I think it must be a golden rule - everyone has to work on a helpdesk at least once, right?
All time favourite is the guy who thought he had a slot loading dvd drive (needless to say he didn't), poor guy was wedging the discs through a tiny gap in the case. Fair enough he knew he'd been a bit silly, he was really apologetic on the phone and was only calling because "I really do need my disc back now I'm afraid..."
Then there was the woman who called up outraged because she'd been on holiday and returned to find that someone had stolen her mouse... local support went out to have a look and found it had fallen off the side of the desk... it was still plugged in too!
And then there are the people who equate restarting the pc with switching the monitor off and on.... love 'em:)
I think half the problem is that people have an ingrained culture of fear when it comes to computer equipment that is not their own. Some blindingly obvious things like checking the keyboard is plugged in properly they won't even attempt beacause they've either been told not to are are too scared of making it worse. And then at the other end are the people who willfully dive right in and invariably make it worse:)
I only have a small collection (450 ish) and I was able to catalogue my books really easily.
I don't have a barcode scanner, so manually noted down all of the isbns into a text file using my pda. Imported said text file into library thing, it queued them up and pulled out all of the data from amazon. As a brit I can set it to use amazon.co.uk and uk libraries for data. I have a few foreign books too, that's no problem, I tell it which country to use and away it goes:)
The social data aspect of LT is brilliant, I've spent ages browsing through other people's libraries, mostly those that show a high number of matches to books in my library. It's a very good way of getting a feel for what kind of books and titles I might enjoy.
The other thing I love is tagging, I never really caught onto the whole 'tag everything' thing with photos and blog stuff, but it's brilliantly suited to cataloguing. I can keep track of all of my signed stuff, stuff I've lent out, stuff that is in different places etc...
Overall it's something that only has the potential to get better and better as the creator adds new features improvements and extras.
I consider myself a voracious sc-fi / fantasy reader, but I've only read a small proportion of the books on the list.
I can thoroughly recommend 'More Tomorrow and other stories' by Michael Marshall Smith. I was plesantly surprised to see this on the list, as he is often overlooked. More Tomorrow is a collection of the authors short stories, previously only available here in the UK. They're weird, bizarre, surreal but with a very disturbing undercurrent of normality.
Also good to see 'Amulet of Samarkand' and 'Predator's Gold' on the list, top notch 'teen' fiction (no shame in adults reading them either;)
Last of all, 'Fool's Fate'. I'm so sorry to say goodbye to Fitz, but Robin Hobb has done a brilliant job in bringing the series to a close. (and making me cry)
One surprising thing about the list is the number of 'limited' books on there, ie - those with a very small print run. They would be rather difficult to get from a high street book shop.
Re:Unbelievable plot
on
Paranoia
·
· Score: 3, Informative
It is actually explained in the book, there are other reasons as to why Cassidy can't get a plea deal.
The charges are more numerous too, involving hacking (of financial data), counterfeiting (receipts and stuff) and Wyatt was a friend of the DA or whoever it was and could get the book thrown at Cassidy, for these and a number of other federal offences.
What I'm trying to say is read the book before you dismiss the story as 'semi-believable' There is a lot more to it that the brief plot outline above.
Re:Ha! I just read this!!
on
The Scar
·
· Score: 1
Same here, its one of the few books reviewed here that I have actually read and love.
The thing I love about The Scar and Perdido Street Station, are the settings. PSS is set in a gargantuan, stinking, almost Victorian city interlaced with railways and skyrails. The Scar is set on a flotilla of vessels, kind of a patchwork city of boats, ships and pontoons. Each is so beautifully imagined and described, it is difficult not to imagine what it would be like to live there. Take Bellis Coldwine's house for example, a 2 storey house in the chimney of a ship:)
I also love 'The Tain' by Mieville, set in post apocalyptic London (which has been done many times before) but Mieville makes it new with a very very original menace to the remaining survivors.
FYI, His next novel is due out sometime next year, entitled 'The Iron Council'. I wonder if this has anything to do with the Construct Council in 'Perdido Street Station'?
Slashdot Mirror
I think it must be a golden rule - everyone has to work on a helpdesk at least once, right?
:)
:)
All time favourite is the guy who thought he had a slot loading dvd drive (needless to say he didn't), poor guy was wedging the discs through a tiny gap in the case. Fair enough he knew he'd been a bit silly, he was really apologetic on the phone and was only calling because "I really do need my disc back now I'm afraid..."
Then there was the woman who called up outraged because she'd been on holiday and returned to find that someone had stolen her mouse... local support went out to have a look and found it had fallen off the side of the desk... it was still plugged in too!
And then there are the people who equate restarting the pc with switching the monitor off and on.... love 'em
I think half the problem is that people have an ingrained culture of fear when it comes to computer equipment that is not their own. Some blindingly obvious things like checking the keyboard is plugged in properly they won't even attempt beacause they've either been told not to are are too scared of making it worse. And then at the other end are the people who willfully dive right in and invariably make it worse
Another vote for Librarything, it rules =)
:)
I only have a small collection (450 ish) and I was able to catalogue my books really easily. I don't have a barcode scanner, so manually noted down all of the isbns into a text file using my pda. Imported said text file into library thing, it queued them up and pulled out all of the data from amazon. As a brit I can set it to use amazon.co.uk and uk libraries for data. I have a few foreign books too, that's no problem, I tell it which country to use and away it goes
The social data aspect of LT is brilliant, I've spent ages browsing through other people's libraries, mostly those that show a high number of matches to books in my library. It's a very good way of getting a feel for what kind of books and titles I might enjoy.
The other thing I love is tagging, I never really caught onto the whole 'tag everything' thing with photos and blog stuff, but it's brilliantly suited to cataloguing. I can keep track of all of my signed stuff, stuff I've lent out, stuff that is in different places etc...
Overall it's something that only has the potential to get better and better as the creator adds new features improvements and extras.
In short, I love Librarything =) http://www.librarything.com/profile/chimera252/
Same here. I just assumed it was some new spam trick.....
I consider myself a voracious sc-fi / fantasy reader, but I've only read a small proportion of the books on the list.
;)
I can thoroughly recommend 'More Tomorrow and other stories' by Michael Marshall Smith. I was plesantly surprised to see this on the list, as he is often overlooked. More Tomorrow is a collection of the authors short stories, previously only available here in the UK. They're weird, bizarre, surreal but with a very disturbing undercurrent of normality.
Also good to see 'Amulet of Samarkand' and 'Predator's Gold' on the list, top notch 'teen' fiction (no shame in adults reading them either
Last of all, 'Fool's Fate'. I'm so sorry to say goodbye to Fitz, but Robin Hobb has done a brilliant job in bringing the series to a close. (and making me cry)
One surprising thing about the list is the number of 'limited' books on there, ie - those with a very small print run. They would be rather difficult to get from a high street book shop.
It is actually explained in the book, there are other reasons as to why Cassidy can't get a plea deal.
The charges are more numerous too, involving hacking (of financial data), counterfeiting (receipts and stuff) and Wyatt was a friend of the DA or whoever it was and could get the book thrown at Cassidy, for these and a number of other federal offences.
What I'm trying to say is read the book before you dismiss the story as 'semi-believable' There is a lot more to it that the brief plot outline above.
Same here, its one of the few books reviewed here that I have actually read and love. The thing I love about The Scar and Perdido Street Station, are the settings. PSS is set in a gargantuan, stinking, almost Victorian city interlaced with railways and skyrails. The Scar is set on a flotilla of vessels, kind of a patchwork city of boats, ships and pontoons. Each is so beautifully imagined and described, it is difficult not to imagine what it would be like to live there. Take Bellis Coldwine's house for example, a 2 storey house in the chimney of a ship :)
I also love 'The Tain' by Mieville, set in post apocalyptic London (which has been done many times before) but Mieville makes it new with a very very original menace to the remaining survivors.
FYI, His next novel is due out sometime next year, entitled 'The Iron Council'. I wonder if this has anything to do with the Construct Council in 'Perdido Street Station'?