I didn't like being called Ali growing up (except by Mom) because it rhymed with my last name and I did NOT want to add to the teasing for that.

But now I don't mind it. At work the sales manager (who I really like and respect even though there are people who fear him) called me "Allie" (he spells it that way, I spell it "Ali" because Mom always did) and I was okay with it. There's another Allie at the store who was tehre before me and left and then came back. I started getting called Allie while she was gone. And now some people call me Allie and others call me Allison but either way I'm okay.

It's not that I expect people to know computers as well as I do or to know the location of every feature in our program. But I do expect people to not be surprised by the steps in a process I've just walked them through. I tell them to go back to a specific screen and click on a button. It's not a crowded screen, the button is clearly labeled. But the screen sparks no sense of recognition, and the single OK button does not inspire any inkling that perhaps that's the button to click on to get to the next step--the step they've just done.

Are humans turning into goldfish?

Are humans turning into goldfish?

Tech support is not the place where you rediscover your faith in humanity and the possibilities of space exploration.

Tax question: I've already done mine. Except that a week after I got my w2 from work, the same finance lady belatedly handed me my 1099. I figured I hadn't gotten one because I hadn't made enough to warrant it, which didn't strike me as odd as my side job had been dry this year. But apparently I made 1300 bucks. Do I go back and file this and lose money? Should I wait until the return hits my checking account so there's actually money to pay the gummymint back? Or can I just . . . not.

Yes, the IRS knows what's on you 1099, and you need to pay taxes on it.

Tom, I got a 1099 that was blank. It just had the orgs EIN and my SSN and our addresses. WTH?

In other news, a kid came to me today and told me she got married on Sunday. Um....?

Julie - as long as you do your amended return before April 15th, there won't be any penalty, so why not wait for the refund to hit before doing the amended return.

A student, Kat? Ummm...

Tech support is not the place where you rediscover your faith in humanity and the possibilities of space exploration.

May I use this as a tag line?

I respond to my first name, my first name and middle name, or the initials I use here. Anything else won't get you a response at all.

I will get called Andrew occasionally since it's my legal name and is one official documents. It's also what I went by all through high school and into college, so really old friends will sometimes call me Andrew. The one that I've never been, and won't answer to is Andy. Nope, not gonna happen. Drew is my name, Andrew is you don't know better, but there has never been a time or place where I am an Andy.