The 4pm Duh Is Late Today

[serinde]

Context: this particular corp. customer still gives dariodevil snarling fits when their name is mentioned. They call weekly, on average, with some kind of mail problem that is some form of PEBKAC, usually lost passwords. (They're also the ones who asked for an "SSI certificate" for their web site.) It's almost always the same cranky old(-sounding) secretary-ish woman calling, too. Naturally she's the one who has the least grasp on these difficult new technologies.

[Wrong password, usual changing ritual, all is well until:]
Your humble correspondent: ...so that'll work within 5 minutes or so.
Madam Wahmbulance: Thank you, but I just want you to know that you're driving us crazy with this code business.
YHC: [assuming she means the alphabet soup-ism of the random generator] Well, of course you can change the password to whatever you like--
MW: NO, I mean having it at all! Why do we have to type in a code every time we want to get our mail? It's such a hassle!
YHC: ...........Because if a mail account were not password protected, anyone on the Internet would be able to read your mail?
MW: I don't care, it's ridiculous! It's driving us crazy! Thank you for the new code but this is completely unreasonable. *click*

Comments

[naudia.livejournal.com]

*blink* Wooooow. Welcome to the internet. We have all the stupid.

[sweh.livejournal.com]

Err, teach them about the "Save Password" option in their mail client and you'll save yourself headache.

[syringavulgaris.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we've covered that before. See, Her Secretaryness doesn't usually check the boss's mail, except sometimes, and blah blah blah blah...

[tactisle.livejournal.com]

I can hear it now... "But _Outlook_ doesn't make us do this blasted inconvenient pressing of the magic button sequence... Why can't you people be more like Outlook?!"