The Venting Thread

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Unrelated.

Minor vent.

My package from Fedex is over 1 week late. Apparently there is an issue with a warehouse nearby. Really frustrating considering what I've been hearing.

[Parasaurolophus]

Today, in an official document for my probationary period of employment here, I am 'Garasaurolophus'. (It was the family name this time, and clearly not just a typo.)

I just. Ugh. It's not that hard when my name is printed right there in front of you. I quite like the person who made the mistake this time, and of course I forgive them because it's a small thing, but this is really starting to wear me down. I kid you not, there's an incident, like, every day or two. I've lived in four other provinces, and I've never encountered anything like it.

[Vkw10]

IT Security has blocked Dropbox, apparently to force everyone to use Office365. Who cares that some of us do research with people at other universities? And why bother to give anyone any notice, just in case they have materials needed today stored in DropBox?

IT Security has also set email encryption at such a high level that it's almost impossible to send a message with more than a six-digit number off campus without it being automatically encrypted. Product numbers, membership numbers, andpricing for big ticket items are all getting garbled by the encryption.

[Parasaurolophus]

IT Security has blocked Dropbox, apparently to force everyone to use Office365. Who cares that some of us do research with people at other universities? And why bother to give anyone any notice, just in case they have materials needed today stored in DropBox?

IT Security has also set email encryption at such a high level that it's almost impossible to send a message with more than a six-digit number off campus without it being automatically encrypted. Product numbers, membership numbers, andpricing for big ticket items are all getting garbled by the encryption.

omg. That's unbelievable, especially blocking DropBox. Come on! O365 sucks.

[ab_grp]

IT Security has blocked Dropbox, apparently to force everyone to use Office365. Who cares that some of us do research with people at other universities? And why bother to give anyone any notice, just in case they have materials needed today stored in DropBox?

IT Security has also set email encryption at such a high level that it's almost impossible to send a message with more than a six-digit number off campus without it being automatically encrypted. Product numbers, membership numbers, andpricing for big ticket items are all getting garbled by the encryption.

omg. That's unbelievable, especially blocking DropBox. Come on! O365 sucks.

+1.  Especially if they didn't give you any heads up! We had DropBox and similar blocked and were forced to use OneDrive.  Besides collaboration issues, if the person whose account houses the files leaves and the account goes away (as in my case), things can go further awry.  What's up with encrypting numbers? I had not heard of that.  Do they think they're secret codes of some sort?  We also got a lovely new email feature that scanned every document sent through email (even within the institution).  So, of course, people would be on conference calls and send over a document for folks to look at, and it would take way too long to scan and open.  Fun stuff.  Anyway, sorry you have to deal with these shenanigans!

[Vkw10]

What's up with encrypting numbers? I had not heard of that.  Do they think they're secret codes of some sort?

The encryption supposedly is to prevent violations of privacy and confidentiality rules. I suspect IT Security intended to block social security numbers and/or student phone numbers. But, as usual, they imposed an over broad rule. If they get enough of the right people complaining because they can't get their work done, maybe they'll loosen up.

[mamselle]

^Unrelated.

Grumble.

Someone else did some of what I've been working on. I don't agree with all of it, and it's nice to know I'm on the right track, but it's frustrating to find.

However, I'm taking a page from someone on the NSF thread, who more maturely noted that keeping busy precludes having time to sulk.

So, I'll keep busy (more than enough to do, in fact...) and try not to sulk.

M.

[downer]

I do think we could have a whole separate thread about why everything in Office 365 is terrible.

But here is one: why is it that in the mornings when I click to log in to my school email, the screen I get is "We are logging you out of email"? Is that good design? I don't think so.

[clean]

Several VENTS COULD be submitted.
The recent one... I bought groceries on Saturday afternoon. I purchased 2 steaks that I was going to grill.  I looked for them in the fridge and could not find them.  THEN I found that I had not put the away and that they sat on the counter for a day and a half!  NO steak for dinner yesterday (or for lunch today either!!) 

[AmLitHist]

Kid #1 FINALLY has internet at her house.  I placed the order on August 4 and have spent 10+ hours on the phone/chat with the company in the interim.  I finally told them I'd be going to the state's Atty. General and the nearest t.v. stations if all wasn't completed by the end of today.

(That's what happens when you play H.D. Thoreau and rent a farmhouse in the middle of BFE, right past Resume Speed.)

Actually, I guess this should be on the inhaling thread.  The venting was in full swing last week.

[mamselle]

Several VENTS COULD be submitted.
The recent one... I bought groceries on Saturday afternoon. I purchased 2 steaks that I was going to grill.  I looked for them in the fridge and could not find them.  THEN I found that I had not put the away and that they sat on the counter for a day and a half!  NO steak for dinner yesterday (or for lunch today either!!)

I do hear your pain. I had some London broil beef I neglected to put away a couple weeks ago, with a similar, wrenching feeling of loss when I realized I'd just wasted a perfectly lovely dinner menu by negligence.

Howl.

M.

[hmaria1609]

I hate Zoom!  Had an online training on Zoom earlier today--kept getting the runaround for logging in. Google Meet, Jitsi, and Microsoft Team give me less hassle.

[apl68]

Several VENTS COULD be submitted.
The recent one... I bought groceries on Saturday afternoon. I purchased 2 steaks that I was going to grill.  I looked for them in the fridge and could not find them.  THEN I found that I had not put the away and that they sat on the counter for a day and a half!  NO steak for dinner yesterday (or for lunch today either!!)

An acquaintance once did that with about 12 pounds of ground turkey.  Didn't discover his mistake until a couple of days later, when he noticed several bulging plastic packets in the kitchen and then remembered what they were. 

[Parasaurolophus]

The smoke's gone but I'm having bad allergies of some kind. Been sneezing violently all day, and the nose refuses to stop dripping. Should make for a fun synchronous help session in a few minutes.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

It's Monday.

Elder evil cat did not want to be out of the office while I was doing a Webex. He howled, banged on the door and started to open it. I had to jump out of my chair and secure the door before he came into the office.

Email is screwed up again. Students aren't talking on Webex. I'm frustrated, so I'm going outside to pull weeds.