Helpdesk support back in the day of the middle ages when a then modern “book” replaced the beloved “papyrus scroll” and caused animosities among the “users” ;-).
Medieval Helpdesk » Book
A monk introduces the latest innovation: a book (Norwegian with English subtitles) — and the problems at hand when compared with the established scroll ...
Transcription of the video (text):
- Helpdesk
- Hello? Are you Brother Ansgar?
- User
- Ah, yes, hello. How are you doing?
- Helpdesk
- Fine. What's the matter?
- User
- Well, it's this thing. Would you like to sit down?
- Helpdesk
- Thanks. [sits down in front of "the problem"]
- User
- I haven't been able to do anything the whole morning because of this.
- Helpdesk
- I see. Well, I'm sorry.
- We are introducing this new system and everybody wants help immediately.
- Eh ... so you can't use it?
- User
- Right, it has just been laying here.
- Helpdesk
- Have you tried to open it?
- User
- Open it?! If it's that simple, I would not called helpdesk, would I?
- Would you like a cup of hot water?
- Helpdesk
- No thanks. This will be done quickly.
- Let me see, you just do like this.
- And now, you have started.
- User
- Yeah. I made it that far myself!
- But then I stopped because I was afraid some of the text would disappear.
- So I was afraid to go on.
- Helpdesk
- Okay. Well you see: in this thing there are saved several hundred pages of text.
- So to proceed you just grab one sheet of paper and turn it over like this.
- User
- Ok so it ends here ... and then it continues here!
- Aha, but if I want to go back?
- Helpdesk
- Then you just turn the page back by holding the paper here ....
- And then you are back to where you were.
- User
- That is great. But when I finish, what do I do then?
- Helpdesk
- Then you just fold the cover like this.
- Now it's closed and everything is save inside it.
- User
- So you are sure I won't loose any of the text?
- Helpdesk
- No, no. Everything is safe, unless you set fire to the whole thing. Which isn't very likely?
- User
- When you are used to paper rolls it takes some time to convert to turn the pages of a - beek.
- Helpdesk
- Book. But then everything is ok?
- User
- Yeah, just one last thing.
- Let's run through it once before you leave.
- I open it like this. And then I ... how did you say?
- Helpdesk
- Turn the page.
- User
- I turn the page back and forth.
- And when I'm finished I just close it.
- Nice. Thank you.
- Helpdesk
- Great. Bye ...
- User
- Hey, wait! I can't believe ... it's like this again. I can't open it.
- Helpdesk
- You are doing it with the wrong side up.
- User
- What do you mean, "wrong"?
- Helpdesk
- You have to open it from the other side.
- User
- So it does matter which way you open it?
- Helpdesk
- Yes. You have to open it from this side.
- User
- I see.
- Helpdesk
- Have you read the manual?
- User
- Manual?
- Helpdesk
- Yeah. It comes with this guide for users. Here it is.
- User
- Yes, but this has the same problems. I can't seem to open it.
- Helpdesk
- Oh, we hadn't thought about that.
Computer Helpdesk
Welcome To The Internet Helpdesk: live performance by Wes Borg (approximately 7 minutes) about how difficult it is, to have a job at a helpdesk. Conclusion: » Buy a Mac!