Internet is FINALLY Back Up

After what seemed like an eternity, we finally figured out the problem w/our home Internet. Apparently, we not only had the line go down but also had a problem w/our modem. The ethernet connection isn't connecting properly so now we're getting a replacement modem.

Good words to Verizon for giving us a free one in exchange for signing up for a very fairly priced service plan for the replacement. The tech my husband dealt with today had a clue, unlike many prior people he'd dealt with.

So my little rant about Internet tech support is as old as the hills but I do agree w/the camp that says "stop it w/the offices in India." At the very least, train those people to do more than read a freaking script!!! Perhaps there should be regional tech support services when dealing w/regions of the country where accents are impossible to understand or there's a significant barrier to communication due to slang. My husband & I are much better at understanding certain accents b/c of working or calling local food places so much. This isn't true everywhere, though. Even a Pakistani co-worker of my husband's doesn't like dealing w/tech support people outside of the US so that has to tell you something.

A company doing this could make a killing in getting new customers, employing lots of unemployed people & getting great PR. I know the outsourcing craze w/IT has apparently ended due to slipshod work; I await that for document review in the legal field, though I have no personal stake in the matter & left the one assignment I went on after the person in charge dared to ban people from going to the break room a few floors down from the work space. Don't put ME in a Wal-Mart type job atmosphere; I'm the sort who'll come in w/guns blazing if you push me too far. I also tend to inspire people not to take BS, freely talk to others to compare notes & am more than willing to assert myself if someone dares to mess w/me. If you messed w/me & you have me handling your food, I'm just the type who'd tamper w/it. Guess it's a good thing I've never been a waitress, never had to go through hazing in my sorority days or worked w/anyone who dared to play power games w/me--I freely admit to having a temper & holding grudges.

My tolerance for BS has decreased even further since I went to law school. Doing what I do in the entertainment business demands a backbone; you can't enforce policies or keep people in line if you're not firm or matter of fact. Sweetness & light is for the South; if you expect it from a lawyer or in the entertainment business, you need to get out. Even a Southern lawyer isn't going to take nonsense from people & half the time people are being sweet to you down there, they're cutting you down behind your back. Take it from someone who lived there close to 20 years.

To solve this in the future, I'm looking into getting a laptop for business when we've got the money. However, this is exactly why everyone should have a friend who's a computer expert. Even better if you manage to date one; I got a free computer from a GA Tech guy I dated who did coding for a living & cared that my PC was messing up on me. That was the only good thing I got out of that relationship, though. My views on relationships could support a stand up routine or a novel.