This week was definitely the most interesting week at work ever. The events surrounding the beta trial of the software we’re developing have been fascinating. Most of my colleagues who are reading this know exactly what I’m talking about. The rest will know exactly what I’m talking about when I mention the number three.
Unfortunately for the rest of you, I’m probably not able to reveal exactly what has been going on. I’m not sure if not disclosing this kind of event is specifically included in my contract, but I’m going to play it safe. Give it a few months to blow over and maybe I’ll reveal all.
I can, however, tell you about a separate incident last week at work. First of all, you need to know that my email alert at work is Monty Python’s Mr Gumby proclaiming "My brain hurts!"
A colleague, Henry, and I, were messing around with trying to get some voice conferencing software going. Microsoft’s NetMeeting to be precise. Ever since the office reorganisation last week, we’re too far away to exchange verbal abuse face to face, so we’ve been looking for a better way. Pick up the phone?? No way, that wouldn’t be high-tech enough. So voice conferencing it had to be.
Actually, we’re only fifteen second’s walk away, and could shout, though it would disturb other people. But part of our work involves computer-based conferencing anyway, so we thought we might as well make use of the technology.
So we fired up the software. A little fiddling and it was half working – that is, Henry could hear me, but I couldn’t hear him. Verbal office abuse isn’t as fun when it’s one way, so we each fiddled with the controls.
I bumped up the volume control on the conferencing software a little. He kept speaking into his microphone. Still no go. I bumped the volume up to full blast. Still nothing. I gave up and went over to his desk, unaware that turning the volume up on the conferencing software had also turned my main volume control up to full.
I arrived at Henry’s desk, and we agreed it wasn’t worth the hassle.
Just then, some email arrived.
With all the decibels a multimedia PC can muster at full volume, a loud voice came booming across the office.
" M M M M M Y Y Y Y Y …B R R R A A A I N … H H H U R T S S S ! "
