I just got stopped by someone from room scheduling at my work. She's this really nice asian lady that always asks me these really bizarre questions. Today's was "What kind of microphone do we need to assign in [whatever classroom] if they want to use a DVD player?"

Obviously I had no idea what that meant but I explained that you don't need a microphone to play a DVD. Her follow up question was "So there's a microphone in the DVD then?"

I'm not out to be mean, but this is just a really odd question.

Meanie.

i get shit like this all the time at my work, so I can relate/sympathize
i get classroom calls for equipment that doesnt work that 9/10 are because professors simply didnt turn the equipment on...yet somehow, when i simply turn it on, they DONT feel like complete morons and just make some comment about how technology is complicated, evil, etc.

absolutely. People are so willing to just accept the idea that some piece of technology is either too hard to use, or is permanently broken because they just don't know how to use it.

The term "broken" pisses me off too. Because someone will come up to our office and say "the projector is broken" or whatever. Then everyone goes into a panic over "maybe the panel is burnt... maybe the power supply is dead... maybe the lamp blew out... maybe someone cut the wires". I'll go down to look at it, and it'll turn out that they just can't connect to the internet and there's nothing wrong with the projector at all. I've heard so many fantasies of freak explosions, meltdowns, and sabotage from educated people over everyday troubleshooting dilemmas. It's ridiculous.

YUP
One time some old woman came down here and asked me if this was where we kept the Media...my department name is Media Services and Technology. I told her, we have equipment here, yes, but we have equipment in every classroom pretty much. She says, no, is this where the MEDIA is. We go back and forth until I tell her that I simply dont know what she's talking about. She got pissed and left.

I think she thought all of the local tv + radio stations and newspapers ran out of your office

MLK Blvd?!? RUN! THE MEDIA IS THERE! THE MEDIA IS THERE!

brian_dc said:

well, then she should have said that when it was obvious that she wasn't making any sense...just whose side are you on, anyway

I'm on God's side, dude.

God's side.

See, my thing? Is people who want to tell me what's wrong.

"Hi, is this who I need to talk to if my [HARGLWARGL] is expired?"

"Well, yes, in theory. What message are you getting?"

"My [HARGLWARGL] is expired."

"Yes, well, fine, but what's the text of the message."

"They told me to tell you that my [HARGLWARGL] was expired."

"What do you see on the screen in front of you?"

"My [HARGLWARGL] is expired!"

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORDS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH?!?"

Invariably it's a password reset. *headdesk*X1M

mOe said:

hahaha. Where's this media I've heard so much about!? How dare they sensationalize Tracy Gold's bulimia! I demand you relinquish the media at once sir!

its funny because these are the people who are actually teaching impressionable college students