BFTP: Is the problem on the desk or in the chair?
Sunday, March 1, 2015 at 05:39AM How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth? Arthur Conan Doyle
One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song? Sesame Street - Joe Raposo and Jon Stone
A good technician is a basically a good detective. When a problem with any technology pops up, most of us run through a little mental flowchart, eliminating possible causes until we are left with the real reason for the trouble. (It is only on very rare occasion that I consider myself a technician - I'm not that bright.)
The first question most of us ask is: Is the problem in the chair or on the desk?
It's human nature: If you are a user, you assume the technology is at fault (on the desk); if you are a tech, you assume the user (in the chair) is the problem.
I am guessing that in reality, tech problems can be divided pretty much 50-50 chair-desk.
User error (chair) can again be divided between "the dog ate my homework" excuses and lack of knowledge. Unfortunately, many of us tend to assign some sort of deliberateness to problems when we hear "I didn't get the e-mail telling me the report was due." As the Church Lady would have said, "How convieeee -nient!" While deep in our heart of hearts we may truly believe this is the case, such assumptions are unprofessional and accusations are never productive. Remember Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Technology problems (desk) are really much easier and more fun to explicate. If the problem seems to be happening to lots and lots of people on a regular basis, we look at the system. Chances are a simple search of the help forums for the product or service will turn out others who have experienced the problem and in a high percentage of the time, present a fix.
If the problem seems to happen rarely or only to a small percentage of people, then we look to see how these individuals differ from the masses. If the e-mail went to 100 people and did not get to one person, logic tells us that the there is something about the configuration of that individual's computer or software or e-mail setting that is causing the problem.
Or the problem is in the chair.
It's tough, but everyone will be happier if we who provide support eliminate any problem with the desk before we start pointing fingers at the chair. Even when the problems happen to our most incompetent, most unlovable users. Like tech directors.
This old post resonated with me this week after spending an hour with several others trying to figure out just why some QR Codes that linked to student produced videos worked and some did not. Some worked with some devices; and some did not. Some worked with some QR Code reader apps; and some did not. Some worked on our wireless network; and some did not. After an hour of logic, deduction, and the process of elimination we finally concluded it was invisible gremlins at work.
Reader Comments (2)
Ah! those gremlins. Always busiest when you have the least time to humour them. It's difficult to spend the time eliminating the desk when the chair has a reputation. I do appreciate the post.
And as we all know, some "chairs" do get known for being a problem!
Thanks for the comment,
Doug