[517] in Resnet-Forum
Re: Housecalls...and liability issues
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Pattie Orr)
Mon Feb 27 12:48:59 1995
Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 12:21:25 -0500 (EST)
From: Pattie Orr <PORR@WELLESLEY.EDU>
To: qtjrq@mailbox.syr.edu
Cc: resnet-forum@MIT.EDU
X-Envelope-To: resnet-forum@MIT.EDU
X-Vms-To: IN%"qtjrq@mailbox.syr.edu"
Our experience at Wellesley has been very similar to what Dane described at
Stanford. We don't allow our student consultants to open up anyone's
machine or put in cards etc because of the liability factor.
Many of the problems when students say they "can't connect to the network"
tend to be system problems or the dreaded extensions that they have put
into their system folders. We tell them that we won't try to diagnose
these problems unless they are willing for us to take out extensions that
are in question. We have the students put them into a separate folder
called "doodads" and then try to get the student's machine back on the
network. After all is up and running, then we tell the student they can
add these back one at a time till they find the offending extension.
(kind of like when you are testing a baby for allergies to baby food....if
put in one extension...make sure you are ok... then if that is ok try one
more....then if they are allergic to peas, don't give them
peas...." We tell the students they will have to put back in their own
extensions etc. Our job is to get them back on the network.
The student consultants help out where they can. If it is viruses,
software problems, etc. we try to help. If the student doesn't have the
manuals and original disks for their software, we do minimal to help them
out, but if it gets involved we tell them that without the manuals and
disks, we really can't help much.
Generally, the student consultants are very helpful and the other students
appreciate their efforts. We have not had and negative results based on
trying to help the other students yet.
If the efforts at solving system problems yield no quick results, then I
have powerbooks the student consultants can check out to see if the drop
itself is ok. If they can take the powerbook and it will connect, then we
know it has to either be the software on that person's machine or the card
or connector etc. Then we systematically try to figure it out. The
powerbooks have been a great help in diagnosing dead drops.
Pattie
