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> I think most people would struggle to diagnose technical issues with web-conferencing tech. The older folks in the workplace have had the advantage of observi

> I think most people would struggle to diagnose technical issues with web-conferencing tech. The older folks in the workplace have had the advantage of observing the rituals other people do to try and get it to work (turn it off and on a again, restart your router, etc.) Every single company I've worked for has had at least one meeting where a group of developers all sit there awkwardly as one of us tries to fix the conferencing setup.

delusional 4y ago
> where a group of developers all sit there awkwardly as one of us tries to fix the conferencing setup. Or the more hilarious one where the group of developers each take turns to try, and fail, to fix the setup only to proclaim "Can't you just use your phone" before passing the baton to the next hopeful subject.
Brian_K_White 4y ago
I think they all know that: * any one of them could diagnose the problem * the problem may or may not have any fix within their control right now, may or may not even be diagnosable in a short time * and that the most effective way to get the problem solved is to leave whoever is working on it alone until they declare victory or defeat or ask for something. I mean that is why I would be sitting and waiting patiently rather than trying to "help" if there was already someone working on it. maybe if I didn't think this problem was really something they would be good at hunting down I might make it known that I'm available but only in the least suggestive most casual way I could manage. Or I might quietly prepare some alternative to have ready in case plan A doesn't work.
wink 4y ago
We have one conference room at work with a display that's inside the table and there are no instructions to be found how to get it to go up. Turns out you actually have to connect something via HDMI (or whatever) and it will automatically turn on the motor to emerge from the table. The room is 007 and actually being dubbed the "James Bond room" by building management but due to working from home none of us had ever been to that room. So yeah, sometimes even a group of usually tech-savvy people can't figure it out because it surely can't be "just connect it". Nothing ever just works.

delusional 4y ago

> where a group of developers all sit there awkwardly as one of us tries to fix the conferencing setup. Or the more hilarious one where the group of developers each take turns to try, and fail, to fix the setup only to proclaim "Can't you just use your phone" before passing the baton to the next hopeful subject.

Brian_K_White 4y ago

I think they all know that: * any one of them could diagnose the problem * the problem may or may not have any fix within their control right now, may or may not even be diagnosable in a short time * and that the most effective way to get the problem solved is to leave whoever is working on it alone until they declare victory or defeat or ask for something. I mean that is why I would be sitting and waiting patiently rather than trying to "help" if there was already someone working on it. maybe if I didn't think this problem was really something they would be good at hunting down I might make it known that I'm available but only in the least suggestive most casual way I could manage. Or I might quietly prepare some alternative to have ready in case plan A doesn't work.

wink 4y ago

We have one conference room at work with a display that's inside the table and there are no instructions to be found how to get it to go up. Turns out you actually have to connect something via HDMI (or whatever) and it will automatically turn on the motor to emerge from the table. The room is 007 and actually being dubbed the "James Bond room" by building management but due to working from home none of us had ever been to that room. So yeah, sometimes even a group of usually tech-savvy people can't figure it out because it surely can't be "just connect it". Nothing ever just works.