Thursday, September 10, 2009

The Circle of Strife

FSI Day 1

Me: I'd like to request access to my OpenNet account and get my FSI INET account password.

IT guy: It looks like Baghdad hasn't transferred your account yet. You'll have to send them an email and ask that they transfer the account.

Me: Um, how can I send them an email if I can't log on?

IT guy:
Try logging on to the NEASA server. It might take a while the first time.

Me: Ok. And my FSI INET account?

IT guy: Here's your password. You should be all set.

Day 2

Me: I tried logging on to my FSI INET account but it says it's disabled and to see the network administrator.

IT guy: Huh. Let me try something... Ok it should work now.

Day 3

Me:
After 40 minutes, I was able to log on to OpenNet through the NEASA server yesterday and sent an email to Baghdad to have them transfer the account. But today I logged on but couldn't get anything done. Before the system crashed for the fourth (and final) time, I saw that someone in Baghdad had replied to my email, but I couldn't read it.

IT guy:
Oh. Go see Oliver, he'll have to help you. But it looks like he's pretty busy with someone else right now.

Me:
You're telling me that out of all the people at the IT Help Desk, only Oliver can assist me, and out of all the people at the IT Help Desk, only Oliver is unavailable right now?

IT guy:
Yeah. Do you wanna wait?


On the next episode of The Circle of Strife - payroll & voucher bureaucracy.

2 comments:

Mom said...

The good news is that Bank of America is now calling your mother in California each and every time you use your card in DC. Ahh, technology. Enjoy those Banana Republic goodies, dear.

Shaila said...

Ah, the Oliver dance. I remember this when I came back from PaP. By the way - a month from now, your account will be mysteriously retransfered to Baghdad and you get to start the process all over again.