No I Won't Fix Your Computer

I work for a company where I help to fix and support the computers owned by said company.

I will not fix your own personal computer.

Don't ask me to install company software on your own computer.

Don't ask me to fix your computer (unless you're prepared to pay $40/hour for it, which is a bargain if you take it to FutureShop).

And lastly, DO NOT friend me on Facebook and then message me through it asking for help on your own computer.  Especially when you're out of the office and I'm at work, during the day trying to do my own job.

I'm being pulled in many directions

We have a process here at work.  People email in their problems, but they're supposed to email it to a certain email address (they can also submit their issues online) and that automatically creates a ticket, which documents my time as well as the work done on the computer.  Many do this, but still, I get many who insist on emailing me directly time and time again, or IM-ing me. 

What they don't seem to understand, is that when they email me directly, they have delayed their issue being resolved.  I look at the tickets first, before anything else. 

Sometimes, I ignore emails sent directly to me out of frustration.  Frustration because they have been told time and time again how to contact me, but they never listen.

Why don't they understand that they're only making things worse for them when they don't follow the process in place?  A process I *have* to follow, it's part of my job.  I don't ask them to do things outside of their normal process.  I doubt they'd like it much.

People Who Don't Listen

Why is it that some people just refuse to listen to you?  I have several certifications in my field, yet some refuse to listen to a damn thing I say.  Is it because I'm a woman?  Or are they just complete assholes?

These may be questions I'll never know the answer to.

But let me tell you something, if I tell you that you're not allowed to save music to your personal folder on the network drive and that if you don't move it, I'll delete it - I mean it.

Jackasses..

Just because I don't have a penis doesn't mean I'm stupid..

It happens, it will likely always happen so long as I'm in this field.  But that doesn't mean I like it.  It's the little things.  The snide comments, the way some guys treat you when you're talking to them about their computer, or maybe they'll just say something to your face.  But even after four years and working for a great company (I seriously love my job and the company I work for), you still get these little slights once in a while.  The way someone in a technical position outside your department will starting explaining technical things that very clearly someone in my position would know.  But clearly I wouldn't because I'm just a girl.  I once overheard someone say, "I'm not sure if she'll be able to fix it.  She's a girl."

A girl.  Yep.  I have all the parts.  I also have a brain thankyouverymuch.

What Exactly Is "Feminist Technology"?

It's simple really.  I'm a girl, working in an extremely male-dominated field.  I have been working for four years in IT and I have only ever worked with one other girl.  Ever.

This will be the ramblings of a girl, working with all guys, just trying to keep from going crazy.