Useless

[unixronin]

I just got email from the provider of a mailing list.  It was several pages of information and advice on possible reasons why I might be unable to receive mail from said list host, and what I could do about them if they proved to be the case.

So, let's see here.

Case one:  I'm receiving mail from the list host just fine.  In this case, none of the information in the message is useful or relevant to me.

Case two:  I'm unable to receive mail from the list host for any of a variety of reasons.  In which case I didn't get the message, and am therefore unable to make use of the information in it.

So tell me again why they bothered sending me this mail?  It's like trying to send mail to IT to tell them the mail system is down, or trying to turn the light on so that you can see to reset the main circuit breaker.  If it works, you didn't need to do it; on the other hand, if you need to do it, it ain't gonna work.

Comments

[guppiecat]

Once, back in my helpdesk days, I received an email from an outside user with the message "My email isn't working". There was no other contact info.

I pondered for a bit, and then replied saying "It's fixed now." :)

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

I used to to tech support by e-mail for a an e-mail program (fear not, the irony was not lost). I got this plaintive e-mail from a user one day saying that they could send e-mail just fine but couldn't receive it, and that he was aware that we'd never be able to reply to him, but that he thought we ought to know.

That was sweet, but there was, literally, nothing I could do with the information except file it for future reference.

[mrmeval.livejournal.com]

Did they send it via the mailing list or by another email?

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Looks like via the list. Certainly via the same mailserver.

[mrmeval.livejournal.com]

*snort* Ok, I decline to attempt to exonerate them further. ;)

[dirtynumbangel.livejournal.com]

Cuz people, they dumb.