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10AM Doesn't Take Much to Offend People in Ohio
Female tech worker #1: I need muffins.
Male tech worker: I've got muffins.
Female tech worker #2: I bet you can have some of [male tech worker]'s muffins.
Female tech worker #3: All together now...
Male and females #2 and #3: Dirrrty!
5990 West Creek Road
Independence, Ohio
Overheard by: Geek Times Infinity
3PM I Wouldn't Wait
IT guy #1: Yeah, it's my grandmother's one hundredth birthday next March.
IT guy #2: Wow, really?
IT guy #1: Yup. I'm going to send her a strip-o-gram.
7th street and 7th Avenue
Calgary, Alberta
Canadia
11AM But Apparently Mom Needed That Medicine to Breathe...
IT girl on phone: ... So when she sent that e-mail saying 'ASAP,' I waited 'til five PM, just to be hateful.
4801 Main Street
Kansas City, Missouri
9AM Sacrilicious!
Tech, watching movie trailer online: Man, that's delicious. It's like drinking Jesus's sperm.
Hyde Park
Austin, Texas
12PM Or It's Turned On but Has an Alleged "Headache"
IT guy, on computer settings: If it isn't turned on, then it's probably turned off.
California
Overheard by: The breakroom
3PM Like You've Never Wondered?
Worker: Is the mailer-daemon a real person?
Tech: Really?
11766 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, California
3PM Or Something the Size of a Seed, Anyway
IT nerd to another: Yeah, it was just a banana hammock, but I never did much with it besides keep sunflower seeds in it and stuff.
Park Lane and Highway 75
Dallas, Texas
Overheard by: cherry
10AM ... Without Being Shot
IT guy: I feel for teachers, because it's not like the good old days when you could take kids under the stairwell and pummel them.
Bush Lake Road
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Overheard by: just trying to finish the day
5PM He Hit the "Escape" Key and Exploded
Programmer: Does anyone want a free, almost clean keyboard?
Tech support peon: Not until you tell us what you just 'almost cleaned' off of it.
Programmer: Jeff*.
Tech support peon: Uhhh, no thanks.
Islington, London
England
9AM Reader Poll: The Gum, the Women, or the Teeth?
Tech supporter #1: There's nothing you can't do in London.
Tech supporter #2: Yeah, it's like Tijuana without the Chiclets.
Wilsonville, Oregon
Overheard by: Neal
4PM The More Meetings We Have to Improve Things, the Worse Things Get
Tech manager: The sales manager cannot take that complaint call because he is preparing to go to a CRM meeting.
Tech supervisor: What is CRM?
Tech manager: Customer relations management.
Tech supervisor: Can you see the irony in that?
Tech manager: Well, they are having this meeting so that this sort of problem doesn't happen.
Tech supervisor: Can you see the irony in that, too?
Houston, Texas
3PM We Could Call It the Swoosh Command, Sir
IT manager: You know, every application needs a command like that: 'File, just do it.'
West 3rd Street
New York, New York
11AM Still Upset about the Caulking Incident
PC tech: How's your wife?
Printer tech: Pretty good. I tried to give her a massage last night, but she said that I couldn't.
PC tech: Why? My girl loves massages.
Printer tech: She said that I'll just end up filling up a hole, and she wasn't in the mood.
West Palm Beach, Florida
1PM My Hard Drive's Been Zionized
Bored tech guy: Can I help you?
Bimbette: Yeah, um, I need an update on my anti-Semitic virus program.
Bored tech guy: You mean 'Symantec'?
Bimbette: Yeah, that's what I said -- anti-Semitic.
Quinnipiac University
Hamden, Connecticut
2PM Well, Good Talking in Your General Direction
Programmer #1: Do you watch Maggie and the Ferocious Beast?
Programmer #2: [Silence.]
Programmer #1: Well, Hamilton is the pig. I don't know his last name, but he's the pig in the show.
Programmer #2: [Silence.]
100 Larrabee Road
Westbrook, Maine
9AM Beats the Hell Out of Watching Dancing with the Stars
Tech #1: So, why did the cops pick you up, again? For dressing like a transvestite?
Tech #2: Nah, for hitting my girlfriend. She clocked me back, though, and by the time the cops pulled up we were already making out.
W 28th Street
New York, New York
1PM Every Office Has Its Own Oral History
Office tech, fiddling with printer: I'm still getting that sensor dustiness error.
Office bimbette: Oh! I know how to fix that! You have to open it up and blow. Just give it a good blow and then it's fine!
922 3rd Street
Sedro-Wolley, Washington
Overheard by: T-Rex
3PM Slightly below That Monkey Who Typed Shakespeare
IT guy: There's a spectrum between those who are completely illiterate and those who are completely literate, and the people who write the news are somewhere in-between.
Tonopah, Arizona
Overheard by: AndyDan
2PM Dear Diary, My Plan Worked! Off to Buy Tequila.
Tech director to stagehand in pink jacket: Okay, new rule -- you can come to work drunk, but you can't dress up.
Washington Park
Albany, New York
4PM Or So They Say on the North Shore
Programmer #1: Can you kill the parent without killing the child nodes?
Programmer #2: I don't think so.
Sales guy: It's always good to get rid of the witnesses.
Boston, Massachusetts
Overheard by: sales guy's neighbor
12PM My Money's Still on the Chimpanzee
IT guy: Who do you think would win in a fight, Daffy or Donald Duck?
Sales manager: Hmmm...
IT guy: You know, never mind. You're too biased.
Union Square
New York, New York
2PM Nowhere Near "Jews for Jesus" Level, Though
IT guy to another: Gay Republicans are a little more weird than Gary*.
Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, California
12PM You Know That's Only Allowed on Casual Fridays
IT tech #1: What are you doing over there?
IT tech #2: We're blowing people.
Waterview Parkway
Dallas, Texas
Overheard by: Dont_want_to_know
12PM Translation: I Don't Want to Understand Computers
Tech guy: The mouse won't work if it's off.
Coworker: You said reboot! I thought that meant to turn the computer off. I don't understand computers.
Midtown
New York, New York
3PM God, You Techies Are No Fun
IT guy: Hey, Kelly* just showed me her slingbox.
Boss: Reeeally?
It guy: Yeah. It works fine and everything, but I wouldn't pay for it.
Boss: If you get her drunk she'll give it to you for free!
It guy: Ohhh... I think we're talking about different things...
Boss: Reeeally?
Bay Area, California
Overheard by: Would get sick of it anyway...
4PM Sure, She Meets Lots of New People, but She Doesn't Get Their Names
Development manager: ... So then I told my wife that even if we raised our granddaughter she could still end up like her mother. I mean, she doesn't have tattoos, but she does drugs and she's a tramp.
IT analyst: Don't call your daughter a tramp, that's not nice!
Development manager: Why not? She sleeps with every Tom, Dick and Harry!
IT analyst: At least she has a social life.
1600 South 900 West
Salt Lake City, Utah
Overheard by: Jealous
2PM Sorry, It Was Damaged in Transit
FedEx man: There are a lot of you women hanging around the front desk today.
Vet tech: We're all just waiting to fight over your package.
99th Street and Leavenworth Road
Kansas City, Kansas
Overheard by: Christina
11AM But Count Me In!
IT guy #1: It seriously sounded like someone was drowning a midget [makes high-pitched gargling noises].
IT guy #2, just walking in from hall: Whoa, that's not a conversation I'm normally apart of.
Richmond, Virginia
11AM And Mess with My Tried and True Regime of FreeCell and Internet Porn?
Exasperated IT guy #1: Don't you have something better to do?!
IT guy #2: Yeah, but I'm not going to do it.
390 Benmar Drive
Houston, Texas
10AM Popcorn Kernels (You Pervs)
IT help desk: Mine are nothing like yours. Yours get so fluffy when I put them in my mouth.
500 Howard Street
San Francisco, California
11AM It's the Stooges, on Conference Call
Tech on phone: Hello, sir, I'm calling to-- Yes, hello, this is Aaron* from-- Yes, hello, I'm calling to verify an order you placed wi-- Don't say 'hello' again! I know you can hear me!
216 Mitch Lane
Hopkinsville, Kentucky
12PM Unlike These Ammunition Rounds, Which Are Totally Still Live
X-ray machine attendant, picking stuffed panda up off belt: This one's dead... He didn't make it through the machine.
Airport
Los Angeles, California
5PM I'll Refer You to the Hackers' Bible...
IT guy: I don't know about your god, but my god says it's okay.
Stamford, Connecticut
10AM It Only Solves the Back End of the Problem
Engineer #1: Why on Earth do we have to use this?
IT worker: We're committed to using our own solution.
Engineer #1: Yeah, I understand the dog food rationale.
Engineer #2: The problem is that it's not dog food. It's kitty litter.
401 Elliott Avenue West
Seattle, Washington
5PM You Mean the Planter?
Blonde salesgirl on phone with IT: My computer is not working.
IT guy: Did you plug everything in right?
Blonde salesgirl: Yes! Of course! The light is on, but nothing's happening. [IT guy goes to her office, bends over, presses power button and walks out.] But the light was on!
IT guy: That's your screen. The computer is the big box on the floor.
Office, Meilleur Street
Montreal
Canadia
Overheard by: ID-10-T
9AM Like My Wedding
IT guy: Someone better jump out of a cake later and scream, 'Gender surprise'!
Silverlake, California
10AM In What Capacity, I Will Not Say
IT manager: Sometimes when I'm down and nothing makes any sense, I just pretend I work for Emeril Lagasse.
West Village
New York, New York
2PM The Army Thanked Me for My Service and Discharged Me
IT guy: ... And then I took off all my clothes and ran at them screaming. They were shooting at me but couldn't hit me.
Tysons Corner
Virginia
10AM They Always Do, Though
Tech support on phone to customer: You know what you just did? Yeah, never do that again.
Rockville, Maryland
4PM That's What the White House Staff Is For
Tech: Sometimes I think George* has never been on the Internet.
9155 West Sunset Boulevard
West Hollywood, California
10AM The Less I Know, the Better, Actually
Overpaid IT guy: Well, I'm here to help, but don't expect me to know what's going on.
San Francisco, California
2PM That's What You Said about Auto Theft
Tech steward: Daniel Radcliffe -- I'd rob that cradle.
Receptionists: Ewww!
Tech steward: Whatever. He's legal in Britain.
22nd and Walnut Streets
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Overheard by: Emily G
11AM A Move Known As "The IT Sidestep"
Temp: We found some old mice in the trashcan. I don't really think they belong in there.
Tech guy: I think that's a problem for facilities. Are they dead or alive?
Maryville, Tennessee
Overheard by: Cinderella
9AM Pastriform Encephalopathy
Tech #1: I'm starving. I should live off of my excess fat, like a doughboy.
Tech #2: I've never seen the Pillsbury Doughboy eat. He's always right by food but never takes any.
Tech #1: Exactly... Hey, do you think if he ate a biscuit he would get the doughboy version of mad cow?
109 T.W. Alexander Drive
Durham, North Carolina
4PM Or Possibly a More Competent Lawyer
Programmer #1: I don't think my brother has been out of jail for Christmas or his birthday for the last six years.
Programmer #2: Maybe you should get him a subscription to Playboy?
Programmer #1: I was thinking cigarettes.
Tech center
Denver, Colorado
Overheard by: so glad I'm not related
2PM IT: It's Amazing How Often That Works
Worker on phone: Hi, Amy*, this is Emily* in editorial. Are you new back there?
IT chick: Yeah.
Worker: Okay, well, I'm having a problem with my phone. I just got a new phone with a caller ID screen on it, but when I get calls the screen is blank. Is there some button I have to push, or...?
IT chick: Well, why don't you try unplugging the phone and then plugging it back in. I'll stay on the line.
Worker: Um...
120 West 1st Avenue
Mesa, Arizona
Overheard by: Big Ideas
1PM ... It's Still Fresh! Unbelievable!
Tech: When you open a Ziploc to find a severed hand...
Owings Mills, Maryland
3PM Well within Their Ability to Bleed to Death
Engineer: So, this system should give the operators a maximum of 200 blisters per minute.
Cambridge, Ontario
Canadia
3PM Review: Lacks Intuition
Tech #1: Phew! I just spent hours grabbing screenshots to show the manager what I've been doing.
Tech #2: Umm... You know he's blind, right?
Tech #1: So... I should send a note instead?
Charlotte, North Carolina
Overheard by: Not involved - really!
4PM They Revoked His Geek Credentials That Same Day
Office worker: I can't get into MAS. My codes aren't working.
Tech, after trying to enter codes: What the fuck? Now the numbers aren't even coming up.
Office worker, five minutes later: Uh, dude, you're using my calculator.
Tech: Son of a bitch!
Illinois
Overheard by: G$
11AM Would You Like Some Candy?
IT guy: Pretty much everyone who works here is either a computer geek or a pedophile.
HR lady walking by: Hey, I'm not a computer geek.
Richmond Hill
Ontario
Canadia
12PM Um, Fire-Retardant, Bullet-Proof Paper Bags
Angry old engineer: Goddammit! This company couldn't engineer its way out of a paper bag with a fucking uzi and a blowtorch! What the fuck is it that we do around here?!
5634 University Avenue
Denver, Colorado
2PM Well, Sir, That's Really What the Back Colon Is For
IT guy: So you don't want everyone to have access?
Boss: I just don't want anyone to be able to type slash, back colon, or whatever, and the system goes for a shite.
IT guy: Ya.
Toronto
Canadia
Overheard by: Define Back Colon
5PM It's Clogged! Get the Plunger!
Tech #1: Have you read the email from the project managers?
Tech #2: Yes, I have. Would you like to create the reply?
Tech #1: Are you asking me to flush out the stupid?
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
11AM Betty: Yet Another Ingenious Excuse to Get Out of Working
Tech guy: Yeah, Betty* left a Post-it at my desk because her computer was broken -- it wouldn't turn on, but then when I got there it seemed to be fine.
HR rep: Oh, she actually came to me about it so I just left the Post-it for her just in case, but I'm pretty sure the reason it wouldn't turn on was because she was pressing the big round Dell symbol instead of the start button.
5700 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, California
Overheard by: I can turn on my computer
9AM The Global War on Terror Hits Another Snag
Tech #1: There. Translations are done. All nine languages.
Tech #2: That was fast. I didn't even know you spoke Arabic much less any of the others.
Tech #1: It's easy -- just highlight the text and change the font.
Tech #2: What?!
Tech #1: Yeah. We should hear back from the Army in a day or so. I went ahead and sent the new files off.
Tech #2: [Huge sigh.]
2000 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
Atlanta, Georgia
5PM Zebra X: Sticking It to the Horse
IT guy: The serial number is T as in 'Thomas,' X as in 'zebra...'
Ephrata, Washington
Overheard by: Lost in Space
12PM They Never Did, You Sick Poser
Tech: I wonder if Bert and Ernie still share a bed.
555 International Way
Springfield, Oregon
8AM Celebrity Wit
After four years of documenting the insights of the Unknown Man in the Street,
we're branching out and documenting the insights of the Celebrity, too. Let
us know what you think of our new site, Celebrity Wit, by e-mailing us at
hatemail@overheardinnewyork.com or lovemail@overheardinnewyork.com
Team Overheard
10AM We May Have Lost Our Laser-like Focus on the Customer, Though
IT guy #1: So, Stan* is trying to bring some cohesiveness to our group...
IT guys #2 and #3: [Laughing.]
IT guy #1: No, I think it's working. Because now we're all like, 'Fuck you, Stan.'
1135 64th Avenue
SE Calgary
Alberta, Canadia
4PM And 12-Year-Olds Killed in Terrorist Attacks
Tech guy: You know, I was thinking the other day -- you know how when these terrorists die, they think they're getting, like, 40 virgins? Well, it occurred to me that the only virgins up there will be all these 80-something-year-old nuns...
Corporate Drive
Orangeburg, New York
Overheard by: amused temp
4PM No Matter What, Dick Cheney's In!
IT guy #1: What is boxing day, anyway?
IT guy #2: Well, I Wikipedia-ed it and could only gather that it either has to do with killing birds, beating up servant girls, or selling off Christmas stuff nobody wants.
650 Park Avenue
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
Overheard by: Dani
10AM Arthur Murray Reconsiders His Business Plan
IT guy: What do you mean you've never shot a gun? You never made your friends dance by shooting at their feet?
915 Broadway
New York, New York
2PM ... Impotence, Incontinence, Flatulence, Priapism...
Training instructor: You should not upgrade the software right when a patch comes out. Sometimes it may have bugs.
Student: So, it's like when you take a drug, sometimes it can have side effects like---
Training instructor: Yeah, but let's keep the discussion focused on software.
Student: ---Throwing up, vomiting...
Training instructor: Uh, yeah.
Madison, Alabama
5PM God, I Love My Job
Engineer: It might be dangerous if it ignites, so I think I should heat it up to 600 degrees and see if it catches on fire.
1190 4th Street
Ontario, California
11AM Sure, Hog the Brain Damage
Lab tech finding other scientists spraying glue: Ahhh! Free isocyanates!
Scientist: Get out of here!
Rockland, Maryland
Overheard by: Chemdork
5PM Don't Have an AutoFit
Tech support assisting with Excel: Whoa! No, no, no, no! I said I was going to adjust your columns, not kill you!
Trilegiant office
Trumbull, Connecticut
Overheard by: Redfox Alpha
9AM Note to Self: Remove Foot from Mouth. Insert Banana.
IT guy #1: Oops, I dropped my banana.
IT guy #2: Well, that's the great thing about peelable fruit -- the inside is safe.
IT guy #1: Yeah, you can put it anywhere.
555 W 112th Avenue
Northglenn, Colorado
9AM Me Neither. Isn't Advertising Cool?
Art director: Don't you have to be educated to do your job?
IT guy: Nope.
11 E 26th Street
New York, New York
Overheard by: Jeremy
4PM Apparently He Never Went Drinking with College Girls
Hardware tech #1: He probably covered the screwdriver in vaseline and lit it on fire.
Hardware tech #2: Actually, it was a woman. I mean, how dangerous can a woman with a screwdriver be?
460 Hillside Street
Needham, Massachusetts
Overheard by: S. Griffin
2PM The Course Was 'Unleash Your Psychic Powers'
IT manager on phone: You're right, ma'am. Yes, that is entirely our fault. We should have explained that you'll need to have a computer to teach a course online.
Denver Tech Center
Denver, Colorado
Overheard by: rev_matt
9AM Still Curious about the Gasoline, George?
Computer nerd: Last night I had to set my monkey on fire.
California State University
Northridge, California
Overheard by: Scott
10AM Meeting at NewKink Development Corporation
Manager: So, can we finally take his picture off the home page?
Developer: What's the matter? Do you have something against nipples?
Manager: I don't even like the word 'nipples.' 'Butter,' that's another word I don't like.
Developer: You should meet a friend of mine. She doesn't like the word 'goggles'.
Centre St
New York
1PM An Irate Number 8 Refused to Fund Future Episodes of Sesame Street
Accounts payable tech: It's the letter eight. I mean the number eight.
6430 S. Fiddler's Green Circle
Denver, Colorado
2PM Jobs: Aha! We'll Start Attaching a kid to the 50GB Models. They'll Sell Like Hotcakes
IT woman #1: How do you work this thing?
IT guy #1: What is it? An iPod?
IT woman #1: Yeah, I'm trying to restart it but I don't know how.
IT guy #3: Ctrl, alt, delete!
IT woman #1: Don't any of you have iPods to help me out?
IT guy #2: I'll call my kids.
Maersk Offices
Algate, London
9AM Actually, That's What Happened to My Ankles
Sales guy: How can you sit like that? It's disgusting.
Information specialist: I have weak ankles. I'm sorry I disgust you.
Sales guy: You don't disgust me, just the way you sit. Besides, you're always making fun of my women.
Information specialist: Say, do you have one of those auto-lifts in your bedroom?
Sales guy: I see what you're saying. Because I like big women.
Information specialist: I mean, in case you get pinned or something.
Sales guy: Funny thing is, I know how to maneuver one of those, from a previous job.
Information specialist: I'll take that as a yes.
Washington DC
2PM What Happens When You Think About Things that Don't Bear Thinking About
IT guy: Oh, good I'm back to the top of your favorite people list.
Sales assistant: What? William* the hot A/C guy got bumped down?
IT guy: William's gone; he's off the list.
Sales guy: Isn't William a gerbil?
Sales assistant: That's my gerbil! We're talking about the A/C guy now.
Sales guy: Ask Peter* about gerbil; he likes 'em.
IT guy: Ed breeds the gerbils.
Sales guy: I breed them just for you. Hairless, clawless gerbils.
Peter: Edsgerbils.com!
Sales guy: You don't want one with claws..
Peter: Go to Edsgerbils.com to get your hairless gerbils.
Sales guy: Don't forget clawless... you don't want one with claws.
Office Manager: Stop with the gerbils.
Sales guy, to himself: No... don't want one with claws....
8220 England Street
Charlotte, North Carolina
1PM So Anyway, Whatever Problem You're Having Is Your Fault. Questions?
Techie, answering phone: Hello, this is Brenda*...No, I wasn't just speaking to someone on the phone... I'm positive; I work in IT so I rarely talk to anyone.
100 Sylvan Road
Woburn, Massachusetts
Overheard by: June Bug
5PM Sorry, I Don't Bi That
Control room guy: I'm sorry, but if you get a hard-on from another guy, YOU'RE GAY. You can't just say you were just acting. DeNiro couldn't even act that well.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
12PM Either That or a Pair of Pants
Maintenance tech #1: Animal Control is on the way to remove the dead skunk carcass. I'll let you know when they get here.
Maintenance tech #2: Uh, go ahead and call them back and tell them not to come. We checked it out and it's a used banana peel.
Maintenance tech #1: Ten-four.
6400 Legacy Drive
Plano, Texas
Overheard by: Shaking Head
9AM The Godfather: It Should Really Go at the Feet
Guy: Facedown in cement... it just doesn't do you any good.
Applied Physics Lab
Maryland
Overheard by: scared
3PM Well, You Guys Are the Engineers, So If You Say It Needs to Be Made out of Platinum...
Tech: So do you think that we should go for this project?
Boss: Absolutely. The client is ridiculously stupid, but they are open-minded.
Bishopsgate, London
Overheard by: whyamIhere?
5PM He Could Trip on a Tampon at Any Moment!
Techie guy #1: You know how my friends Jason and Mike rode their bikes to Mexico and then to Costa Rica to play poker?
Techie guy #2: Yeah.
Techie guy #1: Well, Mike's living with this girl he met in Mexico.
Techie guy #2: Is that safe?
11000 Regency Parkway
Cary, North Carolina
12PM Canadians Keep Zoloft in the Water Supply For Moments Like This
CSR on speakerphone: Hey, when am I going to get my email fixed? I have things that I need to send out to clients.
IT guy: Oh, yeah, we sent you an email requesting some more information. We need you to send that email back before we can fix your issue...Hello? Are you sending that email?
CSR disconnects the call.
CSR: I'm going on break now.
1616 27th Avenue NE
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
9AM Learn to See Delay as a Gift of Time
Tech: Are you all set on the pdf server now?
Client: Yes, I think so. Is it supposed to be so fugging slow uploading pdfs onto the ftp site?
Tech: Yup! That's a feature.
Client: Neat. Thanks.
111 South 1st Avenue
Wausau, Wisconsin
3PM Is He Related to That Blonde Kid Who Plays Guitar on the Disney Channel?
Tech guy #1: Jimmy Carter's son has a MySpace page.
Tech guy #2: Who the hell is Jimmy Carter?
600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC
10AM We're Still Trying to Get the Pope to Stop Using the Abacus
Techie: I'm sorry about the delay. We're using a new system, and I liked the old system. I'm a creature of habit and resist change.
Customer: Tell me about it; I'm with the Archdiocese.
555 International Way
Springfield, Oregon
4PM So, Similar to Washing Down a Whole Bottle of Tylenol With a Fifth of Jack Daniels
IT nerd #1: Well, it's kinda like when you are on shrooms.
IT nerd #2: Um...
IT nerd #1: Okay, well, same thing as LSD.
IT nerd #2: I have never tried that either.
IT nerd #1: Peyote?
IT nerd #2: No...
IT nerd #1: Mescaline?
IT nerd #2: I have never tried illegal drugs.
IT nerd #1: Okay, well, it's kinda like quickly drinking 8 or 9 bottles of NyQuil.
IT nerd #2: Oooohhh, okay. That I've done. Now I understand.
Elevator
2-3-14 Shinagawa-ku
Tokyo, Japan
Overheard by: Brian Milvid
3PM Nothing in the KGB's Training Had Prepared Colonel Volkov For the Mystery of American Names
IT person: Usually the email address is just the first initial, then the employee's last name.
Salesguy: Oh, okay...What's John Smith's last name again?
Columbia, South Carolina
5PM I Tried Putting a Floppy in Her Once...Nothing
Computer guy #1: I can't see the hard drive on this network.
Computer guy #2: Well, the problem is that the disk isn't mounted. First you have to mount Claire*.
Claire: Hey!
Computer guy #2: Claire is the name of the office hard drive.
701 South Mount Vernon Avenue
San Bernardino, California
Overheard by: Amused
11AM Tonight on SportsChat: Wankers Talk Wanking
Designer: Gosh, I just hate when you're watching a porn and they cut to the guy's face. It's always such an unfortunate time. I should write a letter of complaint.
IT guy: Yeah, if you only had a free hand.
Leverington Avenue
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Overheard by: JB
9AM I Think the Motherboard Is Pregnant
Suit: Help desk? My computer went down on me.
Tech support: Please hold on. [Places suit on speaker phone] Can you repeat that?
Suit: My computer went down on me!
Tech support, with entire support team laughing in the background: So, what's the problem?
3 2nd Street
Jersey City, New Jersey
Overheard by: Hobo Whisperer
10AM Margene, Are You Available? Oh, That's Right, You're the Bride.
Production Tech: Oh that's right, I forgot, someone else is going to have to pick up Dillon* on Friday. I'm gonna go get married.
859 Cotting Court
Vacaville, California
4PM Why IT Dude Is Regularly Beaten Up
Deputy: There was a wreck this weekend where a guy hit a tree at 60 miles per hour. Ripped off the right side of his head. You could actually see inside his skull. We never could find his brain, though.
Project manager: Did it kill him?
IT dude: Nope, he is walking around, managing projects.
US Highway 69/75
Oklahoma
Overheard by: Firewall
5PM The Founder of National E-Mail Right to Life Couldn't Even Delete Viagra Spam
Old-man employee: I am having problems with e-mail.
IT guy: What's wrong?
Old-man employee: I have got thousands of e-mails in my inbox and cannot send anything out 'cause I think the virus that is causing me to get all these e-mails is going to be spread to others.
IT guy: You don't have a virus.
Old-man employee: But I have thousands of e-mails. But I guess they are beautiful to watch.
Raleigh, North Carolina
Overheard by: Alyn
11AM As Close to a Date as I.T. Guy Will Ever Get
I.T. desk guy: Can I help you?
Annoyed studentess: Is this where you're supposed to go to change your grades?
I.T. desk guy: Afraid not. You'll want to try Professor Lucifer. He's in office 666.
Annoyed studentess: Oh, okay. So that's on the sixth floor?
Aderhold Center, Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia
Overheard by: Iain M.
10AM That Jerk Owes Me Money!
Customer: What country are you from?
Tech: I'm from England, ma'am.
Customer: Oh. Did you know Princess Diana?
Tech: No, sorry. I'm afraid I didn't.
Customer: What about Paul McCartney?
Circuit City
Peoria, Illinois
Overheard by: Chris
3PM Honey Bunches of Retrovirus
Tech #1: Did you see this consumer complaint? "Your cereal gave me herpes and AIDS." I guess we're giving out AIDS as a special promotion.
Tech #2: We're putting blood in the product now?
Tech #1: Knowing this place, more likely it's semen.
901 East Whitmore
Modesto, California
Overheard by: Changing my breakfast plans
11AM Crystal Ball
Boss on phone with IT: How do I see my future emails?
1246 Princeton Street
Akron, Ohio
10AM Control Room
Database administrator #1: You can either spend half a day showing them how to do it and another three weeks constantly answering questions, or you can just take half an hour and write the code for them.
Database administrator #2: Well, we should teach them how to fish instead of just feeding them every day!
Database administrator #1: You can teach them how to fish, but they still won't know how to write code.
880 Carillon Parkway
St. Petersburg, Florida
5PM That's a Wrap
Customer: Is Office 2003 the latest version of Office that's out?
Salesperson: Yeah, they most likely won't come out with a new version until Vista is released, which should be about the end of the year.
Customer: What's that?
Salesperson: Vista?
Customer: Yeah, Rista? What is that? Is that the new Office?
Salesperson: No, Vista is the new operating system that's coming out. Last I heard Microsoft was planning to release it near the end of this year.
Customer: Microsoft's going to sell computers now?
Salesperson: No, Vista is the operating system that gets installed on computers. It's what makes your computer run.
Customer: Oh, yeah, I knew that already. Are you going to be carrying Microsoft's new computers?
Willard Building
State College, Pennsylvania
1PM System Overload
CSR on phone: Help desk, this is James*.
[pause]
CSR: I am sorry, this is the PC and phone help desk. Sounds like you need the facilities help desk if a toilet is stopped up.
[pause]
CSR: Okay sir, I understand, but you need facilites, not the help desk.
[long pause]
CSR: Okay, is it a Windows toilet or a Unix toilet?
Customer, now on speakerphone: Well, there are no windows in this bathroom, so I guess it must be a Unix toilet.
CSR: Okay, I will get a Unix toilet specialist there as soon as we can. Which building and bathroom is it?
[pause]
CSR: Thanks.
[CSR hangs up]
CSR back on phone: Hello, facilities? This is James at the PC help desk. Yeah, I have a doozy for you...try not to laugh...
730 International Parkway
Richardson, Texas
Overheard by: El Gee
5PM That's a Wrap
Tech support: Can you tell if it's an Ethernet cable or a phone cable?
Customer: How do I tell?
Tech support: Well, if you hold it up to the cable attached to your phone and you look at the plug, if it looks the same, you've got a phone cable. If it's bigger, it's probably Ethernet.
Customer: Oh cool. Let me look.
Tech support: WAIT! [dial tone]
711 Boylston Street
Boston, Massachusetts
11AM Tech Support
Customer rep on phone: No, ma'am. I'm sorry but I can't come to your room and fix your equipment....because I'm not on the third floor. I'm in Denver and you're in San Francisco.
11400 Westmoor
Denver, Colorado
Overheard by: losing patience
9AM Back to Work
Office-wide voicemail from IT person: Attention all H Street associates. The network will be down beginning at 10am...10pm...shit! [Hangs up]
1717 H Street NW
Washington, DC
Overheard by: Hamshank Houghmagandie
2PM Back from Site Visit
Sales guy: How'd the trip go?
IT guy: Went pretty well. Almost had to send your branch manager home though.
Sales guy: Ha, why?
IT guy: After we loaded up all the inventory in an Excel spreadsheet, he kept sorting it wrong. He'd sort just one column. It would scramble the whole thing up and we'd have to delete it and start all over. He did that three times before I banned him from Excel.
Sales guy: You banned him?
IT guy: I banned him.
8220 England Street
Charlotte, North Carolina
11AM To Hear Your Messages
Voicemail: Hello, this is Joe* from engineering, I'm having a problem with my computer, and was told you could help me out. It appears that there is a problem with my fixed dick...er, ficked disk, fisk dick.
[pause]
FIXED DISK.....
4747 Harrison Avenue
Rockford, Illinois
9AM Back to Work
Visiting IT guy: You want some crack? Oh, I can get you some crack. You should have said something, I was at Pawley's Island this weekend and had a boatload.
Assistant: Hmm, and you are on crack now. I see your hands are not shaking from withdrawal. Get out of my cubicle.
8220 England Street
Charlotte, North Carolina
12PM Lunch
Developer: "I'm sorry I gave you herpes." They have a card for everything.
8920 Pershall Avenue
Hazelwood, Missouri
3PM Smoke Break
Jr. Developer: What we need is an alien invasion.
Deveveloper #11: We have one. Mexicans.
Jr. Developer: [sigh] What we need is an extraterrestrial alien invasion.
Developer #2: Boy, you sure have it out for the aliens.
Developer #1: I can't help it. I'm a xenophobe.
Jr. Developer: The whole world is xenophobic. We need the extraterrestrial invasion in order to unite the globe and to make us stop fighting amongst ourselves.
Developer #1: Until after they left.
Jr. Developer: No, because they came from space, there could always be more of them. As paranoid humans, we have to hunt them down and exterminate them all in order to protect ourselves.
Pause
Jr. Developer: Besides, they might have oil.
501 Corporate Centre Drive
Franklin, Tennessee
Overheard by: Brian
5PM That's a Wrap
Male developer: I want to make sure the data loaded correctly, pardon me if I'm a bit anal
Female project manager: I enjoy anal.
2025 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio
1PM Application Support
Support tech on headset: Ok, so do you have the application loaded on your handheld now?
45 second pause
Support tech: Sir, sir, excuse me, sir, it was a yes or no question.
1521 Pacific Avenue
Santa Cruz, California
2PM IT Visit
IT guy sneezes several times.
IT guy: I think I'm allergic to the flowers on this screen.
Nearby blonde: Really? You can change the screen saver if you want.
Paddington Street, Paddington
Sydney, Australia
Overheard by: Jane Kenny
10AM Software Shopping
IT: If we're going to upgrade, what would be the difference between versions 7.1 and 6.5?
Manager: .6
5301 Bolsa Avenue
Huntington Beach, California
Overheard by: Adam Westrich
4PM Error Message
Computer tech: how often you clean your hard drive?
Customer: Once in a while, but I always use Windex.
27 Scotch Road
Trenton, New Jersey
Overheard by: chris doan
9AM Back to Work
Engineer: I have this weird beeping signal on my phone. Do I need to dial a 1 when calling this number?
Tech support guy takes the phone and hits redial.
Tech support guy: No. That is a busy signal.
5032 South Ash Avenue
Tempe, Arizona
2PM Network Check
IT guy: Let me make sure everything is kosher with the server.
Brand manager: Do you need a rabbi for that?
IT guy: All the servers come with a rabbi chip now.
259 Granby Street
Norfolk, Virginia
11AM Tech Services
Director: Here's the travel laptop I'm returning. Can you delete some of the files I put on there?
IT Manager: Yeah, sure, I'll clean it out. I better not find any pubic hairs stuck in the keyboard.
1100 L Street NW
Washington, DC
9AM Back to Work
Boss: Did you have a computer ethics class in college?
Programmer: [Scoffs] There is no ethics, it's a computer.
10 Salt Creek Lane
Hinsdale, Illinois
Overheard by: Bill Dwyer
2PM Update Database
SysAdmin: What users do you want me to move to the Gig Harbor office?
User on speaker: [Melinda] from Kirkland.
SysAdmin: I show [Melinda] as being in Reno.
User on speaker: Oh, maybe that's her sister.
SysAdmin: Her sister is also named [Melinda]?...Hello?
User on speaker: Can I call you back on that?
8655 South Eastern Avenue
Las Vegas, Nevada
10AM Application Performance Testing
Tester #1: This kinda seems like that Olivia Newton-John video for Let's Get Physical, don't you think?
Tester #2: No.
901 Lakeside Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio
Overheard by: mr.doitall
10AM Update PR File
CTO: My interview article is in USA Today!
Programer: Can you send me the link? Never mind, I'll just Google "USA Today".
600 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, California
2PM Find My Hole Puncher--Again
Network Administrator: I'm like a successful pimp. I punch three hos at a time!
859 Cotting Court
Vacaville, California
5PM That's a Wrap
CSR: Did you look at the fax machine?
Tech: Yes, it's gorgeous!
203 Floral Vale Boulevard
Yardley, Pennsylvania
10AM Send Intern Out for New Equipment
IT: My vibrator doesn't work; I think it's worn out...On my phone! On my phone! The vibrate function on my phone doesn't work! Oh, god.
140 Research Boulevard
Madison, Alabama
Overheard by: map ref 41n 93w
11AM File Report
User: My computer won't turn on.
Tech: The tower is missing. How do you expect to use a computer someone stole?
User: Well, they left the keyboard, mouse and monitor. Is that something?
498 7th Avenue
New York, NY
5PM That's a Wrap
Product Manager: You know, I don't like playing dumb.
IT: Yeah, well, I don't either, but sometimes I just have to.
6475 SW Fallbrook Place
Beaverton, Oregon
4PM Get Janet to Redo Brochures
Tech: You can't save with Adobe Reader. You have to have Professional to save what you enter in the form.
Sales Assistant: But I have 6.0.
Tech: Yes, but in Reader. You have to have Professional.
Sales Assistant: So I can't save?
Tech: Right.
Sales Assistant: But I have 6.0.
Tech: That doesn't matter. You still can't save the form.
Sales Assistant: But I have 6.0.
Tech: In Reader. You have to have Professional to save the data you enter in the form. Reader won't let you save changes to a PDF.
Sales Assistant: Okay. But I have 6.0. Why can't I save with that?
12100 I-40 East
Amarillo, Texas
1PM Lunch
Programming #1: I totally didn't realize he was holding a bong.
Programming #2: That explains why the smores thing was funny.
11951 Freedom Drive
Reston, Virginia
2PM Call Technician
Copier Technician: Sir, your software isn't compatible with this machine. It's outdated.
Offie Manager: Well, the sales guy promised it would work.
Copier Technician: Did you try it out before you bought it?
Office Manager: No, I trusted the sales guy that it would do what he said it would do.
Copier Technician: Well, this isn't the first time you've dealt with a sales person, is it? When I make a significant purchase, I try it before I sign the contract.
Office Manager: How you ever going to get married, son?
Copier Technician: Sorry?
Office Manager: I said how you ever going to get married?
Copier Technician: I am married, sir.
Office Manager: Well, did you try out your wife before you got married?
Copier Technician: What?
310 Dorla Court
Zephyr Cove, Nevada
1PM Lunch
Manager: These monitors that you are getting rid of; are they any good?
Tech: They are a little fuzzy.
Manager: "A little fuzzy"? What's "a little fuzzy"?
Tech: You know, like a hamster.
90 Sherman Street
Cambridge, Massachusetts
5PM That's a Wrap
Analyst: It's ten minutes 'til beer o' clock!
535 Routes 6 & 209
Milford, Pennsylvania
12PM Reboot Servers
Unix Admin #1: Hey [Garth], are you hung?
Unix Admin #2: Yeah, I would say that we all are.
8001 Development Drive
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
Overheard by: El Gee
10AM Call Repairman
Telecom guy: Hi, I'm here to fix [Barry]'s phone
[Larry]: It's [Larry], actually.
Telecom guy: Whatever.
International Broadcast Center
via Nizza
Torino, Italy
Overheard by: jk
11AM Update Site
User: We want a tutorial on the website's front page so we know how to use the website.
Tech: Well, from the front page, you just click on "Help"...
User: Yes, but we want the instructions themselves on the front page.
Tech: I'm sorry, no. The user's only allowed to be so stupid here. They can click on the help button.
User: Oh, okay!
695 Palmer Drive
Raleigh, North Carolina
11AM Order Safe
Tech #1: Can I have the key to the IDF closet?
Tech #2: I don't have it, it's in the lockbox.
Tech #1: Well then, can I have the key to the lockbox?
Tech #2: It's not locked.
20800 Harvard Road
Cleveland, Ohio
4PM QA
User: I don't want a customer to be able to login and they might guess that their password is "welcome."
Tech: We can change it to, let's say, "monkey123."
User: Well, what if they guess "monkey123"?
4 Columbus Circle
New York, NY
9AM Back to Work
Secretary: Something's wrong with my computer. I think it's broken.
IT: Your monitor is off.
201 Forrester Drive
Greenville, South Carolina
4PM Work on Server
Dev #1: Why would we ever deny the faculty access to Moodle?
Dev #2: We might have always cut the ends off a ham because our mom taught us to.
Dev #1: ...
1600 Clarkson Road
Chesterfield, Missouri
1PM Lunch
IT #1: She's a nut.
IT #2: Most people are.
IT #1: What kinda nut do you think we are?
IT #2: Cashews because we're unique and expensive.
IT #1: I guess we could be macadamians.
IT #2: Those are fatty.
30830 Northwestern Highway
Farmington Hills, Michigan
10AM Call Client
VP: It's so frustrating trying to reach that guy.
IT: How so?
VP: Whenever I call at lunch or after hours, he's never there.
12444 Powerscourt Drive
St. Louis, Missouri
12PM Development Update
Programmer #1: How do I turn on logging in the web application?
Programmer #2: Talk dirty to it.
5450 Tech Center Drive
Colorado Springs, Colorado
1PM Lunch
Software Engineer: We had free pizza today to celebrate sexual harassment or something like that. I didn't really pay attention. I just got the pizza.
30000 Mill Creek Avenue
Alpharetta, Georgia
12PM Get Server Update
IT: Email seems to be working fine. I did a few tests and it's delivering viruses in an almost real-time fashion.
1201 18th Street
Denver, Colorado
Overheard by: Adam G
12PM Server Upgrades
Server support: The server is still taking errors?
Network support: Okay?
Server support: Did you run the new cable we asked for?
Network Support: Yes.
Server support: Are you sure you ran it to the correct server?
Network support: Yes.
Server support: Did you test the cable?
Network support: Yes.
Server support: How did you test it?
Network support: I farted on one end and I could smell it on the other.
1600 Dublin Road
Columbus, Ohio
12PM Software Rollout
Tech: You need to do a reboot for the changes to take effect.
Employee: Can I do a restart?
Tech: No, you must shut the computer down completely.
Employee: Can I turn it back on again?
140 Research Boulevard
Madison, Alabama
4PM Order New PCs
IT #1: I asked him if he was in the United States.
IT #2: I tell people if you want to buy a computer, call their support line. If you can't stand the accent, don't buy that computer.
1100 SW 6th Avenue
Portland, Oregon
4PM Scan PC
Tech: Oh crap, I've been infected by Google.
30833 Northwestern Highway
Farmington Hills, Michigan
12PM Upgrade Software
Staff: Hey, can one of you help me fix--
IT: Go away before I replace you with a very small shell script.
7117 Florida Boulevard
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Overheard by: CP
11AM Install New Software
Tech: ...and if it gives you any problems, just call me. Any time, doesn't matter. I sleep with my cell phone.
Lawyer: I've slept with worse.
11377 West Olympic Boulevard
Los Angeles, California
Overheard by: Eve Z. Dropper
12PM Test Phones
Shipping Manager: I can't hear anything on my phone whenever I make or receive a call. Can you check it out for me?
IT Director: Did you get your hearing checked?
4055 Casilio Parkway
Clarence, New York
2PM Training
Tech: Okay, now right-click there.
Admin: Here?
Tech: No, right-click. Right there.
Admin: Okay...
Tech: No, get rid of that. Right-click. Right there. Right-click. Right-click...Which button are you clicking?
Admin: The left one.
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
10AM Update Report
Assistant: How about an update on the report for the database we talked about last week? Have you gotten to that yet?
IT: I'm not sure which one you're talking about.
Assistant: Well, currently there is a cross-tab that displays home addresses and a cross-tab that displays financial aid, but we need a report to show us the student records by state with home address, and we need a find-sort for all students with financial aid and a hold on their account.
IT guy: ...Um, I couldn't tell where that sentence began and where it ended.
Dean's assistant: Neither could I.
633 Main Street
Burlington, Vermont
12PM Programming
Front Desk: What does code 99499 mean?
Coder: "You're a dirty whore."
Front Desk: They have codes for that?
675 North St. Clair Street
Chicago, Illinois
11AM Tech Support
Dinosaur: I hate this hourglass.
IT: The hourglass at your cursor?
Dinosaur: Yes, can you remove it?
IT: Why?
Dinosaur: It slows my computer down.
7071 University Boulevard
Winter Park, Florida
4PM Restock Printer
Office worker: The paper coming out of the printer is really hot! It's never been that hot before. Can we do something to cool it down?
Tech: Oh, I forgot! I put the summer paper in there! I'll switch to the winter paper! Give me 10 minutes.
1700 Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard
West Palm Beach, Florida
2PM Update Site
Manager: When you're finished with the accessibility development for the hotels path, start on rental cars site.
Programmer: Um...accessibility...for rental cars?
Manager: Yes.
Programmer: So, we want to make it easier for the blind to rent cars?
Manager: Yeah...I know.
800 Connecticut Avenue
Norwalk, Connecticut
10AM Tech Support
Tech on phone: Okay, go ahead and type in your password...Yep, just type it in...In the password field...Just type it...With your keyboard...Should be right in front of you... Has letters on it...Great!
3601 SW Murray Boulevard
Beaverton, Oregon
Overheard by: onebadwebmonkey
4PM Final Trip Preparations
Boss: Will my BlackBerry work in Thailand?
IT: Yeah, it will work anywhere in Europe.
One Allen Center
Houston, Texas
10AM Monitor Calls
Accountant on speaker: Okay, I tried entering my password and it didn't work.
Tech: I reset it to "password."
Accountant on speaker: Okay, let me try my password again.
Tech: Make sure you type "password."
Accountant on speaker: It didn't work again.
Tech: Iou typed far too many letters for the word "password." Did you type in "password" as your password?
Accountant on speaker: Yu never told me to do that.
Tech: So what part of my sentance confused you: "Type in the word
'password' when it asks you for your password", or "I reset it for you, your password is now 'password.'"
Accountant on speaker: I have a CPA, don't talk to me like that.
Tech: I can make up acronyms too. I'll be in your office in five
minutes. In the meantime, ponder this one: I'm OMGWTF certified.
220 Woodbine Road
Downingtown, Pennsylvania
4PM Man Support Desk
Customer: Hey, the spell checker is broken. When I type in complete
gobbledygook, it doesn't mark that as wrong. Can you fix that?
Tech: When you learn how to type real words and they are misspelled, then you are allowed to ask me questions.
9598 Cortana Place
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
2PM IT Conference Call
Tech Support: Okay, I need you to go to a command prompt and type
"'mail from:' your email address" and this should get you a connection.
User: It didn't work.
Tech Support: Okay, so you typed "'mail from:' your email address" and it didn't work for you?
User: Wait a minute. Did you say you wanted me to type "nail" or "mail"?
1010 Niagara Street
Buffalo, New York
11AM Invent Colorizing Copier
Office Tech: I don't understand why this isn't coming out in color. I'm using the color copier.
700 State Drive
Los Angeles, California
12PM Get That Outlet Fixed
Tech: Is it working?
Co-worker #1: No, I'm only partially lit.
Co-worker #2: How many people does it take to get you fully lit?
Co-worker #3: 4. 2 to watch and 2 to do the lighting.
600 Peachtree Street NE
Atlanta, Georgia
Overheard by: new jersey boy
10AM Non-Interrogation
Tech: Is this some sort of interrogation?
Supervisor: Ah...yeah...we're not cops, so, obviously not.
19555 West Bluemound Road
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Overheard by: Mike
12PM Work on Database
Coder #1: I liked the fix you did on that bug.
Coder #2: When in doubt, just take away access from the user. It's a fascist approach, but I swear by it.
Coder #1: Right...
141 West 28th Street
New York, NY
2PM Back Up Hard Drive
Student: Can you back up my papers and stuff?
Technician: Sure, how much is there?
Student: About four gigabytes...it's mostly porn but there are some papers mixed in there somewhere.
16 Petrarca Drive
Kent, Ohio
12PM Get Update from Programming
Developer #1: Ooh, a SOAP exception.
Developer #2: "SOAP exception, unable to shower."
1601 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
12PM Server Testing
IT: That's "Venus", our main file server.
Architect: Why is it called "Venus"?
IT: Becuase it's a big black bad-ass server.
603 King Street
Alexandria, Virginia
Overheard by: Charles Warren
4PM Get New Wireless Card
IT #1: Okay, I'll set up one of my extra workstations and get a wireless card for it.
IT #2: Can you get a card easily?
IT #1: Oh sure, they're only about 50 bucks. I can get petty cash.
Manager: So we have to go through you. Why can't [Claude] get it?
IT #2: Because I have to go through too many layers of management and red tape.
Manager: For an old computer and a $50 card?
IT #1: Yeah, this place is like a prison. It's all about who can trade cigarettes for a sharp shiv.
Manager: Or who's around when you drop the soap...
525 Rudder Road
Fenton, Missouri
12PM Call My Best Friends: Maintenance
IT: Yeah, seems like your floor plate is damaged, you're going to have to clear your books so they can fix it.
Worker: "Books"? is that like cookies on your computer?
IT: ...
4 Times Square
New York, NY
Overheard by: KaotiXX
4PM Software Upgrade Project...Kill Me Now
Manager: Since most of these are not used, let's go through and upgrade those first, then we'll see what's left.
Programmer: If they're not used, we don't need to upgrade them, right?
Manager: Right, but we need to figure out which ones are used.
Programmer: Can't we figure that out by eliminating the ones that aren't used without upgrading them?
Manager: No, we need to upgrade the obsolete programs first.
580 Walnut Street
Cincinnati, Ohio
11AM Reboot Registers
Chief of Plant Operations: We need to disconnect and then reconnect the cash registers from the parking booths. This is high priority.
IT: Huh? Why not just leave it connected?
700 State Drive
Los Angeles, California
2PM Meet with Developers
Developer #1: It's obvious the code will work. You've coded, you can see it will work. You can see it will work, unless you're stupid.
Developer #2: You're not stupid, are you?
501 Marquette Avenue
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Overheard by: fmm
2PM System is Down; Call IT
IT: Okay, try it now.
The problem solved, it works.
Call Center: Wait, wait, wait. Don't start jerking each other off just yet...We still have to test one other thing.
101 Empty Saddle Trail
Hailey, Idaho
12PM System is Acting Buggy
Staff: You have a second?
IT: Nope, completely out of stock on those.
200 Front Street W
Toronto, Ontario
Canadia
5PM That's My Cue to Leave
IT person: "New Jersey"? New Jersey is a state? I thought it was part of New York.
Grand Pavilion
Cayman Islands
2PM Update Budgets
Head of IT: Can we get those new computers?
CFO: Sorry, it's not in the budget this year.
He walks over to the calendar.
CFO: Hey, isn't this last year's calendar? When are you going to put up the correct one?
IT Drone: Sorry, a new calendar isn't in the budget this year.
75 South Church Street
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Overheard by: Joe
11AM Process Orders for 10 New Monitors (?)
Computer Technician: Wow, it's amazing what kind of difference a couple of inches can make...Have you seen [Ben]'s?
The other technicians burst out laughing.
Computer Technican: I meant his new 19" monitor. Grow up.
1035 64th Avenue SE
Calgary, Alberta
Canadia
12PM Kevin Requested New Monitor--Follow Up
CSR: I just took a look at the survey and noticed that at the very beginning it says "this survey is design". Shouldn't that say
"designed"?
IT: Probably...I cut and pasted.
CSR: Can it be changed?
IT: No, I etched that survey directly into your screen. To change it we would have to buy you a new monitor.
1 Woodland Hill Drive
Babson Park, Massachusetts
4PM Release Due
QA: That enhancement doesn't work, you need to fix it.
Dev: I guess it won't be in the patch, then.
QA: I didn't spend all that time testing and documenting it, we need to release it.
Dev: I'm not going to fix it now.
QA: You just said it was going to be in the patch, now you are saying it's not going to be fixed in this patch but it is in the patch.
Dev: Your Jedi mind tricks will not work on me.
16388 Westwoods Business Park
Ellisville, Missouri
Overheard by: Marc Brooks
2PM Don't Check Email
Computer jockey: What is fisting? And what do you think it means when a man is emailing you pictures of naked boys?
25 West 4th Street
New York, NY
1PM Lunch
Tech: I am a guacamole of knowledge into which you may dip the nacho of need.
105 Madison Avenue
New York, NY
12PM Order E-mail for Dummies
General Manager: I have an email problem, I need you to answer a question...Do I have to use all lowercase Ls here? Can't I use 1s? They look like 1s.
IT: No! You have to use Ls! That is how e-mail works! It's an address that you have to get right!
General Manager: It's hard to tell if it is an L or a 1.
IT: Well yes, but from context clues, the email says, "Little Girl."
General Manager: Well you know what they say about assuming. Makes an ass...you...me.
13601 FM 529 Road
Houston, Texas
11AM Install Yahoo!
Boss: Do we have Google installed on our internet?
IT guy: We put it on your machine yesterday.
700 W. Van Buren Street
Chicago, Illinois
11AM Order Industrial-strength Lubricant
Engineer on phone: I cracked my first manhole at thirteen.
20 Crosby Drive
Bedford, Massachusetts
9AM It's Too Early for This
Woman: There's something wrong with my computer. There are satellites
and things floating around! Why did you work on my computer? I thought you were done. I have to get my work done! Do you know what you are doing! Fix it!
IT gal: Okay, let me see. I did not work on your system today, let me
look.
Mouse click.
IT gal: ...It's the screensaver.
4411 Beacon Circle
West Palm Beach, Florida
3PM Call Maintenance
Computer guy: I wonder what it is that makes it feel so damn cold in this building sometimes?
Graphics dude: Maybe it's the temperature.
Dyess Air Force Base
Texas
Overheard by: Michael Philippus
9AM It's Going to Be a Long Week--Again
Tech guy: It will take Zeus and all his pissed off gods going in and throwing all sorts of thunderbolts to straighten this out.
1 Dell Way
Round Rock, Texas
4PM Pick Up New Laptop
Manager: I'm going to be turning in my old laptop for a new one. I want to get another IBM, one of the ultralight ones.
Techie: We're not leasing IBMs anymore. We're currently leasing HPs and Dells.
Manager: I don't like the HPs and I really want an IBM. How can I get one?
Techie: Well...you would need to provide us with a medical reason and a doctor's note.
10 Almaden Boulevard
San Jose, California
Overheard by: Stealth Nerf
2PM Call Tech Support
Admin: So at home I have the CD writer installed but it's just not working--
IT guy: Okay, you're all fixed up...and good luck with your burning problem.
238 Bedford Street
Lexington, Massachusetts
Overheard by: Sandy
12PM Call Tech Support
Tech Support Technician: Okay...go ahead and open up the internet.
777 S. Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, California
10AM Development Meeting
Developer: We need to determine the different between how the HTML team views 10 pixels as opposed to how web experience is viewing 10 pixels.
50 Beale Street
San Francisco, California
2PM Order Lab Supplies
Boss: Where are the nipples?
Lab employee: Nipples?
Boss: Yah, the nipples. You know, squeezie squeezie?
Lab employee: Do you mean pipette bulbs?
Boss: Whatever.
6275 Nancy Ridge Drive
San Diego, California
Overheard by: Meghan Lake
11AM Send Jeff a Card
Guy in suit: Hey man, I heard you got promoted?
Guy in lab coat: Yep. I'm pretty much all herpes now.
Guy in suit: Excellent.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road
Atlanta, Georgia
Overheard by: Benay Tegoo
2PM Work on Programming
Software Engineer: I'll like, you know, just pseudocode out this part in the design.
8614 Westwood Center Drive
Vienna, Virginia
12PM Tech Support
Suit: Why hasn't this customer's problem been fixed yet?
Tech Guy: Because I'm the only person supporting this product; I'm really backlogged here. Every time I close one log I open four more. We don't have enough people here to keep up.
Suit: Oh...well keep up the good work.
500 Lafayette Road
Hampton, New Hampshire
10AM Find Out What's Wrong with the Janitor
IT Guy #1: Why didn't the janitor take my empty computer boxes?
IT Guy #2: Did you put a sign on it for the guy to haul it away?
IT Guy #1: Yeah, it says "junk".
IT Guy #2: Dude, it should say "trash".
500 Eldorado Boulevard
Broomfield, Colorado
9AM I Knew It I Knew It I Knew It
Systems Engineer: How long will it take for you to implement [the customer]'s changes?
Engineer: About two-three weeks. So four weeks.
Systems Engineer: Good. And how long will it take you to make your changes?
Intern: Well, I already did it, and it took an hour.
Systems Engineer: Okay, I'll tell them five weeks total.
1440 N. Fiesta Boulevard
Gilbert, Arizona
3PM It Depends on the Location of His Mouth
IT guy: Here, can you hold the microphone while he talks?
Account Manager: Sure. But can you tell me, what's the sensitive part here? Is it just the tip? Or the whole head?
155 N. Pfingsten Road
Deerfield, Illinois
5AM Better Call in the Philosophers
IT Worker #1: Hey, the system is down.
IT Worker #2: ...The whole thing?
500 Eldorado Boulevard
Broomfield, Colorado
5AM I Smell a .sig File Coming
Techie: You know you've been working in a computer store for too long when you go to throw out a piece of paper in the trash and are like, "I'm gonna delete this now!"
119 West 23rd Street
New York, NY
4PM Now You've Gone and Spoiled the Ending
Scientist: What are the goals of this management plan?
Project manager: The goal is to come up with a plan to manage the system, but we are not authorized to actually manage anything.
Scientist: So the goal of this meeting is really an excuse for you to draw on the white board and act important?
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, Florida
12AM Think of His Lungs Like Giant Beakers
Technician: Man, I gotta go grab a smoke. I've been upstairs mixing chemo for hours!
427 Victor Street
Lincolnton, North Carolina
Overheard by: Suzette Truesdell
6AM We're Not As Stupid As You IT A-holes Think...
IT guy: Do you have a license to install Photoshop?
Employee: You need a license?
IT guy: Yeah.
Employee: It's not that hard to install, you just double click on the icon.
IT guy: You don't understand.
Employee: Yeah I do, I'm just fucking with you. Jokes are funny.
2 W. 2nd Street
Tulsa, Oklahoma
1PM Clarity: Impossible to Apply to a Business Context
IT Consultant: It's kinda like grain is to bread as meat is to wurst.
Highway 280
East Birmingham, Alabama
1PM Only If You're A Cosby
Tester: Maybe LA can also help test sound for me.
Co-worker: ...and update my test suites...and knit me sweaters.
Tester: Now that's not exactly company related.
Co-worker: Sweaters are great company.
209 Redwood Shores Parkway
Redwood City, California
12AM Yeah, But No Competitors Had It Then
Dev: But I have wanted tabbed browsing for seven fucking years!
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, Washington
12AM You Just Got Word-Served
Project manager: Well, the design document is undergoing revisement.
Tech lead: Excuse me, undergoing what?
Project manager: ...it's being revised right now.
Tech lead: Don't you mean revision?
Project manager: No. That would be like saying that listening to someone's advice is taking their words under advision.
One Charles Park
Cambridge, Massachusetts
6PM Turn Off Those PCs and Go Have a Great Weekend
A Russian developer on the trading floor leans back in his chair, stretches his arms back, turns his head as he yawns, checks out the clock, then says, very loudly: 5 o'clock--time for porn!
270 Park Avenue
New York, NY
6AM Taking the Work Out of "Co-worker"
IT guy: Does anyone want to help me move some equipment into the U-Haul downstairs?
Co-worker #1: You know I would, but I'm just not wearing the shoes for it today.
Co-worker #2: Why don't you put on your tennis shoes? I see them under your desk.
Co-worker #1: Shh!
3100 West Lake Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Overheard by: Samantha Quinnsbury
4PM You're Just Usurying That as an Excuse
Loan originator: Hi, Mark.
Techie: Hi, Cheryl.
Loan originator: It's Cathy.
Techie: Oh, sorry. You loan people all look the same.
1 Wall Street
Madison, Connecticut
Overheard by: ^chi^
8AM The Email Never Came
Girl tech: We are blocking emails to our customers with the word disbursement in it because of "semen".
Head tech dude: Semen?
Guy tech #1: Are you sure semen isn't somewhere else?
Guy tech #2: Semen? Like the nasty stuff?
Head tech dude: We'll have to adjust the filter, we are blocking reimbursement too.
Girl tech: Jeez, this blocking could cause all sorts of problems.
9001 Shelbyville Road
Louisville, Kentucky
Overheard by: Andy Goss
8AM "Tech support; can you help me?"
Techie #1: You know what's better than eating girl scout cookies?
Techie #2: Eating girl scouts?
Techie #1: Um, I was going to say, "eating girl scout cookies with milk".
Techie #2: Yeah, that's pretty good too.
Techie #1: You're a fucking sicko.
1 Wall Street
Madison, Connecticut
Overheard by: ^chi^
4PM Took Some AD&D Books While I Was There Too
IT guy: So my coworker gave you your fixed laptop back?
Finance guy: Yeah. Well, really, I looked into his office and saw it sitting on a desk, and I ducked in and took it. So, you know, same thing.
2000 Spring Road
Oak Brook, Illinois
Overheard by: George L.
4PM You Might Call It "The Business Motto"
Technician: We don't make mistakes. We may create new opportunities and challenges, but we don't make mistakes.
645 Paper Mill Road
Newark, Delaware
8AM "So long as you don't upload a virus."
Technician: Hi, can I get under your desk for a second to look at your box?
1440 Broadway
New York, NY
12AM They Finally Made a Paris Hilton RPG
Video Game Developer: Why am I naked and corrupted?
24742 SE 28th Place
Seattle, Washington
4PM IT Girls: Always Uploading the Sarcasm
Suit: Excuse me, can you help me pick out a docking station?
IT Girl: Isn't that a personal decision?
1700 N. Beauregard Street
Alexandria, Virginia
12PM On the Count of Three, Quote Rankin-Bass
Config Manager Guy: It's like the island of misfit toys over there.
DBA: I don't want to be in support, I want to be a dentist.
2202 N. Westshore Boulevard
Tampa, Florida
12PM Insert Disk Into Drive
Guy with monitor: You need anything else moved into your office?
Other guy: No, but you're my IT bitch so I'll call you when I need something.
525 W. Van Buren Street
Chicago, Illinois
12PM I Know a Guy in NC Who Could Un-shit the Situation
Manager: Aw, did you bleed on my computer?
Tech: No, but a bird shit on it.
50 Vision Blvd
East Providence, Rhode Island
12PM The Tech Guy: So Bright, and So Bitter
Office guy: Hey [Scott]! My laptop screen is off.
Tech: It helps if you push this button.
As the tech walks past my desk I hear him saying: Great, another fucking genius!
440 Wheelers Farm Road
Milford, Connecticut
7AM Excellence: A Commitment to Constant Improvement
Tech Lead: Our requirements are in terms of bells and whistles at this point, not actual business functionality.
1370 Timberlake Manor Parkway
Chesterfield, Missouri
Overheard by: Jonathan Willis
12PM The Zen of Lunch in the Office
Businesslady: Are there places to order in?
Networking Guy: I've got a whole book of places to order in from.
Businesslady: How long does it take?
Networking Guy: How long is a piece of string?
350 Madison Avenue
New York, NY
12AM Maybe A Drug Supplier Would Help
Senior Partner: How come my computer's not working?
Techie: It seems your hard drive crashed.
Senior Partner: That's not possible; I don't visit porn sites or any drug suppliers.
527 E. 78th Street
New York, NY
12AM Anywhere in the World, IT Stands for A-Hole
IT Guy: The last 15-20 minutes of my life have been wasted because you are a moron.
2100 Mckinney Ave.
Dallas, Texas
6AM Welcome to The Office
Boss: From now on, people, we're going to make Perfection our baseline.
The development team laughs.
Developer: Dude, whatever the fuck you've been reading, stop it.
1 Madison Avenue
New York, NY
Overheard by: Mad William Flint
