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  1. #1

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    Why do you guys hate us so much?

    First of all, let me just say that I worked as a copier technician for 13 years and now I work in IT (although I still work on printers and MFPs as part of my job). I used to deal with IT as a copier technician on a regular basis, doing network installs and such. I've been reading some of these threads regarding your views on IT people and I just have to shake my head. I'm referring in particular to the IT vs. Tonerheads thread. Now, I've experienced both sides and I have no idea why so guys seem to loathe IT people so much. You guys have said things like "90% of IT guys have no idea what they are doing" and "The vast majority of IT people are idiots". Believe me, I have dealt with my share of idiotic and arrogant IT people as a copier tech. But there is no way that the "vast majority" of the IT people I dealt with over the 13 years I worked in the copier industry are as incompetent as you guys try to make them out to be. It's kinda funny actually, because a fairly decent percentage of copier technicians (especially techs that do network installs) end up going into IT. Why would you guys go into IT (or want to go into IT) if you hate IT people so much? That's like Daniel Carver trying to join the NAACP. I don't know, maybe I just don't understand your guys' logic because now that I'm in IT my IQ has automatically dropped 40 points. It couldn't be jealousy fueling all those hateful statements, could it? Nah...

  2. #2
    Master Of The Obvious 10,000+ Posts
    Why do you guys hate us so much?

    blackcat4866's Avatar
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    I don't think it's anything personal CB. I too have had a few IT guys tell me "It couldn't possibly be my network...". That's why everything works perfectly to my laptop.

    Or the service call, "I can't ping the scanner NIC." and the cable is laying on the floor next to the switch, unconnected.

    On the other hand I've learned most everything I know from guys like you. I started into networking mostly because the guys that knew what they were doing moved on to other positions, other jobs. My credentials were that I was the only one left to do it. And I don't claim to know very much.

    Just enough to get a few prints & scans to go through.
    If you'd like a serious answer to your request:
    1) demonstrate that you've read the manual
    2) demonstrate that you made some attempt to fix it.
    3) if you're going to ask about jams include the jam code.
    4) if you're going to ask about an error code include the error code.
    5) You are the person onsite. Only you can make observations.

    blackcat: Master Of The Obvious =^..^=

  3. #3
    Vulcan Inventor of Death 1,000+ Posts Mr Spock's Avatar
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    Any comments that I have made is not directed at any single IT person. As I have stated in the other post I have found many helpful and knowledgeable IT techs. I believe that the main rant was the ability to have an IT tech actually go and check the machine and settings to make sure that it is not the network. And some of the easiest things are the crossover connection, ping, verifying the ip/username/password. And in the event of a change of service provider the new firewall settings. Instead many (not all and not every time) decide that the error MUST be the copier and so they call us. Also the mom and pop locations do not have an onsite IT guy so they call the copier guy and have him show up and diagnose the problem so the IT charge will be smaller. As to the IT or the screwdriver side I do both. Not as much IT work as I would like but it is something to learn and use. If only to talk intelligently to the IT department of the customer. I would say that 70-89% of the IT type calls I have done, have been the customer's network and not a machine issue. However I feel I should not have to go onsite and show them time after time that it is their network and why after 10 times or more they cannot trouble shot it themselves.

    Since you have turned screwdrivers you will be me diligent in checking these things out and not just calling in the copier guy when things do not work. As I pointed out when you talk in vague terms it may sound like we hate them when in reality we do not like being thought as the scapegoat. When we find a good IT department most of us will be more willing to go and help out. But when we find someone abusing (for lack of a better word) our skills or not even checking it out then we tend to delay our arrival as much as possible. (again not talking about anyone in particular).
    This would be like saying most copier techs drive minivans. Where I work only 1 person out of 12 drives one.. So try not to take everything said here as a personal attack upon yourself or your job, sometimes we just need to vent about running into the same thing over and over and over again.

    Thank you for your two cents worth...
    And Star Trek was just a tv show...yeah right!

  4. #4
    Field Supervisor 500+ Posts
    Why do you guys hate us so much?

    Lawrence's Avatar
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    I would not take it personal. This is the "rants and raves forum" and we all have had bad experience's with the "IT" people. We just tend to remember the bad ones more than the good ones

    Also most of the storys are funny
    Evil will always triumph because good is dumb.
    Its all shits and giggles until some body giggles and shits...

  5. #5
    Major Asshole! 2,500+ Posts
    Why do you guys hate us so much?

    mrwho's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lawrence View Post
    I would not take it personal. This is the "rants and raves forum" and we all have had bad experience's with the "IT" people. We just tend to remember the bad ones more than the good ones

    Also most of the storys are funny
    True. The nature of the human brain is to remember the bad things instead of the good ones. So, you'll always remember that arse that couldn't be bothered to tell you that he changed his network's IP range before complaining that he couldn't print.
    Besides, it's just natural - usually the good IT techs will call you only when you're needed and when they spent all their options - which means a much lower visit count.
    As others said, we're just venting - nothing personal!
    ' "But the salesman said . . ." The salesman's an asshole!'
    Mascan42

    'You will always find some Eskimo ready to instruct the Congolese on how to cope with heat waves.'

    Ibid

    I'm just an ex-tech lurking around and spreading disinformation!

  6. #6
    Document Technologies Pro 100+ Posts
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    It's great that you came from copier service background so you empathize with techs. I work well with most IT people I come in contact with by helping them understand how my equipment connects and performs. They appreciate knowing how to connect in a way that minimizes administration and the software that must be installed to the user while extending the functionality. Where we run into problems is when some guy who thinks he is brilliant because he is awesome on some Xbox game, disparages my product by declaring it dysfunctional because he hasn't done the necessary due diligence to properly configure it. When he takes food out of my mouth I am left with no alternative but to seek him out and tactfully expose his incompetence. It's not that hard to do, Microsoft training for example does little for printing and many of these guys don't really know much about it. Remember that the ethernet, laser printer, and GUI all came out of a copier company's research lab, (Xerox PARC). A good IT tech is concerned about his company's bottom line and users and is willing to research the technologies and adapt his skills in support of good business decisions. HP made billions off of sheep IT techs with a fierce loyalty to their products while allowing them to rape their bottom line in under the radar office suppies budgets. In today's tough economy I am finding more and more IT people are becoming more familiar with the economy of Kyocera's reliability and drum life advantage and are willing to change as an example.

  7. #7
    ALIEN OVERLORD 2,500+ Posts fixthecopier's Avatar
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    I like and get along well with the IT guys that I work with. I make fun of them as much as they mess with me, all in good fun. I make it personal when they do. Example.... If I had to feed my family off the printers I sell, they would starve. The assholes I have a problem with are the ones on base who tell customers that they should only buy certain brands of equipment. Reason... they tell them some brands of printers won't work on their network...????. They have also told me that if everybody in my area used the same printer, it would make their job easier and they could do my job. It is not all IT people we are ranting about, just the assholes and idiots. I am sure IT people could say similar things about some techs they have met.
    The greatest enemy of knowledge isn't ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge. Stephen Hawking

  8. #8
    Service Manager 1,000+ Posts
    Why do you guys hate us so much?

    10871087's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cboucher View Post
    ...That's like Daniel Carver trying to join the NAACP....
    Now thats funny!



    Quote Originally Posted by cboucher View Post
    ...It couldn't be jealousy fueling all those hateful statements, could it?
    Hmmm.

  9. #9

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    I didn't think anyone would even know who Daniel Carver is...

    Not unless Sal and Richard do prank posts...

  10. #10
    FSS / SPM 100+ Posts Setright's Avatar
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    Well...time for me to chime in


    My education, directly translated from Danish is called "Office Machine Mechanic". In fact, that only scratches the surface, since the name stems from when office machines included mechanical typewriters. These days, the curriculum includes shared classroom time with budding IT-Supporters/Admins.

    My point: I went through the same base of education as most IT people, and if it makes any difference to anyone here, I completed a CCNA as an optional part of my course.

    I have been through numerous "It must be a fault on the printer" situations that ended as mentioned above: 80% + network error. Sometimes complicated, I grant you, but the "IT people" never seem to grasp the statistics, and keep blaming our equipment.

    Examples include:

    "Cannot ping the controller" - it was switchted off

    "LDAP searching is not working on any of your machines" - IT had changed IP on the DNS.

    "Cannot ping NIC" - cable disconnected, broken, or connected to a switch that IT had disconnected from the network on the other side!

    "Email scans not getting through" - gateway IP altered, spam filter engaged.

    "FTP scanning not working" - password changed, destination folder moved.



    I will admit that a SHOCKING number of copier techs know far too little about networks, but at least they aren't "Administrators"

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