fundamentals???

[susandennis]

This will sound sarcastic and I really don't mean it to be. I honestly want to know if I'm being unfairly critical.

Shouldn't a person hired to do web production, have enough technical skills to get their email without help? The email system is simple POP3, through a local ISP. No client is dictated and that ISP has a nice web interface you can use. The new web producer at work is working my last nerve.

Although he was given all of the same information I was and I had no trouble setting everything up unaided, he needed help when he first started. So, I helped him set up his Outlook a couple of weeks ago and it was working fine. I also showed him how to use the web interface. Now he says his email is broken.

I think that in 2007 when you are hired for technical skills, knowing simple fundamentals and being able to troubleshoot issues intelligently should be an expected part of the package.

'email is broken' is not what I would consider effective troubleshooting. Neither is IMing me asking me to send him test emails. He has a hotmail account. He can do his own damn testing.

If my email was broken, I sure as hell would not expect anyone to help me until I had exhausted all possible avenues including the help desk at the ISP. Plus, shame alone would motivate me to involve as few people as possible.

I am being harsh. But, I am not a help desk. And I know I'm not being kind or sympathetic.

But am I being unreasonable? Seriously, tell me. I can take it.

Edit: Thanks, guys!! It's great to get such quick validation. I did suggest (and kindly - well, kindly for me which means he did not need bandages) that he could wait for our boss's IT guy to come in OR he could actually call the ISP's help desk himself. He got the picture. I sure hope he has more chops in the production area than he has in basics. Producers are hard to find.

Comments

[joyoflj.livejournal.com]

I agree with you 110 percent! I deal with issues like yours *all* the time. I thought it was because they are creative types when in fact some of them are just lazy and/or stupid.

Same with printing. They design all this wonderful stuff for PRINT communication/display yet have barely a clue as to how to use the software's built in page/print set up. Not to mention selecting a printer driver.

There is google and built in software help but will they use it? But NOOOO. Better to ask Joy/Susan

And wha about the jerks who pick my brain, I tell them what to do, they don't do it and ask me the same questions the following week. Exasperating!

[quirkstreet.livejournal.com]

You're being hard, but VERY VERY reasonable.

They're also being hard (asking you for help on something so trivial that is pretty closely related to job duties they should know, i.e. wasting both their time and yours) and UNreasonable.

[dizzdvl.livejournal.com]

Nope, you aren't being unreasonable. But I have a feeling this kind of moronism (made that up) is coming. Kids today are just freaking stupid. I don't remember being that stupid.

I really shouldn't be a curmudgeon even before I hit 40, but these damn kids...

[danlmarmot.livejournal.com]

No, you are not being unreasonable. Tell him you're not the help desk. I'd actually totally harsh on him so you wouldn't become his help desk too.

Makes me wonder what he'll be wanting next--a tutorial on the difference between HTML and text, perhaps?

[angelamermaid.livejournal.com]

That boy should know how to fix his own e-mail.

[pisceandreamer.livejournal.com]

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

[howeird]

I'll disagree with the other commenters, because what they forget is that while you are certainly not the Help Desk, you certainly are working with this guy. If you can save him some time by simply shooting him an email message, then what's the problem?

If he gets your email, he can actually get back to work. Then you both win. If he doesn't get your email, he can wait for the help desk, and you're off the hook. It took you more time to post about it than it would have taken to help him.

Plan B would be to tell him to send himself email from his hotmail account.

[jimcarson.livejournal.com]

Is this person an intern (e.g. recent grad whose worldly experience can be summed up as "my parents are paying for my apartment") or named Jeff Carr?

[susandennis]

Ha! But, I'm beginning to be afraid that he's possibly a recent graduate from your option A. And, of course, B could be an alias...