Oh yeah brings back memories. These weren’t usual PC problems but much more complicated equipment. Customers would write their own software but we provided training and support. They would often wait till Friday afternoon at about 4PM to call for support.
“we had this problem for a few days but now we need your help”
Why didn’t you ask us earlier?
We thought we could figure it out but our production schedule says we need it working over the weekend.
Did you change anything in your program?
Maybe a few little things, not anything that should affect things…
@chienfou@pmarin Sometimes the “emergency” works in your favor.
I was once sent on an emergency trip to a big customer in Konstanz, Germany to diagnose/solve a problem they were having with our software. It was literally with only one day’s notice, but I was recently single again and free/ready to just drop everything and jump on a plane. Upon landing, the guy from the local support office who came to pick me up informed me that they had already found the problem and devised a fix. So I was housed in a beautiful old hotel (Villa Barleben am See) on the shores of Bodensee with nothing to do but enjoy the sights/sounds/food/beer for a week on the company’s Zehncentstück (dime).
Konstanz is a beautiful town. The border with Switzerland runs through the town - during the war they kept the lights on at night so the bombers couldn’t tell what was enemy and what was neutral territory. So the old buildings/churches/etc. remain intact.
I had arranged to stay for a second week to explore, so I spent that time checking out the sights of Switzerland.
So, yeah - sometimes emergencies can be fun!
@chienfou@ItalianScallion@Kyeh@macromeh yup the “lucky” was that. A new startup but with people I’d worked with in a previous company that got bought-out*, and most of the “good” people left.Then they said “we’re putting the band back together.” We had no international support people yet, so I was it, basically. I was working with a customer there but also training with a new-hire from Northern England. One of his favorite stories is from when they asked him can you fly to Malta for an interview and coming from cold rainy England was like of course! He was a character (in a good way) and in that town, which you see in the background, was told of course we know you; you’re the only strangers in town. It was not tourist season.
Ironically the same company bought us out again about 10 years later. It was a bit better the next time. Silicon Valley was a wild ride. Don’t think it’s the same anymore. That HBO show of that name though meant to be ironic was actually quite accurate.
@chienfou@ItalianScallion@Kyeh@pmarin
Interesting - I had a very similar experience working in the “Silicon Forest” of Oregon. Recruited out of college to a huge tech company, to a smaller tech company, to a startup, to retirement, spanning a career of 42 years of slinging bits. It was a good run .
Some of this reminds me of the BOFH and sadly real life too.
@yakkoTDI Except now PFY is visiting BOFH at the retirement home to get some answers, if he can make it past the booby traps.
KuoH
Oh yeah brings back memories. These weren’t usual PC problems but much more complicated equipment. Customers would write their own software but we provided training and support. They would often wait till Friday afternoon at about 4PM to call for support.
“we had this problem for a few days but now we need your help”
Why didn’t you ask us earlier?
We thought we could figure it out but our production schedule says we need it working over the weekend.
Did you change anything in your program?
Maybe a few little things, not anything that should affect things…
@pmarin
Repeat after me:
Lack of preparation on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.
@chienfou @pmarin Sometimes the “emergency” works in your favor.
I was once sent on an emergency trip to a big customer in Konstanz, Germany to diagnose/solve a problem they were having with our software. It was literally with only one day’s notice, but I was recently single again and free/ready to just drop everything and jump on a plane. Upon landing, the guy from the local support office who came to pick me up informed me that they had already found the problem and devised a fix. So I was housed in a beautiful old hotel (Villa Barleben am See) on the shores of Bodensee with nothing to do but enjoy the sights/sounds/food/beer for a week on the company’s Zehncentstück (dime).
Konstanz is a beautiful town. The border with Switzerland runs through the town - during the war they kept the lights on at night so the bombers couldn’t tell what was enemy and what was neutral territory. So the old buildings/churches/etc. remain intact.
I had arranged to stay for a second week to explore, so I spent that time checking out the sights of Switzerland.
So, yeah - sometimes emergencies can be fun!
@macromeh @pmarin
sometimes things just work out!
@chienfou @macromeh That sounds great. My best “punishment” was being stuck here for a few weeks.
/image Villa Potenziani Rieti overhead view
@chienfou @macromeh @pmarin Bellissima!
@chienfou @ItalianScallion @macromeh
@pmarin–How’d you get so “unlucky?”
@chienfou @ItalianScallion @Kyeh @macromeh yup the “lucky” was that. A new startup but with people I’d worked with in a previous company that got bought-out*, and most of the “good” people left.Then they said “we’re putting the band back together.” We had no international support people yet, so I was it, basically. I was working with a customer there but also training with a new-hire from Northern England. One of his favorite stories is from when they asked him can you fly to Malta for an interview and coming from cold rainy England was like of course! He was a character (in a good way) and in that town, which you see in the background, was told of course we know you; you’re the only strangers in town. It was not tourist season.
Ironically the same company bought us out again about 10 years later. It was a bit better the next time. Silicon Valley was a wild ride. Don’t think it’s the same anymore. That HBO show of that name though meant to be ironic was actually quite accurate.
It was a wild ride. Glad I retired.
@chienfou @ItalianScallion @Kyeh @pmarin
.
Interesting - I had a very similar experience working in the “Silicon Forest” of Oregon. Recruited out of college to a huge tech company, to a smaller tech company, to a startup, to retirement, spanning a career of 42 years of slinging bits. It was a good run