The Venting Thread

[Parasaurolophus]

Nothing big, but still:

IT broke all the links on the faculty page yesterday, and they haven't been fixed yet. Those are the links for Moodle, email, waitlist management, grade reporting, Zoom, etc. I have a workaround for some of those, but seriously.

In other IT news: I have a colleague (in her late seventies) who's contemplating retirement (she's already teaching a quarter-load), but who's been told by IT that when she retires she will lose her university email address. She would rather not retire (and move up to a half-load) than lose the email address. She's contacted the Dean, HR, the faculty senate... everyone else seems to think that she should be able to keep the email (obvs.). But IT insists it's impossible, and refuses to explain why.

[Cheerful]

She's contacted the Dean, HR, the faculty senate... everyone else seems to think that she should be able to keep the email (obvs.). But IT insists it's impossible, and refuses to explain why.

Wow, IT runs the place, hey?  More power than even the university president?  Why?  Situation sounds ridiculous.

[Parasaurolophus]

She's contacted the Dean, HR, the faculty senate... everyone else seems to think that she should be able to keep the email (obvs.). But IT insists it's impossible, and refuses to explain why.

Wow, IT runs the place, hey?  More power than even the university president?  Why?  Situation sounds ridiculous.

That particular situation seems really weird and rinkydink to me. Sure, faculty who leave should surrender their email. But when they retire? It can hardly use up much server space, and the institution still benefits from their maintaining their contacts and stuff. And from having an easy way to reach out to them.

[clean]

Went to the grocery store today for 35 minutes (from roughly 3 to 335).  In that short time I saw NINE people without masks! 

The store HAS a mask policy! 

I emailed the corporate office, but got a 'non reply' that essentially said that 'we have a policy but dont enforce it'. 


I was so tempted to just dump my cart in the aisle and walk out, but by the time the count got up there, I was heading out the door already. 

I hate that the store is profiting from this!  HOW?  Well, they do offer home delivery and curb service, but in addition to charging a minimum $5 fee, they charge higher prices for things bought... up to 10% higher! 
They limit your choices too.  Half of the vegetable offerings are organic, whether you want organic or not!!  (You dont get the choice of organic, it is all that is on the site for about 1/2 of the produce). 

Then the final blow is that the shoppers are overloaded with a ton of orders to get fast, so they dont 'shop' they just grab and go.  Bananas bruised?  Someone has to get them!!  'beacon' just fat? Hell, they didnt even look to see, just that the box had the correct UPC !

bastards!!

[Langue_doc]

Went to the grocery store today for 35 minutes (from roughly 3 to 335).  In that short time I saw NINE people without masks! 

The store HAS a mask policy! 

I emailed the corporate office, but got a 'non reply' that essentially said that 'we have a policy but dont enforce it'. 


I was so tempted to just dump my cart in the aisle and walk out, but by the time the count got up there, I was heading out the door already. 

I hate that the store is profiting from this!  HOW?  Well, they do offer home delivery and curb service, but in addition to charging a minimum $5 fee, they charge higher prices for things bought... up to 10% higher! 
They limit your choices too.  Half of the vegetable offerings are organic, whether you want organic or not!!  (You dont get the choice of organic, it is all that is on the site for about 1/2 of the produce). 

Then the final blow is that the shoppers are overloaded with a ton of orders to get fast, so they dont 'shop' they just grab and go.  Bananas bruised?  Someone has to get them!!  'beacon' just fat? Hell, they didnt even look to see, just that the box had the correct UPC !

bastards!! Yesss!!!

The woman behind me, standing very close, kept complaining that there was only one line (the store is practicing safe distancing). When I asked her to step back, she launched into a tirade of how the virus didn't bother her, whereupon the person behind her told her in no uncertain terms that she needed to keep her distance so that she wouldn't be infecting others. Complainer moved, but still kept complaining about how she wasn't standing close to me. Other lady in line reminded her that she was indeed standing too close hence the request that she step back.

The store is in a bright orange zone, with the infection rates around 5% and steadily rising.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Went to the grocery store today for 35 minutes (from roughly 3 to 335).  In that short time I saw NINE people without masks! 

The store HAS a mask policy! 

I emailed the corporate office, but got a 'non reply' that essentially said that 'we have a policy but dont enforce it'. 


I was so tempted to just dump my cart in the aisle and walk out, but by the time the count got up there, I was heading out the door already. 

I hate that the store is profiting from this!  HOW?  Well, they do offer home delivery and curb service, but in addition to charging a minimum $5 fee, they charge higher prices for things bought... up to 10% higher! 
They limit your choices too.  Half of the vegetable offerings are organic, whether you want organic or not!!  (You dont get the choice of organic, it is all that is on the site for about 1/2 of the produce). 

Then the final blow is that the shoppers are overloaded with a ton of orders to get fast, so they dont 'shop' they just grab and go.  Bananas bruised?  Someone has to get them!!  'beacon' just fat? Hell, they didnt even look to see, just that the box had the correct UPC !

bastards!! Yesss!!!

The woman behind me, standing very close, kept complaining that there was only one line (the store is practicing safe distancing). When I asked her to step back, she launched into a tirade of how the virus didn't bother her, whereupon the person behind her told her in no uncertain terms that she needed to keep her distance so that she wouldn't be infecting others. Complainer moved, but still kept complaining about how she wasn't standing close to me. Other lady in line reminded her that she was indeed standing too close hence the request that she step back.

The store is in a bright orange zone, with the infection rates around 5% and steadily rising.

Our state had over 4,000 new documented cases today. People are deluding themselves when they say this virus is 'nothing.' Hospitals are overflowing, health workers are burnt out...

My own mother doesn't think it affects anyone unless they have underlying health issues. One of their friends almost died from it (he's younger than I am). He went into a coma and then came out of it.

No words.

[nonsensical]

They limit your choices too.  Half of the vegetable offerings are organic, whether you want organic or not!!  (You dont get the choice of organic, it is all that is on the site for about 1/2 of the produce).

Do you have a way to communicate with the shopper outside of putting things in your cart on the app? For instance, Instacart lets you leave notes about possible replacements, and I've sometimes put the organic version in my cart and then typed them a note asking for the non-organic version if one is available. Or if you have a way to text the shopper when they're out, perhaps that might work?

[clean]

Do you have a way to communicate with the shopper outside of putting things in your cart on the app?

Im not aware of such options.  Also, it is not an ap per se. It is the stores website. You log in online and go from there. 

the more time i have had to think about it, the less likely that I am going to visit them either online or in person. 

Yesterday I got word that a family member's husband died of Covid.  (It was my uncle's widow's second husband.  He was 67.  He was hospitalized with Covid and while in the hospital had 2 strokes.  He was taken off life support on Monday).  The funeral is on hold as my aunt has Covid as well. 

So I am especially galled that the reply claims that they are trying to protect their partners and customers with a mask policy but do not enforce it (do protect their partners from the assholes.... especially when they are paying a private security company to park their car at the front door.  Why arent THEY doing the mask enforcement?

Anyway, Im sure that they wont miss my business. 

[FishProf]

Good News 1 - We are taking a survey of students to determine their preferences for Spring Classes.

Bad News - The Results came out today.  THREE FULL WEEKS after registration for the spring.  SIX FULL WEEKS after the Spring schedule was DUE.

Real helpful.  Thanks.

[mamselle]

Good News 1 - We are taking a survey of students to determine their preferences for Spring Classes.

Bad News - The Results came out today.  THREE FULL WEEKS after registration for the spring.  SIX FULL WEEKS after the Spring schedule was DUE.

Real helpful.  Thanks.

What did they choose?

M.

[FishProf]

Oh, a mix.

1/4 wanted remote only. 
1/4 wanted a mix. 
About a 1/3 wanted blended with a late start.
1/8 (ish) wanted f2f labs
1/2 would support hiflex.
Essentially no one wanted to cancel spring break (which we are 90% certain to do)

Of course, the questions were so poorly worded that no real meaning jumps out.  Enough fodder for all POVs to argue student support.

[AmLitHist]

Of course, the questions were so poorly worded that no real meaning jumps out.  Enough fodder for all POVs to argue student support.

More importantly,  like Admin here, they now have something shiny to wave around and say, "But, LOOK, we ASKED for faculty input! And see, they couldn't come to a consensus, so we're left to do what we wanted to do to begin with."

Right there with you, FishProf.  It gets old, fast.

[nonsensical]

Dear previously convenient retailer: If you make me jump through hoops to use your website, I will happily buy from elsewhere. That is in fact what I just did for my Christmas shopping.

Now that I've typed this out, it looks like something that could go on the "things I wish I could say" thread. But I did in fact say some version of this when calling said retailer to figure out their website, and I'm not sure if things that have actually been said qualify for that thread.

[EdnaMode]

I know the Postal Service has a bigger job this time of year than normal, but this started a while ago with our local delivery... mail that is several days to a week later than what is posted in the daily digest from Informed Delivery, when the mail is delivered, it can arrive anywhere from before 10 AM until after 8 PM, and leaving packages that don't fit in the mailbox in the recipient's driveway - not in any way, shape, or form acceptable. I've talked to my neighbors about it and we've all filled out the online forms, but have not received any response except the generic "thank you for your feedback" emails.

[kaysixteen]

I just got a birthday card today.   My birthday was last Monday.   The postmark, from Mississippi, was 24 Nov.   I do not think this would be a result whereof Ben Franklin would have approved.