Hey, we're back this week and we are talking about all things
tech. Yay the IT people.
Just everything in between the laptops we hate the most and
also the keyboards that we love the most.
So listen in. Hell yeah.
Buckle up. Corporate crash out?
Will you cash in or crash out? I did something also cool this
weekend. I went to a work event on the
weekend. That kills who holds a work
event on the weekend? It was like not as much a work
event, but basically I guess what PNG does on Dividend Day is
that they go to Kings Island. But if you don't know what Kings
Island is, I guess it's like a Six Flags.
So they kind of like. Rent it there girl.
Me and Kings Island go way back. So they like rent it out and
then the PNG employees get to bring like 1 guests or whatever.
Or if you have a family then you can bring your family.
And then they have all this stuff set up that says like
dividend day and then all the Charmin signs.
And then they have the big, there's a big Charmin toilet and
the big Bounty paper towels and the Pepto Bismol giraffe.
And yeah, it was kind of cool, I have to admit.
And they gave their employees like free swag.
And one of the things they gave was like a Boston cream shampoo,
like it was a Dunkin Donut collab or whatever.
So. That's really concerning,
Dunkin. Has done some interesting
collabs. When I used to work at Post I
think they did like a cereal collab.
It was so interesting seeing the consumer side of how many people
actually bought all this stuff. Like the weird they had Fruity
Pebbles coffee Creamer that didn't go well.
But I actually did see that in the stores and I thought, what
the hell? Yeah, but that's one of the fun
things I think too about my job with the data analysis.
Like I can just go and like look at some random stuff and be like
I used to. Do like one of my internships
was doing rebates for different vendors and like gas stations
and that was really interesting day to look at Like wow this is
disgusting really this many mountain dews were bought or
like or like this many bags of chips.
I was like, this is nasty. I feel like a gas station would
honestly be kind of interesting because there's some stuff they
try, like I don't know, the candies and everything.
It's a lot, yeah, the candies. And there was like also like
weird drinks that like different of the distributors would
launch. And like, obviously if you're
having a rebate, it's probably because there's a promo on one
of the like items, which is usually like the newer items or
stuff that they want moved. So it was definitely very
interesting just to look at the sheer quantity of flow through
the gas station of literal junk. I remember once I was looking
through a company's like phones 'cause they, you know, some
companies give their employees like phones, but if you go back,
like you can see the types of phones that were still active
and there was like really old Blackberries still in there that
they were like paying for. And I don't know, it just the
corporate like data sheets. I always get so intrigued by
them. And maybe that's just me, but I
think there's a lot of hidden gems in there that don't get
talked about enough. Gosh, you're a nerd.
I just. A hidden gem so you can find the
active blackberries everyone. If you really dig deep in the
data, you can see that they have an active BlackBerry.
Yeah, but isn't that interesting to know that somewhere, someone
in the world is still using a BlackBerry?
Did BlackBerry come out with a new phone a few years ago?
Am I making that up? New BlackBerry classic coming in
2025? What?
No way. Fuck, no way.
Wait, what does it look like? This is on Reddit.
Oh. No, but it says it's coming
back. Wait, you can buy a BlackBerry
right now at T-Mobile? I will not be getting a
BlackBerry. It has the little keypad on the
bottom. Yeah, I see.
I'm like. Why do I kind of want this?
Well, you know, if something horrible happens with tech, we
might have to go back to BlackBerry.
BlackBerry's guys, like we said, a lot of firms are cutting right
now. So, you know, it seems that
BlackBerry it might be back. I'm obsessed.
We don't even have work phones. Our calls come through Teams
because why would we pay for work phones when it can come
through Teams? I agree with that unless it's
like you know, you get calls after work hours and if you're
like are a person that has to work overtime or something, I
can understand why you would want a phone well.
You can get teams on your phone and it rings your phone like
normal. You can really just click slide
and answer it. OK, here's the thing too is like
I feel like if a firm doesn't let you download Teams or have
your e-mail on your personal phone that they should give you
a phone. Because I need to see like what
is happening on Teams in sock. And that way like if I'm tanning
by the pool on my lunch hour, I can see if my boss texted me or
not and then I can respond instantly.
Like I can be like, Oh yeah, I'm doing this or I already
completed that. I don't.
Know I don't keep my e-mail or my teams on my phone on like I
don't keep the notifications on unless I need them because I
think like work life balance. Like I don't want to see an
e-mail come in at 8:00 PM and know that my Co worker is on
working because then I'm going to feel guilty.
Oh, that's fair. It was so funny 'cause one time
me and the other intern we like didn't do work on like one of
the virtual days and so for some reason our sleep schedules were
so off. So I was on it like 2:00 in the
morning working on in the presentation and then he was
also on at 2:00 in the morning. And then I got on the dock and
then I, he saw me and then he immediately got off the dock.
But I was like, I still say you're slack.
Like I know you're active right now.
I know, yeah, sometimes if I'm on at a weird hour, I'll like
manually change my team's logo so that people like my icons
that people don't know I'm on. But I don't know I I think that
it's just weird to ask an employee to use anything on
their phone too as well. But one time I tried to
screenshot an e-mail my phone and my phone literally wouldn't
let me. Like they have it locked down.
I can't take a screenshot. Yes, I don't.
I didn't even know that was a thing.
Wow, that's so interesting. I didn't know that either.
So how are you supposed to like, oh, I guess you could just
forward it, but. Yeah, if you need to send
something, you'd have to forward it.
Or the hilarious part is like, I could just get on my computer,
take a screenshot of it, and e-mail it to myself, you know?
But can you just also like copy and paste?
Well, yeah. OK.
Probably, I don't know, but I just thought that was so funny.
I was like, you can't screenshot per your phone's policy.
Like it was like an Apple pop up.
I was like, whoa, this is techie.
This is beyond my. That's so interesting.
Have you ever had to go to IT or had like an issue with your
laptop? And then they're like, can I
like take control of your your computer?
Oh yeah. They they have to do that all
the time to me because all of ours are remote too.
You like join this session and they'll be like, am I OK to
assume control? And you like type in this little
box and like, Yep. And then they just like take
over. No, but not even zoom control.
Like I'm not. I know what you're talking about
with zoom control, but this was so crazy.
This was that when I was at a consulting firm and I would just
get on my computer and I was like teasing this guy.
I was like, hey, I'm having trouble with this software
application. He's like, oh, can.
I like, take control of your computer?
And I was like, sure. And he was like, oh, can.
I like, that's what they do. Like they message you and
they're like, can I take control?
And he's like, yeah. But but it wasn't even on Zoom.
It was just like, and I didn't even have to accept anything.
And I was like, what? They can just do that whenever
they want. So like I'm literally sitting
here wondering how many times they just go on random people's
computers and just look at what they're doing.
Oh, so I would do that if I was an IT, no offense when I get.
Older 100% be me, especially like, I feel like it is one of
those like, weird jobs where like you can have a lot of
downtime and then, like have really big rushes, you know?
Yeah. Yeah, honestly.
And so I'm like, that's so crazy that there's a bunch of people
in IT that just like know everybody use like computer
stuff and everything like that. I will say though, at like my
one of my other companies, the IT guys couldn't know our
computer password, which I was confused about because I thought
they kind of knew everybody's computer password.
No, they're like encrypted. They don't.
No one knows them but you most like Oh yeah, if you like ask it
like what's my password? That's why they never can tell
you, but they can like prompt a reset.
Oh, that's so interesting. Yeah, but I didn't know that.
The most embarrassing IT ticket you've ever put in?
Honestly I don't really have like a ton.
It's usually just getting access and stuff for interns.
And what, Claire fess up? I am it's worst nightmare.
I think I could have guessed that, but let's hear it.
My camera wasn't working and I was like trying to have meetings
with clients and I was like, I am so sorry.
Like my camera, it's like it was just showing a black screen.
And you just didn't slide it. Yeah, that happened to me.
I didn't know there was a shutter.
I didn't know but either because I always use a Mac and so the
first time I got like a PC, I tried to turn on the camera and
then I didn't know that has like an internal like safety.
What do they call? That really hidden to on mine.
Yeah. And there's like this little
like, black thing that slides back and forth so you can cover
your camera. Yeah, I didn't know that either.
And then? We came over and they're like.
But I don't know, I hate having to put in IT tickets for
everything. It's like kind of annoying.
If it's something really urgent, I am like, I will cut the line
in the IT tickets and just like walk over to like the two IT
people who are actually located in our office and be like, hey,
it's me again. We have like things called power
up bars or whatever, and they're like on certain floors in each
building, but you still have to sign in when you go in there.
So I had to sign in to like give them my laptop at the end.
What is this? This sounds like when you go to
Apple and you have to sign in and you wait and you wait and
then they don't actually help you.
Oh, well, it's not, it's minus the don't actually help you.
I mean, sometimes they don't know what's wrong, but then you
just keep going to them over and over.
But I told you one person in the summer, he had like computer
issues. I don't know what happened.
And they took it for like the whole day.
And so he was just sitting there with no computer and.
All of. Us had our computers and he
didn't even know when his meetings were that he had
already scheduled because he didn't have like obviously a
phone or laptop or anything. So he was just by himself all
day doing. Nothing.
That's so sad. I know.
But yeah, I also feel like we probably bother the IT guys way
less than some of the CE OS. Like let's honestly think about
it. Like I would die to see some of
like the CE OS tickets that they put into IT because it's
probably the most like how do I. Turn this into APDF.
No, literally a partner called me into his office once and was
like, hey, like Claire, I I need your help with something like
comes over to my desk, like not even sends me a team.
So I'm like, oh, yeah, like what's up?
Like I got you. He's like, can you go to my
office really quick? I was like, yeah.
And he says, so he has this like Word doc pulled up and he's
like, so I'm imagining that there's like a box on top of it
with words in the box. And I'm like, like a text box.
He's like, yes, exactly. I was like, OK, go to the insert
tab, click text box, and then you can write it.
And he was like, wow, see, you just learned something new every
day. I was crying.
That's so funny. It's also like when they don't
know how to, when you go in like a conference room and they don't
know how to set up the call. I feel like all the managers and
stuff, they're like, can you set up the call?
And I literally just press the button.
Let's just like start the meeting and that's it 'cause
they hardly. Think you're a genius?
Yeah, that's so funny. I can't.
Like my dad too. Like I was like, Dad he he was
like, well, how do you this is like the wrong file.
And I was like, what are you talking about?
And he was like, well, they say they need APDF.
And I was like, yeah. And he was like, I don't know,
like, how am I supposed to get APDF?
And I was like, Dad, what? And he I was like, you never run
into this at work. And he was like, no, one of the
people just help me. And I'm like, are you serious?
That's so bad, Oh my gosh, I feel.
I feel like he can learn. I feel like he just doesn't want
to. Well, if this is any
consolation, my dad types like this.
No, Yes. With two fingers or with two?
Fingers well like they like randomly all end up in there
somehow but like no rhyme or reason mostly just like two or
three. He's pretty effective, but it's
it's quite painful for me to watch.
But like I thought they had typewriting classes back then?
Or maybe. What I mean, I think people
still like, cheated. Like you didn't ever have people
like who lifted the little covers off of the keyboard to
like, cheat. We had, it was actually so
rigorous. We had it 3rd grade where we had
these, we weren't, I mean computers, they were just typing
machines. And I had to go to tutorial.
I don't know if I told you this all the time because I wasn't
fast enough and I had enough accuracy.
And so we had to get past like level 150 in 3rd grade.
And so I was sitting there in tutorial trying to learn.
And then we also had to do type to learn.
Did you guys have that in fourth?
Type to learn. The games were so fun.
That's all we did, Katie. You're so nerdy for liking type
to learn. I kind of hated it.
Oh, it was so fun. I was so good at it.
But I was also like a piano player as a kid, so it came
naturally so. It came naturally.
That's so funny. What if we had those like
classes? I feel like they're going to
need those for like CE OS and stuff.
But like for basic things, you know, like this is how we
download APDF. This is how we use this browser.
This is how our database works. You know what I'm saying?
No 100% this is how you add someone to a teams call when
your teams calls already started.
This is how you. Update an invite.
That was the other thing, like the team's call already starting
and then you don't know how to add like a Zoom link or
something to it. Once you already, I forget.
That was a big issue at one point I wanted to go with
companies. I worked out there like guys,
you have to add the team's the call 1st and then do it or
whatever it was. It's so interesting.
But anyways. How much drama and for what?
And literally I've talked to some of the IT guys and then
I'll say like, oh, what does like the CEO ask you?
Because there was one small firm and he was like, oh, he calls me
all the time, like four or five times a day.
And I actually go and set up his presentations for him because he
doesn't know how to do it or like help him share the screen
or like do whatever. And I'm like, oh, I'm so sorry
that that's. Like kind of embarrassing.
Like I think there should be like ACEO proficiency test, like
if you're going to be above a certain level, like you need to
know how to put your PowerPoint on the screen.
Yeah, you would think, but I don't know.
There was one, one of my friends, I don't know CE OS of
the company he works for, he couldn't drive.
Like he actually couldn't drive himself to work.
He had to have someone drive him because he would.
Just like in New York. No, no, no, no.
This was in like some rural place, but he had to have
someone drive him because he would get so distracted because
he would think about like a million different things or
whatever. And so he like actually couldn't
drive because he was such a danger to himself.
So he had to have someone drive him.
Like he had a driver or like he said people would pick him up.
No, no, he. Had a drive now Can you imagine
him calling random Co workers and be like are you going to
pick me up? Can you pick me up for work
today? That's so funny.
No, but I think about that sometimes.
Love IT though today I literally forgot my mouse at home though,
and I went to IT and I was like, hey like do you have a loaner
mouse I can use? They're like not a wireless one
but you could have this wired 1. And I was like all day with like
this mouse probably from the early 2000s, like wired to my
laptop. I don't understand mice actually
and I just don't why. Why does the trackpad not work?
Because some people literally in my classes will fully set up.
They'll have their computer, then they'll have the mouse,
then they'll have the thing the mouse sits on and they'll have
the set up and like all their stuff laid out.
And I'm like really for like this class, like where you just
need to type? I don't understand but maybe I'm
like missing something. No, I think that's actually
insane. But like for me, I'm like
clicking in little tiny cells and stuff all day.
And like, the trackpad on our computer is not great.
Like the trackpad on a Mac beats any other trackpad I've ever
used, by far. Yeah, I've had some at some
other firms where I like, I try to move it and then I just like,
I don't know what happens. And it was actually so annoying
and I couldn't get any work done and I actually had to get it
fixed but. No, that's why I use a mouse at
work. But if I had a Mac or like
honestly like my like Lenovo ThinkPad, like right here mouse.
Works great. OK wait if you have a non Mac,
what kind of laptop like do you want?
A ThinkPad is. That the one that folds into an
iPad? No, a ThinkPad is just like a
kind of computer that's made by Lenovo.
Oh wait, you've definitely. Had one.
I hate those. I can't.
They're so good because I need
the 10 key. I can't live without the 10 key.
No, I can't handle these. I really yes, these I hate
these. The ones that say like ThinkPad
on the back, No, I don't like those.
I like the ones where you flip it and it gets to an iPad and
then. Fuck that, I don't want an iPad.
I don't need an iPad. That would be so useless for my
job, no? No, no, no, no.
It's not just an iPad, it's a laptop, but you just flip it
around and then you can this house like a touch.
Talking about a Microsoft Surface.
Sir, those are nice. I recommend those.
So if you guys get to pick what laptop you have, highly
recommend that one. And then there's some I know
that just like for one of my internships, it was so annoying
like this is a thing that people never talk about like I would
honestly quit my job if they didn't give me a good laptop or
I can like pay for my own because it's actually so
annoying. I used to run these huge Excel
files at one of my jobs and it was like for financial modeling.
So it was like huge, huge, huge and like we already turned off
auto save and like all these other things.
So it would like just process faster.
But it would take so long. And to do literally anything, I
would have to do the thing and then like wait a minute and then
do another thing and wait a minute.
And it was the most frustrating thing ever.
And it was like really annoying. Immediately no.
My sister pulled her laptop out of her bag the other day when
she came to visit me and I was like what is that?
She's like my work issued laptop.
I was like no. Like the answer for me would be
no if they gave me that. What was it?
I don't even know. Like I didn't even recognize.
It was like off brand. It was old, it was small.
It. Was doing nothing.
Yeah, I always think that's like so interesting though.
I know at the company I'm going to go work for, they give us
Airpods, let me join. So I'm super excited in a phone.
It's nice. It's so nice, so exciting things
actually. Even if you love everything
about your corporate environment, the technology
matters so and then some. I've gotten 2 monitors and at
some I only get one and some I've gotten 0 so I think you're
really awesome. I've never had less than 3.
What? I've used all three all day.
I what? I've had two at a decision
science internship and then I had like one at a business
analyst internship. How do you function off of 1?
One is like a little hard. I'm so productive with my three
monitors. Oh, but we have the huge one.
Like it goes like it's like the curvy 1.
OK, then that's like 3 monitors. Yeah.
So that one was nice actually. But so like kind of replicate
that for myself, like working from home, I had to get 2
monitors and then I use my laptop.
So I have like my laptop and then my 2 monitors.
OK, that's similar to me then. But like at work I just have
like the three and I just like go ham.
And then at home I have like a giant one and then like my
laptop. Did you pay for it or did your?
Company don't get me started why they don't give us at home
setups, but they do give us like field monitors.
So I have like a really skinny little pop up monitor that I can
take to the field with me. Like if I go to a client, so I
can have two monitors at a client.
Oh that's so interesting, I didn't even know they had those.
That's so nice. At one of my companies and this
was like an internship that like, I don't know, I didn't
expect them to give me like a laptop and they gave me a
monitor for home. And so they gave me both of
those. And then I know like some people
when they first start their job, like usually not interns but
full time, they'll give you like a stipend to get your at home
like setup done. That would be nice, but
unfortunately some accountants are cheap.
That makes sense, but I feel like a lot of people work hybrid
these days, so I feel like you kind of need to you know I.
Need it. I've looked several times on
Facebook Marketplace thinking like, someone's gonna sell like,
their head up and it'll be nice because like, I don't want to
spend like all this money on something that should be
provided, you know? No, I know it's like the.
Principle. It's like I think it would be
worth the money for like my comfort, but like it's the
principle. Like I shouldn't have to buy
this. Yeah.
No, that's fair. What do you think about
keyboards though? Like do you have, do you have a
nice keyboard? Do you have preferences on
keyboards? I don't like the really steep
ones where you have to sync your fingers all the way into it to
type anything. Those are so annoying.
Like a old school one. It's kind of satisfying for
about like 2 lines of typing and then I want to throw it out the
window. Yeah.
No, I have a really sleek slim 1 and I really like it.
They had this like workshop, I guess at one of my works where
you had to buy the part to yourself, but it wasn't actually
that expensive and you could like make your custom keys.
And so like people did that where they like our whole team
made like custom little keys and like one person's was like
rainbow and what person's whatever.
And they did that to make their keyboards look like cool and
fun. That's so fun.
Imagine having a community building exercise as such.
I feel like that would be cute. And then they always give us
like laptop stickers depending on like what team we're on.
So there's like subset, it's like every 20 people that's like
a team basically. And so like each of those have
their own like icon and then they give you a sticker like
ours was the spice group. And so they give us like a bell
pepper we could put on our like laptop and stuff that was.
Fun. That's so fun.
All right, guys, that's all we have for this week's episode.
But we love, love hearing from you, you guys.
To make sure to either comment on Spotify.
Or YouTube or. Check out our listener.
Inbox we also. Just released T-shirts and
merch, so get on it. I'm really excited about that
and we'll see you next week.