Work

I'm not a "techie." People call me with problems or ask me about them and look to me to do some wizardry--but, I have none, and I stare blankly.

Just a few minutes ago I helped someone connect their laptop to the internet via a modem through the school's phone system. So...of course you have to do some special dialing in order to dial out. Not complicated stuff, but apparently warranted calling the tech office. So they called me, fumbled around with words trying to tell me what was the matter, I finally give up trying to understand and decide to come over to their office...I mean, it's not like I'm overloaded or anything. So I go over and see what's the situation. There's this cute little Mac laptop (iBook, or whatever they're called...I don't know) sitting on the desk in the office. And sitting in front of the comp is a guy I don't know, and I know doesn't work for the school, so I'm thinking why am I helping this guy? Why do people think that they can just wisk a techie away at any moment? For me it's not such a big deal, except people do the same for my boss (by the way this is a two person IT department right now: my boss and lowly me) who really is overloaded. Anyway...I look dumbly at the machine wondering "what's up?" And I don't even make any gestures like I plan on doing anything: I just stand there blankly in the middle of the room while one person I do know sits in a chair along the wall diagonal from the desk. And there next to the laptop is a digital camera with a USB connection from it to the laptop and there's the phone line plugged into the comp. I stare blankly. The guy I don't know tries to connect via dialup. Meanwhile I know this won't work because I see what he's entered, but for some reason I don't say anything. The screen looks hopeful...it might connect..."keep your fingers crossed" says the guy I don't know. Oh, Ok as I stare at a cable coming out of the ceiling.

Eventually I lean over the screen to look at the numbers he's entered. I mutter something about needing the long distance access code to dial the number, because even though the call isn't long distance it doesn't look like a local number so the school phone system won't let you call it without account codes. The guy I know sitting says it's ok to use his access codes (it's his office). But then there's some unwarranted confusion, and the guy I don't know says something about connecting his comp through the network. I mutter something about not being able to do that due to network policies, which is sort of true or something...I mean, the way we have things set up is so that not just anyone can use the network...like, um, we have things set in place that makes it more complicated than just connecting your comp to the computer. I mean you have to configure certain things and I'm not going to do that just so someguy who doesn't work here can upload a few pics.

Eventually the guy puts in the access code. He forgets one zero, so there is a moment of hope but ultimately we are disapointed. I spot the missing digit, and he tries again...it works. All the while I have not moved from my position in the middle of the room...clutching to my watter bottle and sucking at it like one perpetual drink...suddenly I am praised for coming over. I have done nothing, nor have I attempted to do anything, but get out of the uncomfortable situation.