user1 cannot log off wireless how can user2 connect without using user1's wireless session?"

That is exactly what I've been asking you this entire call.

"....OH!"

Well we got there in the end. By which I mean he finally figured out what I was saying. It's that long ago I don't remember the solution or if there even was one.

ronswansoniknowmorethanyou.gif

In a company run by absolute villains there was one team that seemed to treat incompetence as a goal. It was such a god awful place they couldn't keep staff and were constantly hiring, training and losing personnel. Someone told me their attrition rate was >100%. It broke my brain, they tried explaining that for every 10 people they hired 11 or more quit. I still don't understand how that is possible.

They are of course absolutely useless with their relationship with IT.

I set up a bunch of desks for them and test every single one. Each logs me in without any issue. Job done, signed off, and forgotten. Later a ticket comes in complaining none of them work. They've all fallen off the domain. Ok, annoying but it happens. I get them all rejoined, done, forgotten.

Later they complain it's happened again. The whole bunch. Weird. Fix, done, forget.

And yet another ticket comes in along with a complaint about how these computers never work and how IT can never get anything right and costing the company business and all the usual jabs designed to get the attention of higher ups. So I investigate.

"Windows needs to communicate with the servers once in a while or for security reasons they will lose their ability to connect with the network. This can be prevented by making sure they are in use at least once a month" or however I phrased it, through gritted teeth.

Yeah, no. They're losing their trust relationship because you can't retain staff long enough to seat them in the newer area. You want to keep the team together so the desks at one end of the room churn through new hires while the other end of the room don't get touched for months.

"Nothing ever works" well not without someone to operate them, no.

"My name's not really Sandy, you know. It's just good for business.”

449.6 hours play time. Ffs.

Hi all. Looking for advice, my fan died so I bought a replacement to find it's not the same model. It's too late for an eBay return now.

I have pretty much zero electrics knowledge beyond wiring a plug 15 years ago. I work in IT so "open it, move each wire one to one, one by one" didn't seem too challenging. But I have a two wire fan to replace a three wired one. I believe I lose the timer function?

So should I just buy the right one and go with Plan A? It's a small bathroom only about three times the size of the shower cubicle. I remember being told I would need more throughput than the cheap thing in place when I moved in. This one would only stay on as long as the light is on, is that right, so not expelling moisture for a while after use?

Should I still use this one but get it installed by a professional if it's not like for like? I've identified the breaker for the lights, have bought a voltage tester screwdriver thingy, will stand on a wooden stool and hold my belt behind my back with my left hand. That's all the safety awareness I have.

Thanks in advance. UK based if it makes a difference. "Image uploads appear to be down" in my lemmy app so apologies, will try to add photos later.

I've had a couple of articles come up for me like Darwin award winners walking into helium balloons while they're still being filled at ground level, or people walking into buildings (is it far underground?) and just asphyxiating before they realise.

How do these conditions come about? What about cave diving? Where do you get areas open to the environment where oxygen doesn't reach? I get with helium balloons the gas is being forcefully displaced. How else do you encounter oxygen absent scenarios?

Many years ago as you will soon see, we did a PC build for this customer. Nice guy, early 20s doing a minimum wage job and saving up for his first gaming rig. It wasn't absolute top of the line but it was more than I would have needed myself, definitely above mid tier.

The thing was he wanted to buy the parts one by one, as he could afford them. We tried HARD to talk him out of this, explaining he'd waste money that way as he bought each component at the current market cost when he could get it all cheaper buying everything at once once the prices had fallen, or use that money to get a higher spec for the same budget. But he was adamant, "no it's just not how I work, I can't save that much money without being tempted to spend a bit of it here and there. I know what I'm like, I can save enough for a part at a time but I'm just not going to save a large amount of money like that". Ok fair enough, we're all different and it's good to have self awareness.

So over the course of at least four months he comes in and pays for everything bit by bit. Might have been even longer. We put his parts aside in a slowly rising pile until it's finally all there. For the cost and time he's been waiting it's even worse than you are imagining. He wants the brand new Vista OS but he's also read up on it being flakey so he wants to dual boot with XP for stability, on separate disks. So he's saving up and paying for the second disk and second license, and a second labour charge for the work. If I remember right he wanted Vista Ultimate Edition too, not the cheaper Home version.

It's finally all there, he's giddy with a massive grin on his face with that final purchase. All we need to do is build it. On the bench it goes, XP on the first disk, Vista on the second. Drivers, Updates, etc etc and our QC. Computer goes back in the box for the case, and his peripherals go in a bag. Off he goes just delighted the day has finally come. In an hour he's going to enjoy the most powerful gaming experience hitherto of his life.

Annnnnnnd NOPE. In an hour he's on the phone with us. "I can't get it to work. It turns on but the mouse and keyboard don't do anything". Derp. He's being cool about it but we all knew how much he was looking forward to this. We suggest the obvious stuff to no avail. We're going to have to see this for ourselves and ask him to bring it in.

He's back the next day. We get it back on the bench and.. it works perfectly fine. Absolutely no issues at all. He's relieved, we double check he knows where to plug everything in, off he goes.

Only to call back the next day. It doesn't work again. But this time he's got news. It's working in XP, but not Vista. Ummmm..... I say we're really sorry but can he bring it back, but with his keyboard and mouse?

It's exactly as he describes. Totally fine in XP. Unresponsive with Vista. We plug in our cheap unbranded bench keyboard and mouse as well to investigate and see the yellow "!" triangles for his in device manager. His Microsoft keyboard and mouse. Identical hardware, proved functional by the dual boot, his Microsoft keyboard and mouse don't work with the premium shiny new Microsoft OS. Outstanding work, round of applause for them.

We try all we can do, which is essentially nothing. It's not a special keyboard, no extra function buttons or RGB lights or anything so there's no software or driver to try. It really is just a basic USB HID. It doesn't get more simple than this, it is how you computer, it is how you Operate the System. Precisely zero mention or help online can be found.

Sad and unsatisfactory, but we have nothing to try. We apologise and say we'll happily take it back in at some point in the future and see if any windows updates help or something. I don't remember what came of it in the end. He could still use XP and he accepted it, it was he himself who said he wanted to dual boot exactly because of the reputation Vista had. But none of us expected, like, the most fundamental requirement of using a computer to be a show stopper.

I think he ended up using his old peripherals from his other computer at least temporarily. But wow, Microsoft. You really outdid yourself raining on that kid's parade.

I've been meaning to ask, possibly its my lemmy app. I see the about for this community but no rules. I had some stories rejected from r/talesfromtechsupport. For example just mentioning NSFW requests from customers. Are we going by the reddit sub rules or are we OK for that here? Thank you.

I get a job for a department I've never visited before. I'm mostly access all areas so my card being rejected on the door tells me I'm in a specialist area. I explain I'm IT and get shown through to the right room by one of the staff there and I'm left to get on with it.

As I'm looking around I see one of those brainwave sensing hair nets. I know better than to touch anything but inside I am geeking tf out, giddy just being in the presence of tech I've only seen in Back To The Future and Ghostbusters. And what's this? An EM shielded room with a huge heavy metal door and frame? Soooooooo cooooooool!

Whatever it was I came to do I get done pretty quickly. But I notice the mouse cursor is shimmying and drifting to one side. I check the mouse, blow on it to clear anything that might be confusing the optics. Chase some cables, nothing fixes it.

It couldn't be, could it?

I don't quite go as far as closing my eyes and putting my fingertips to my temples like an X-Men character but I admit to staring at that brain mesh cap and thinking at it, REALLY HARD.

Nothing. I'm unworthy.

Eventually I find the real culprit. Some more wires pass through the wall into the EM shielded room where a second keyboard, mouse and monitor control the same PC. The mouse is resting on the keyboard in such a way the optics is hovering slightly above the flat surface of the table. Of course that's the problem.

But for a fleeting moment though, a fantasy came to life.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/post/29322896

Thank you Blaze. I'm having problems with my app right now so apologies if I don't reply, hopefully I will be able to see updates on my own post.

Hi, looking for current suggestions for home CCTV please.

It's been a while since I looked into it (and never actually proceeded to buying, so not had that experience). Ones I have used were for an employer and not administered by me.

One thing I know I don't want is some cheap dodgy thing that has a mandatory connection to a suspicious Chinese IP address only website they couldn't even be bothered to register a domain for.

Probably goes without saying here any Google or Amazon type kit will be unacceptable but ideally it will be truly closed circuit. No online services, local VLAN or VPN access only. I can create a VM for management and storage.

It will be externally facing the street with the intention of capturing evidence of a certain individual causing issues. It would be a range of 20-40 meters from an upstairs room, so no doorbell type cameras. If I do go ahead it will be with the approval of local law enforcement.

Any suggestions very much appreciated, as well as any questions I'm not familiar enough to know to ask. Thank you.