Space Invaders

Plugging in...

Sometimes technology fails us. Period. Like when you're suddenly asked for the"network" password when attempting to send an email. You may think "I don't have a password" (you do, though), because your email program conveniently remembers it for you. So this is what happened...

A client was prompted for the network password when sending what should have been an ordinary email on an ordinary day. And why can't the message just ask for the email password anyway? But the Tutor digresses. The client filled in the TWO prompted pieces of information on the screen: user name (which is the email address) and network password. The client filled in their Comcast email address and guessed at the password. And continued guessing as the email would neither send nor receive and the dang prompting box would not go away.

Compound the issue with a little check mark that told the email program to REMEMBER the password and we have a "situation". The Tutor, via telephone, instructed the client to change the password through the Comcast website. Changing the password was only one third of the battle. 

The first fight of the battle was the CAPS LOCK key was on when the password was reset. Once the Tutor figured that out, the second fight was OUTLOOK, the email program of choice by millions worldwide, had to be told the new password as well. The client did NOT want the password that was reset with the CAPS LOCK key on and was too frustrated to re-set the password again. At this point, the Tutor knew a site visit was in order. Score? Technology 2, Client 0.

As a temporary stopgap, the Tutor instructed the client to fetch and send email via the Comcast web-based email program, which worked perfectly. The Tutor then made a site visit only to find the real fight wasn't the password at all, though the Tutor did re-set it to the original password. The penultimate fight: the client had typed a SPACE in their email address in the original window that prompted for the username and password of the "network". The password was NEVER the problem! The client finally won the Technology battle of the day, albeit a bit battered, but more knowledgeable.

The remaining question is why did the email prompt for the username and network password to begin with? A technology mystery? Not really. If one researches the problem, the most viable reason is there was an update that caused the prompting. Could have been a windows, registry or Outlook change. Feel better?

ALWAYS REMEMBER: before calling for help - is it plugged in, is there a SPACE where it doesn't belong, and is it turned on?

Unplugged