One way to get around this
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| vainrveenr Feb 10, 2010 2:39 PM EDT |
It seems that many companies in the past have attempted to set limits on their customers. AT&T's sole support for MS-Windows and Mac OS X are merely recent examples of this. Another example of this (still commonly-found BTW!), was a fairly mandatory requirement for MS Windows users to have Internet Explorer installed as the default web browser.
IIRC, a similar past limit from well over a dozen years ago was MS Windows 3.1x/95 software-vendors' insistence that their 16-bit programs could only run effectively on displays of resolution 1024x768 or greater! To put this in greater perspective, these display requirements were for non-gaming software, and 17" or larger high-resolution CRT monitors were at that time fairly expensive. So back to the subject. One good way to get around AT&T's policy of limiting Internet support just to Microsoft Windows is to simply tell AT&T's tech support and other representatives that the computer's Operating System is Windows. Surprise ! There is no need to mention Linux to AT&T, even if this is the actual primary OS used. By not mentioning Linux, AT&T tech support is officially encouraged rather than discouraged from supporting its customers. For the educated customer with some Linux experience, this customer can be best helped by AT&T tech support through his/her completely substituting Linux's applications and commands for those of Windows that may be "required" from AT&T. Let the AT&T tech support person figure out all by himself/herself that he/she is dealing with an educated customer that knows and is using Linux! Similarly, for the sake of obtaining effective assistance from AT&T, the customer also could tell the tech support person that Internet Explorer is the default browser rather than Firefox. Even though this is untrue, still, to the the mind of the average AT&T tech support person, there is absolutely NO difference among browsers with the most common steps the customer will have to carry out. Again, as before, let the AT&T tech support person figure out all by himself/herself that he/she is dealing with an educated customer that knows and is using Firefox. Of course once AT&T gets wise to this OS workaround, they may try various methods of "Interoperating" with their Linux-using DSL customers; e.g., retraining and providing Linux support, automated detection of customers' OSs, using mandatory firmware/hardware upgrades performed solely through Windows, ... etcetera. |
| phsolide Feb 10, 2010 3:07 PM EDT |
I always lie to my DSL provider. At the beginning of any service call, I emphatically proclaim that I'm using Windows XXX (2000, XP, XP SP1, XP SP2, ...) and that I'm already telnetted in to the Cisco 678 DSL modem, so my local network is fine, no other machines or bridges or hubs are connected, let's get on with the problem on your end. I usually also throw in a jibe about "Loyal Microsoft Customers, as we all are!" even though I am paying extra to not be part of the "MSN Silver" DSL service, which is the same service, except MSFT call centers take your call. Corporations do not hesitate to lie to consumers, so I believe nobody is obligated to tell a corporation the truth: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/web/library/wa-cranky42.ht... |
| Sander_Marechal Feb 11, 2010 7:17 AM EDT |
You could of course try to pick a decent DSL provider. When I call my ISP I explicitly mention that I use Linux. Usually the helpdesk guy on the other end immediately throws away the scripted guides they use on dummies and start listening for real. I sometimes phone them with other stuff too. For example, when I first installed my own mailserver at home I asked them to try to crack and spam through it, just to make sure that I didn't accidentally leave an open relay. They called me back in an hour to confirm that my new server was safe. I love my ISP :-) The network provider on the other hand... >:-( |
| Bob_Robertson Feb 11, 2010 11:58 AM EDT |
I will give this to Suddenlink support, when they asked and I said "Linux", the support guy said, "Cool. So we can throw out the script." |
| tracyanne Feb 11, 2010 4:11 PM EDT |
@phsolide What you need to do is at the end of the call tell the help desk person that you were, in fact, doing everything on Linux through out the entire help desk session, and thank them very much. |
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