The conversation went like this, more or less...

[mapsedge]

Different day, different person, different stupidity.

Me. Seritas, this is William.

Him. Hi William, this is Bill from Jack Miller.

Me. Hiya Bill, what can I do for you?

Him. I've got a problem with our splash screen.  Can you help with that?

Me.  Sure.  To save some time, though, has Scott told you about our support website?  We like issues to be entered there so we have a record of everything that goes on.

Him.  Great!  How do I get there?

Me.  Open your web browser, and go to "support.seritas.com."

Him.  Okay, hold on.  (Then, sotto vocé, relaying my instructions to someone else) Go to w...w...w...dot...support...dot ---

Me.  No, Bill.  I didn't say "www".  Just "support.seritas.com."

Him.  Okay, hold on.

Pause while the page loads.

Him.  I get, "Page cannot be displayed."

Me.  Did you type "www.support.seritas.com?"

Him.  (defensive)  No.  (Then, sotto vocé, relaying my instructions to someone else)  Try it without the "w...w...w..."

Me.  ...

I get him (and his compatriot) logged in.

Him.  Okay, how do I add something?

Me.  Click the button there that says, "Add".

Him.  OH!  Click "add".

...

Him.  Okay, it says "Subject", "URL to see the error", and "Tell us about the error, or write your question here."  So, I put the subject in that first box?

Me.  Mm-hmm.

Him.  URL would be ... w...w...w...dot...Jack...Mi...l....ler...d...o...t...

Me.  ...

Him.  And I type my message to you in the big box where it says, "Write your question?"

Me.  ...

Him.  Hello?

Me.  Mm?  Oh, yeah, right there.

There's computer illiterate, then there's computer-fucking-illiterate.

Comments

[iarraidh.livejournal.com]

Then there's the "click happy" type.
You can hear the mouse clicks, which you didn't tell them to click, followed by "This doesn't look like what you told me", or "What's this mean?" as if you can see what the fuck they just did.

[billthetailor.livejournal.com]

Back in the day, when I was teaching Windoze apps for New Horizons, I slapped a student's hand for that. She still gave me a good review at the end of the day...maybe because she wondered if I'd slap her again if she didn't.

[tncs.livejournal.com]

i could never, ever handle your job... i'm not sure i could control my temper quite as well as you do.

[billthetailor.livejournal.com]

It's tough, sometimes. I've noted in some of your entries that you've gone through some experiences I was glad to not be present for.

It's the ones that STAY stupid that really make me want to be violent.

[tncs.livejournal.com]

This is true - I've had some doozies... one of the main reasons I quit my job!