An exciting and fun remote assistance experience...

So... still having problems getting the new whiteboard for my online
tutoring to work. Although we found a temporary work-around.

And finally one of the tech guys decided it would be a good idea to
use the remote assistance to just get on my computer and look around
for himself.

Let's just say it was pretty freaky to say the least.

First, it was one royal pain in the ***. I didn't have it turned on.
And I had some services turned off that it required. I expected this
guy to actually know how to get into it, but he didn't seem to. He
only knew what to do once he got the invitation from me. So I'm the
one who had to figure out how to use it, and had to figure out what I
needed to turn on.

So I had to get into the help files to find both the parts of remote
assistance (which was difficult for me to get to because it was
originally in Programs on the start menu and I changed all that), and
to use messenger cause that was one way to send an invitation. It
said messenger or an email through OE. I don't use OE. Don't have it
set up and didn't even know if that would work to try to just send it
that way.

So I tried messenger first. Of course I had to turn it back on. Then
I couldn't figure out how to get into it. (Another one of those
things that was probably on the start menu that I deleted -- I don't
even remember how I finally got into it. I know I had the user folder
open and was going into All & Default Users a lot.) I wasn't thrilled
that it was on, especially online. Then it wants me to log in, so I
had to create a .NET password. Then it FORCED me into downloading the
newest version before I could us it. (Forced? Why must I always be
forced to do these things???) And then I still ended up with some
error message and couldn't use it anyway. I do hope I got all that
crap turned back off OK. In the middle of all this I sent a message
to this tech guy about hating all this stuff and not even wanting
messenger on, etc. I think it went right over his head. Either that
or he has orders not to support the complaints of the employees, I
don't know.

So then I tried the email through OE anyway. It just went through
automatically. I wasn't sure what it was doing or if it even worked,
so I opened OE for the first time in umpteen years (after I found the
shortcut, er, somewhere...), and it was set up with my Worldnet
account and started downloaded 3 billion spam messages. I'd had to
get a new ID cause I got tired of it all, but you can't get rid of
your original ID. And that's what was set up in OE. And that stupid
preview pain (Ha! - that was a typo but I'm leaving it) was on, and
I'm jumping into the security settings as fast as I can trying to turn
crap off -- I guess only an attachment setting is in there. Don't
know anything about it cause I don't use it. Finally had to just shut
that thing off. Fortunately he did get the invitation though.

And it suggests that you don't attempt to use anything while someone's
on so I couldn't really do much of anything unless he had obviously
stopped. And of course he's peaking around at everything, and the
entire time I'm thinking "Hey, get outta there!" It even bugged me
that he went into Add/Delete Software, even though I realized he was
looking for something installed that would be messing stuff up. But
it really BUGGED me. And now he knows what I do in my spare time.

Fortunately it didn't last real long and I was never more happy in my
life than to hit that DISCONNECT button.

Aaakkkkkk!!!

And I'm still hoping I got all that crap turned back off properly. I
knew I should've written stuff down. (When will I ever learn? I can
have an inch thick pile of game notes but can't write stuff like this
down.)

And... I'm glad I held off on the reinstalling Windows cause there
wasn't anything corrupt or any such thing. Turns out there's a popup
blocker with the ICQ toolbar. I saw the icon in IE but it's just an
icon, and I never noticed the little arrows next to it that open the
toolbar. That's a newer version I recently downloaded. Apparently
either the older version didn't have the toolbar, or it didn't have a
popup blocker, or maybe I hadn't had it installed since before all
this started or something. It also fixed the problem I was having
getting into AIM. I don't know what's different about the different
popups, because most of them worked and only a rare few didn't.

So now that problem is solved, the IE popup blocker is working just
the way it should and I was able to turn it back on. And I can open
my board at work now...

Which doesn't say anything about all the other problems we're having.
They actually implemented that board two nights ago and we've had TONS
of problems with it. And it ain't just me this time. And I mean
major problems that mean they need to dump the thing again and start
doing some more troubleshooting, cause we'll never get any work done
this way. (I wonder if they understand the concept that tutors just
get ticked, but students -- revenue -- get ticked off and *leave.*
Oh, wait, it's run by management.)

Why do I still feel like someone's watching me?


--

Erimess Dragon
-==(UDIC)==-

d++e+NT++Om UK!1!2!3!A!L!
U+uCuFuG+++uLB+uA+ nC+nH+nP+nS++nT-xa2

This is the comfort of everyone: That tho' they
may be said to die, yet their love and devotion
are, in best sense, ever present because immortal.
~William Penn
In memory of my father, 1 Jan 05
.