Today's peeve

[ciphergoth]

Todays peeve is idiots who say "I got an error message" but are incapable of even attempting to read the message. Did it cross your mind that the text in that message might be for something, and you might learn something by reading it? If I don't know the error, how can I fix your problem? Or are all error messages just computerese for "SOMETHING FUCKED UP, MAKE SOMEONE ELSE FIX YOUR PROBLEM"?

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Comments

[valkyriekaren.livejournal.com]

I like the bit about the antelope.

However, I disagree about doctors. Sometimes walking into the surgery and saying 'I have [condition] again, give me some more of the drug that worked last time please' saves both you and them a lot of time and trouble. It's not analogous to bug reports, because fixing a bug you've fixed with the help of a support person before should be something you now know how to do without help; getting a prescription, even for a known condition, is something which requires the presence of a doctor.

[ruis.livejournal.com]

It's not analogous to bug reports, because fixing a bug you've fixed with the help of a support person before should be something you now know how to do without help

That isn't necessarily the case.

If you are using commercial software and have a support agreement you can be in the position where you can't fix the problem even if you have that in house skills. Its a bit like opening up the tamper evident bit of any electrical equipment to fix something. Thats fine as long as you're prepared to have invalidated the warranty and never being able to ask for help if it breaks in the future.

Also if you have in-house SLAs you really aren't doing your dept. any favours by fixing a bug yourself unless its your team thats responsible for 'it'. When you finally work out that there is a fundamental flaw and try to get it fixed properly the first thing you have to do is prove its broken. If you have to say you've done stuff to fix it in the past you'll then have to prove that it wasn't your fixes that broke it.