Frustrated System Administrator

Date in my archives: 10-Apr-1990

Newsgroup rec.humor.funny

Forwarded with subject: Why my job is sometimes frustrating

From: chip@pender.ee.upenn.edu (Charles H. Buchholtz)

I work as a systems administrator, and part of m job involves answering questions about computers. I generally like my job, but sometimes it gets on my nerves. When people ask me what I find so irritating, this is what I tell them:

Imagine that you are a salesperson for Ikea (substitute "furniture store" if you don't know what "Ikea" is). You get a phone call that goes like this.

Customer:  I'd like to buy a kitchen table.
 
You:       That's fine; we have many styles of kitchen tables, I'm
           sure you can find one you like.
 
C: I need one that's 3 feet by 5 feet and has a butcher block top.
 
Y: Yes, we have a table like that.  You can pick it up today.
 
C: OK, how can I get it back to my house?
 
Y: Well, it comes disassembled, so you can just put it on a roof rack.
   We can loan you a roof rack if you don't have one.
 
C: But how do get there?
 
Y: We're just off exit 25 of the Turnpike.  Where are you coming from?
 
C: Wait, wait, you're going way too fast for me.  I have a Toyota
   Celica in my driveway, and the keys are in my hand.  What do I do
   next?
 
- And, whatever you say at this point, the response is always the same:
 
C: But all I want is a kitchen table!  Why does it have to be so
   *COMPLICATED*!
 

If anyone from EE is reading, I'm not describing you.