Seriously?
|
| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| techiem2 Aug 13, 2008 10:13 AM EDT |
Is it that hard to adapt your frontline tech script from "run ifconfig blah blah as root" to "run sudo ifconfig blah blah" to support 'buntu along with Unix/OSX? |
| herzeleid Aug 13, 2008 10:20 AM EDT |
>is it that hard to adapt your frontline tech script from "run ifconfig blah blah as root" to "run sudo ifconfig blah blah" to support 'buntu along with Unix/OSX? No need - the ubuntu user can open "network tools" just like his OSX using counterpart. |
| garymax Aug 13, 2008 11:37 AM EDT |
I've called Comcast several times and they always assume that you are running some variant of Windows. When I tell them that I am running Linux I always beat them to the punch by saying that I am not asking for support and then I always ask them to do a network scan to see if modems are off in our area or if there are any problems on the network. This way, I keep support on the line and find out if it is my internal network or if it is their system that has the problem. If the problem is on my end then I can troubleshoot myself. |
| Scott_Ruecker Aug 13, 2008 12:21 PM EDT |
I just never tell them, but then again I haven't had to call tech support for a long time now... I am my own tech support, unless my service (signal from their hub) is just plain down, I can fix it. |
| techiem2 Aug 13, 2008 12:27 PM EDT |
Yeah, the once or twice I've actually called, I think I just asked if they were having issues in our area. Usually I just test whatever I can myself. Refresh lease, ping gateways, etc. Last time they went out I could get a lease but not ping the gateway or anything. So I just left the modem off until the lease expired just to be sure(bout an hour...oh the pain), at which point whatever was broken was working again. |
| tracyanne Aug 13, 2008 1:13 PM EDT |
Friend of mine in San Antonio, new Linux user (Mandriva of course), she has two second hand laptops,one for her son one for herself, uses whatever the ISP is in her area. Rings them up tells them she has Linux, and they reel off the usual we don't support Linux. The thing is Windows support is done from scripts, they merely read them out. So the question is why can't they have a script for Ubuntu, a script for Mandriva, a script for another 2 or 3 major consumer oriented Linuxes. They have to have different scripts for XP and Vista and Mac anyway. There's obviously something we aren't seeing, that explains what's really going on. |
| tracyanne Aug 13, 2008 1:17 PM EDT |
I'd also ask for a discount, because I'm not getting support, and therefore shouldn't be paying for it. |
| jdixon Aug 13, 2008 1:24 PM EDT |
> Rings them up tells them she has Linux, and they reel off the usual we don't support Linux. Sounds like a perfect use for a virtual machine. Of course, you'd need a Windows license. |
| jdixon Aug 13, 2008 1:26 PM EDT |
> So the question is why can't they have a script for Ubuntu, a script for Mandriva, a script for another 2 or 3 major consumer oriented Linuxes. Money. The have to pay people good money to write up and test those scripts. They also don't think the support folks they're paying just above minimum wage to can handle more than a few scripts. They may even be correct. |
| tracyanne Aug 13, 2008 1:36 PM EDT |
Of course Linux is never the problem in any Internet downtime I've expereienced, and it isn't for my friend either, it is invariably eternal to the computer, and most often external to the Broadband router. Occasionally I find that the broadband router and the network switch stop working due to brown outs (not a problem for me anymore as i now use a UPS), they appear to be functioning- the lights are on but no one is home - and the only way to fix it is to power off the device then power it back on. If one was using Windows they'ed walk you through a dozen stupid tests that assume the OS is at fault (not unreasonable if it's windows) before they started moving out towards their network. |
| Steven_Rosenber Aug 13, 2008 4:15 PM EDT |
My ISP doesn't support Linux, but I bet they're running tons of it ... |
| NoDough Aug 14, 2008 11:41 AM EDT |
>> My ISP doesn't support Linux, but I bet they're running tons of it ... Heh. My ISP doesn't support Linux. Linux supports my ISP. |
| pat Aug 14, 2008 8:59 PM EDT |
The correct response is, "I don't expect you to support my operating system, but I do expect you to support your network and the service I pay for." |
| herzeleid Aug 14, 2008 9:08 PM EDT |
Quoting:The correct response is, "I don't expect you to support my operating system, but I do expect you to support your network and the service I pay for."Couldn't have put it any better than that. |
| phsolide Aug 14, 2008 11:48 PM EDT |
I lie to Qwest when I need something done at the DSLAM. "Oh, yes, I'm a Loyal Windows user, Windows XP Home Edition! Yes sir!" And then I tell them I'm already telnetted into the DSL modem, so the wiring is fine on my end. Another trick: call after regular working hours. A lot of the time, for Qwest, at least, you'll get a real DSL central office tech, and not a script-reading, hairy-palmed howler monkey. |
| crashsystems Aug 15, 2008 12:37 AM EDT |
Well, they could pay me to write the scripts for Linux. I think all that would need to be written is a script for Gnome, KDE and the CLI. |
| Sander_Marechal Aug 15, 2008 1:37 AM EDT |
Better start with the CLI version. At least that's somewhat portable between distros and desktop environments. There's a crapload of networking GUI tools on Linux so writing for those is a lot of work. Even just on Gnome there are at least three network managers (network-manager, wicd and network-tools). |
| tracyanne Aug 15, 2008 3:14 AM EDT |
Quoting:Well, they could pay me to write the scripts for Linux. I think all that would need to be written is a script for Gnome, KDE and the CLI. Pretty much, remembering, of course, that Mandriva Linux, for one, has a special control panel 'drakconf' fro system admin via a GUI. |
| tracyanne Aug 15, 2008 3:20 AM EDT |
Quoting:The correct response is, "I don't expect you to support my operating system, but I do expect you to support your network and the service I pay for." Yeah I've done that one, the other thing I do is immediately ask for level 2 or Level 3 support. Level 2, in the case of my ISP is in the Philipines, along with level 1, but you get a better quality of tech support - at least these people have some technical knowledge, and often they are the only people you need to talk to. If they seem to be having trouble, I ask for level 3, which is in Melbourne. I don't wait for them to upgrade me, I simply tell them, if I'm not getting anywhere, what I want. |
| helios Aug 15, 2008 5:05 PM EDT |
It comes down to something already covered here. Having worked tech support on and off through the years, I know how a lot of these support companies work. Often, the person you are talking to isn't even an employee of your isp...(s)he is an employee of a company contracting the support work from the isp. It's fairly common and in fact, I am doing something of the same thing right now...I don't "work" for Zareason, but they shovel the stuff they can't make time for over to HeliOS Solutions. People rarely ask who I work for so I let it remain an unspoken supposition. As far as why they don't use scripts for Linux, it's because it would be a training nightmare. I don't mean to be be unkind here...not that I would ever say anything that could mildly be construed as unkind...but the majority of tech support agents are indeed reading from an internet-live script system that follows the model. "ok, if this is their problem, tell them to do this and if that doesn't work, excuse yourself for a second and click "this link". (it is a hyperlink on their screen). Tell them to do this now and if that doesn't work, excuse yourself for a second and click "this link"... This goes on for a bit and then finally when they have absolutely no other alternative, they "escalate" the call to a level II tech support agent. The logistics alone for getting that kind and that many support networks set up for level I tech support agents would lead many to abusive drug use, not to mention a huge expense...ISP's especially are going to drag their feet in supporting Linux. Many of them only support mac because Mac writes and in many cases, builds the support networks for these isps. h |
| jdixon Aug 15, 2008 5:52 PM EDT |
> The logistics alone for getting that kind and that many support networks set up for level I tech support agents would lead many to abusive drug use, not to mention a huge expense... LIke I said, money. :) |
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