Today is Friday?
Oh I was thinking yesterday was Friday the 13th all day......owell I guess it was just pseudo Friday the 13th.
This we week upgraded two applications at work. One was pretty major and the other not so much. But if either went wrong it would have been major. Luckily my weekend efforts last weekend did not indicate how the rest of the week would go.
The errors I was having this last weekend were still there when I went in early Monday morning. I sent an email to our DBA/System admin first thing about the first error. But before she even had time to respond I found out what was wrong and corrected it. It was something that probably should have been done before I started but no big thing I got it resolved. I had another error over the weekend but I did not know until I had the first error resolved if they were related. I quickly found that they were not related. This error I had to report to our software vendor. So I opened the support ticket, talked to the person working on the ticket and continued to look for the resolution myself. Before the person got back to me with researching the problem I had already corrected that problem and 3 more. It was kind of funny when I got the call from the support guy because I had already sent him two updates in email and he called and said "Oh that error resides in this file...you just need to recompile that program"...yes that is done.
We were able to release this upgrade to our users at least a day early. We did run into some other problems after users started working but they were all resolved by the end of day yesterday. They were things that did not show up in our test environment....not surprising there are always some things that are "different" between the two environments.
The second upgrade took maybe 15 minutes yesterday morning. Most of our users will be using that version next week. The backend software upgrades are not such a big issue for the users what really throws them for a loop are the GUI front end interfaces they really have a hard time dealing with those.
I think some of us "ME" have a hard time remembering what its like not to really get the concept of "Press any key" - to me ok press any key on my keyboard. Some of our users really do ask "where's the ANY key?". Computers are intimidating to some people and after you use them for awhile you forget. Its hard to pull back and remember that.
BUT we sent around some instructions on how to change some settings on the desktop application telling the users exactly how to change them....step by step..."Change the settings as shown below" and there were people who unchecked the wrong 2 check boxes...there were only 4 to choose from and we had a picture to show which ones. One users even said "The picture did not match the words" Oh my goodness - there is a box that says "Connection settings" with two check boxes under it. We said "Inside the box Connection Settings uncheck the two check boxes as shown below"..... This person and others unchecked 3 of the four boxes on the page...only two were in the location that said "Connection Settings". This user uncheck the two not within the box we displayed and only one within. PLEASE.
Oh here is another word of advice for any users out there.....if your major application just went through an upgrade and you are asked to start using it again and report any problems - report them when you experience them not like the following:
User "Hey this is just a heads up, all day (3:00 pm in the afternoon) we have been getting this error when performing this process"
Gee you think you should report the problem after it happens the first time...even the second time...3rd...
User "I am trying to logon and I followed the directions and the screen says "busy" its been saying that for the last HOUR". This is a process that takes seconds. The user did not click on the ICON to complete the logon process.
My friend and I both support these users with these applications. For the last several months we have been in the lab working testing the new versions....and I have been working there for over a year now and we get a call on the speaker phone..."Hi Kylee is Kelly there?....Kelly I can't find the shortcut on my desktop for that application...did that change" HEY what am I chopped liver. If Kelly had not been there the person would have either said "Ok just have her call me back".
Oh...all those things were yesterday.
Today is the last day of Steve's spring break. I have today off with him. We were going to go to the zoo but its rainy here so I am going to take him to the new ICE AGE movie. That should be fun. We went to a small carnival earlier in the week and practiced T-ball in the back yard.
Anyway I hope you all have a GREAT WEEKEND
This we week upgraded two applications at work. One was pretty major and the other not so much. But if either went wrong it would have been major. Luckily my weekend efforts last weekend did not indicate how the rest of the week would go.
The errors I was having this last weekend were still there when I went in early Monday morning. I sent an email to our DBA/System admin first thing about the first error. But before she even had time to respond I found out what was wrong and corrected it. It was something that probably should have been done before I started but no big thing I got it resolved. I had another error over the weekend but I did not know until I had the first error resolved if they were related. I quickly found that they were not related. This error I had to report to our software vendor. So I opened the support ticket, talked to the person working on the ticket and continued to look for the resolution myself. Before the person got back to me with researching the problem I had already corrected that problem and 3 more. It was kind of funny when I got the call from the support guy because I had already sent him two updates in email and he called and said "Oh that error resides in this file...you just need to recompile that program"...yes that is done.
We were able to release this upgrade to our users at least a day early. We did run into some other problems after users started working but they were all resolved by the end of day yesterday. They were things that did not show up in our test environment....not surprising there are always some things that are "different" between the two environments.
The second upgrade took maybe 15 minutes yesterday morning. Most of our users will be using that version next week. The backend software upgrades are not such a big issue for the users what really throws them for a loop are the GUI front end interfaces they really have a hard time dealing with those.
I think some of us "ME" have a hard time remembering what its like not to really get the concept of "Press any key" - to me ok press any key on my keyboard. Some of our users really do ask "where's the ANY key?". Computers are intimidating to some people and after you use them for awhile you forget. Its hard to pull back and remember that.
BUT we sent around some instructions on how to change some settings on the desktop application telling the users exactly how to change them....step by step..."Change the settings as shown below" and there were people who unchecked the wrong 2 check boxes...there were only 4 to choose from and we had a picture to show which ones. One users even said "The picture did not match the words" Oh my goodness - there is a box that says "Connection settings" with two check boxes under it. We said "Inside the box Connection Settings uncheck the two check boxes as shown below"..... This person and others unchecked 3 of the four boxes on the page...only two were in the location that said "Connection Settings". This user uncheck the two not within the box we displayed and only one within. PLEASE.
Oh here is another word of advice for any users out there.....if your major application just went through an upgrade and you are asked to start using it again and report any problems - report them when you experience them not like the following:
User "Hey this is just a heads up, all day (3:00 pm in the afternoon) we have been getting this error when performing this process"
Gee you think you should report the problem after it happens the first time...even the second time...3rd...
User "I am trying to logon and I followed the directions and the screen says "busy" its been saying that for the last HOUR". This is a process that takes seconds. The user did not click on the ICON to complete the logon process.
My friend and I both support these users with these applications. For the last several months we have been in the lab working testing the new versions....and I have been working there for over a year now and we get a call on the speaker phone..."Hi Kylee is Kelly there?....Kelly I can't find the shortcut on my desktop for that application...did that change" HEY what am I chopped liver. If Kelly had not been there the person would have either said "Ok just have her call me back".
Oh...all those things were yesterday.
Today is the last day of Steve's spring break. I have today off with him. We were going to go to the zoo but its rainy here so I am going to take him to the new ICE AGE movie. That should be fun. We went to a small carnival earlier in the week and practiced T-ball in the back yard.
Anyway I hope you all have a GREAT WEEKEND
posted by Kylee at
8:43 AM
5 Comments:
kylee: your upgrade process sounds very familiar -- hmmm... we have had the same issues with things working fine in our test environment but then blows up in production -- very frustrating. also, the lame employees who, no matter how much you try to hold their hand(s), CANNOT follow any sort of instruction. arrrgh!
your previous post about former in-laws was very touching. it is too bad that circumstances make it so that those relationships cannot be maintained without "family allegiances" getting in the way.
We’ve had a similar week! Except, you’ve been one day ahead and I’ve been one day behind. All day today I thought it was Thursday!
Have a fun easter Kylee, enjoy the movie. We saw Shaggy Dog so Ice Age is next week :o)
BTW, told ya you'd get through the week ;) never under estimate your talent.
I'm laughing and telling Phil about the users. He works with computers and the stories he tells- oh Lord have mercy.
We're going to see Ice Age today.
Si: its all about the hand holding...it has to be done no matter what or how we provide instructions to them. Good luck with your upcoming upgrade.
Nick: Yeah I could not believe it was Friday ....I was glad because i had thought it was Saturday.
Michelle: Thanks - I always get told that I don't have enough faith in my own abilities...its a curse I say..but owell I work that much harder to prove myself wrong.
Lawbrat: Ice Age was a hoot huh. Users always give me plenty of entertainment@@
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