From: Nxxxxx Jxx [mailto:xxxx@24hourfit.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2010 5:53 PM
To: joe@joeware.net
Subject: AD accounts
Importance: HighHi,
I have a project assigned. In this project I have to find the inactive accounts (user and computers). Move them to a disabled account OU (DISABLED ACCOUNT). Please let me know soon.
Regards,
Nxxxx Jxxx
The first thing that bothers me is “Importance: High”… Seriously? If I get an email with Importance: High set, I expect to see something in the body of the email that makes me nearly jump out of my seat or at least the hair stand up on my arms. Telling me that you were assigned a project doesn’t even make the hair on my toes stand up.
Next is the whole body… Confusing and I have no clue what you are looking for. Do you want me to feel sorry for you? Do you want me to cheer for you? Do you want me to validate that you should do that assignment… If you don’t know what you are doing say… “I don’t know what I am doing…” and then remove my address from the TO: and add your bosses email address to the TO: line as he would be more interested in that fact that I am.
My personal opinion here after reading that email is that it is a plea from someone to tell them how to do their job. They have been assigned something that they have no clue how to do and they seem to have no desire to figure it out on their own. Sorry, I am not here to spoon feed you. As I see more and more friends lose their jobs to low cost centers around the world, I expect I will find myself being less and less helpful to these very generic “I don’t know how to do my job” requests.
If you desire help from someone who you think can help you, at least try to figure out the problem yourself and then explain what you have tried to do and why you feel it isn’t successful.
My response to the email:
From: joe [mailto:joe@joeware.net]
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2010 3:11 PM
To: Nxxxxx Jxx
Subject: RE: AD accountsLet you know what?
—
O’Reilly Active Directory Fourth Edition – http://www.joeware.net/win/ad4e.htm
Blog: http://blog.joeware.net
I figured I would give the person a chance to explain what they needed. I wasn’t disappointed.
From: Nxxx Jxx [mailto:xxxx@24hourfit.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2010 6:29 PM
To: joe
Subject: RE: AD accountsCan u let me know about the solution of my issue?
And my response:
From: joe [mailto:joe@joeware.net]
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 5:29 PM
To: ‘Nxxxxx Jxx’
Subject: RE: AD accountsIf you want me to tell you exactly what to do, please send me a blank check and I will fill it out for you, cash it, and then assist.
Alternately, click on this link
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=find+inactive+accounts+in+active+directory
or buy this book
joe
Granted, this person could have oldcmp in front of them and it isn’t working properly[1]. But if you can’t tell me that you are at least that far along, don’t expect me to try and help. Seriously, my time is just as valuable as the next person. If I am at the job that I am actually paid a salary to do, I will walk junior admins through their tasks, I am not going to do it for other companies that don’t have the sense to have senior admins to help their junior admins or their senior admins are in reality junior admins.
joe
[1] Ok slight chance…
Oh my goodness! This gets my vote for best post in the blog-sphere for this week. My vote does not really count for anything so giving it away isn’t that helpful. 🙂
I would have ignored the silly person but you found a way to be helpful and shame him too. Excellent.