Another example of well-functioning goverment

Often when spring comes, many of the pipes on sidewalks for water-shut-off start rising up, providing an annoyance to runners and walkers.

At 8:49 this morning I sent the following message through the Duluth water and gas service website.

Spring has sprung, the ground heaves, and the water-turn-off pipes rise to trip the unwary walker.
Please add my address to your long list of tasks.

At 14:20 I sent the following message.

Thanks for the fast service on tamping down the water-shut-off pipe.  Another fine example of good government service.

If we really stop to think about it, there is a long list of government services at all levels that are provided efficiently and courtesy: Post Office, fire departments, Social Security, snowplowing, parks, and on and on.

I think the government bashing is mostly from those who don't want to pay taxes for any of the many services they receive.  They would rather provide these services themselves and make a profit from them.  How well, does the private sector perform?  Just consider all the problems you have with the device that you are using to read this.  How many help desks have provided prompt and correct answers?  Yes, you can find many corporations that provide quality products and services, but it often depends on management.  Good management is found in the public and private sectors.  Bad management is found in the public and private sectors.

Helping the help desk

When my old Epson Workforce printer became erratic, I bought a new one from Best Buy (my four-year warranty on the old one paid for most of it).  The Workforce 3640 is similar i many ways, but quite different in others.

The old one would print business cards without a problem.  The new one often chewed them up and jammed.  Today each try jammed.

I looked at the Epson website to see if there was a recommended paper or other solution.  I found nothing.

I asked Best Buy’s Geek Squad (online chat) if there was any recommended paper.  I was told to check with a store.

I did another search and found that there is a rear feed.  This is meant for single feed of paper or envelopes.  See https://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?UseCookie=yes&infoType=FAQ&oid=232592&prodoid=6309.

It took a bit of doing to have the job started and the feed the paper, but I got the hang of it.  When I did a second sheet just now it was a piece of cake.

I went back to the Geek Squad chat and left a heads up for them.  The agent replied “awesome”.

It sometimes amazes me how I find a solution that the “experts” didn’t think of.  Of course, I’ve been solving (and creating) computer problems for 57 years.  It doesn’t mean I could earn big bucks, but I think it gives me a bigger incentive to find a solution somehow.

Early IT Professionals

I was cleaning up my bookmarks and came across this for “Early IT Professionals”.  I thought it would be about Grace Murray Hopper and others.  Nope, but it is a hoot.  You also get to practice your Danish.  You don’t know Danish well or at all.  Not to worry.  There are over titles in both Danish and English.

This clip does replicate many user problems today.  Your can find it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxh37qciqKY