Sunday 4 September 2005

Communication barrier

This is a conversation between a user and computer support:

[User]: Hello, computer support?
[Support]: Yup.
[User]: I have a problem with my printer. It's jamming paper.
[Support]: OK, what type of printer was that?
[User]: an HP laserjet printer.
[Support]: and the problem?
[User]: paper jam.
[Support]: Can you open the door and clear the paper path?
[User]: It's the mouse. It is stopping everything?
[Support]: {..???} Is the cursor frozen?
[User]: {...???} No, it is not related to the screen. It is the mouse.
[Support]: {@#$% ... ???} Can you move the mouse?
[User]: I dare not touch it. It seems still alive.
[Support]: {@#$% ... ???} ... and ?
[User]: it is stuck there
[Support]: mouse? are we talking about the printer?
[User]: yes, but the mouse is stuck... it won't move...can't...jammed
[Support]:what mouse?
[User]: the mouse in the printer
[Support]:I mean physically go to the printer and open it
[User]: I did
[Support]:do you see the paper?
[User]: no,... it's a laserjet .... I'm afraid to restart because I might damage the mouse
[Support]: ahhhhhh.. you should still be able to open the printer box and see the paper jammed somewhere
[Support]: no point in restarting without clearing the paper first
[User]: I don't see any paper jammed
[Support]: can you see the full path of where the paper should go?
[User]: no. I just see the mouse

What is happening here? If you have not figured that out, take a look at this photo. (ps I got this photo from a friend. If anyone knows the source, please let me know.)

Context is everything.


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