Why technical support isn't working

Please let me know when the core team establish.

I totally agree with Mr. Jonathan yerden.

ISP support is bad and at times worse then bad and yes the attitude you receive is bad. I have also tried to pry information from them and received answers like "You don't need to know that." I also work for the IT deparment as support for 275 field personel in sales. I hear all the time different issues resulting from internet issues for their home systems and help them when ever I can. I have had the cable \ DSL providers tell my people the only way to resolve the issue is to remove the laptop from the domain and when it does not work they blame it on the laptop, which was working fine before hand!

ISP support is bad and at times worse then bad and yes the attitude you receive is bad. I have also tried to pry information from them and received answers like "You don't need to know that." I also work for the IT deparment as support for 275 field personel in sales. I hear all the time different issues resulting from internet issues for their home systems and help them when ever I can. I have had the cable \ DSL providers tell my people the only way to resolve the issue is to remove the laptop from the domain and when it does not work they blame it on the laptop, which was working fine before hand!

I know at least one ISP who prides itself that it *hasn't* outsourced its first-shift support (ie, business hours) - so that support staff in those hours can actually contact a real techie
note they specify first shift - evening and night shifts are from india, they know nothing about the network they are "supporting" and have no access to status reports (other than publicly posted ones) or the technical staff (other than by raising a ticket in software that often doesn't allow a sufficiently flexable entry to even describe the problem properly, assuming either of the parties (phone guy or customer) even understand what problem they have.

I had an interesting experience with an ISP support line not long ago - their mail server started rejecting mail to their own customer because it was addressed to a subdomain (ie department.companyname.com) and they had upgraded "security" on that mailserver.
Their only comment was "we are aware of the problem, but aren't doing anything about it until the customer contacts us directly; we suggest you fax or phone the customer and ask them to contact us"
Of course, our contracting department didn't bother - they simply awarded the ?500,000+ contract to the second place bidder they *could* contact. I never did find out what the "winner" did about that..... but Email is now as vital a business tool as fax or phone.

I agree with the content of your discussion and would like to add more.

I have been in the data communications business for 25 years and being the receipent of several customer service awards for technical support related activities I feel I am qualitifed to make the following statements. In an attempt to further qualify myself I started as an entry level technician and over the years worked until I acquired a Director level position.

Technical support people are the key to success and yes having the appropriate tools are important, but I have witnessed technical expertise gap-fill equipment and tools deficiences for years. I have also witnessed a steady decline, long before the downturn in the data and telecommunications industry, in the investment and resources allocated to provide technical support. Not only at the ISP level as you have suggested, but also at the broadband backbone level provided by small, medium and large communications providers. With predictable consistency experienced and talented technical support personnel are being early retired or simply laid off and replaced with entry level personnel that cannot fulfill the QOS agreements that the sales forces of the organizations are using as a sales aid to produce revenue. Of course entry level personnel are needed to handle level 1 technical support and everyone in the technical support business was once a entry level employee, but the experienced, talented and skilled personnel have become the road-kill of short term business minded companies as they concentrate on a nickel investment today that costs them thousands of dollars in business loses in the future. I know, until recently I was the Director of a technical support organization and there is wide spread concensus that a the risk of losing business related to poor technical support performance is the only way to remain competitive. The business I worked for and all that I dealt with (hundreds of businesses) will not officially admit this to their customer base, but every action they take is evidence to their commitment of providing the least amount of technical support as possible. This method of conducting business, which includes RIF that targets the experts contributes to poor technical support in many ways.

One is applying huge performance expectations to level 1 personnel that simply cannot deliver. It is not their fault because they have yet to acquire the knowledge and skills to meet the high standard companies are promoting to current and prospective customers. This directly contributes to a very high stress level and when combined with long hours and typically multiple job responsibilities, which prohibit them from performing the quality job they would like to do, these negative contributors accumlate until they adopt the attitude you discussed.

Further degrading the situation is the retention of a small, under staffed and over worked upper level technical support staff that have to spend their valuable time performing lower level tasks because of the inexperience of the level 1 technical support staff. This also contributes to a lot more incidents becoming escalated incidents because issues are not properly addressed with appropriate staffing and experience at the lower levels. Now the upper level staff is addresses non-upper level issues, yet still expected to provide upper level support without the time to dedicate to the responsibility. Thus, eventually this group of people adopt the attitude.

Every aspect of customer service / technical support has been in a steady decline. You mentioned that you do not have a method of communication with ISP because automated email servers decline your emails. This is another indication of lack of staff. As staff is continually reduced and replaced with automated, impersonal and frankly typically inadequate automated systems it is highly unlikely this particular issue will improve. If you conduct an investigation on also any ISP or communications company web site it is more difficult than ever to find a mechanism of communication. Especially for issues that require expeditous attention.

Now, one might say that when this sort of indequate CS / TS is witnessed you simply decline to do business with the company and move on to another more fitting company. Problem is as I stated earlier this problem is wide spread and you are more than likely to have the same sort of problems with your new company. In the last six months I have cancelled service with two different ISPs and am currently semi-satisatisfed with a third. The service is more or less the same at each company. I just pray that the equipment operates as well as possible and the technical support personnel do not have to intervene to resolve any problems. Harsh comment, maybe, but until I witness a major change in the level of technical support provided on a business and personal ISP level I grudgingly retain my opinion.

In summary, I have conducted investigations and carried out dozens and dozens of analysis over the years and although not popular with today's way of conducting business, the companies that survive are the ones with a rock solid customer base commitment. Yes it will slightly decline, but it will slightly increase as business goes through ebbs and flow. I sincerely and strongly feel that if budgets were dedicated to providing solid and responsible CS / TS instead of financing far to many other things that are short term gain related, history will repeat itself. Until the need for highly technical, skilled and experience personnel is recognized and properl financed I fear your concerns and expressions regarding the level of support you receive will further decline.

Sorry for being so wordy, but 25 years of personal experience and proven CS / TS techniques and policies that resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue bring out the vigor that I dedicated to the industry and miss so much. Yes, I too am road kill.

Sincerely,
Randy McKee

This will be a very good beginning. If there is proper co-ordination then we can provide the best services in the industry.

Good Luck..

regards,
ravi.

I'm 56 and just about ready to join my fellow techies. I go to DeVry Univ. in Columbus Ohio.
From my past experierence with ISP's and tech support its no wonder the web is a mess. lets work together to make the web the greatest thing since a pocket on a shirt. if we work tpgether and stop all this junk and viruses before it gets more out of hand. we are the people that can make it work. as a old saying goes "I have the pulse of the web in my hands" ok it not old i just made it up. but you people do hold the pulse of the web and the knowledge to make it work.

I do whole heartedly aggree with Mr. Yarden, with the industry constantly changing/growing, there should be a concentrated effort between ISP's to develope a "standardized" network of problem solving methodologies beause in the end they are all connected....

The most important aspect of a company is the CS desk and their ability to handle and close first calls. A major of companies I have found are cutting budgets for CS staff - low pay scales thus staff rotation is very high - training is how to answer the phones - relying on technologies (search engines and following scripts) - and the biggest death blow is globalization of the CS desk.

When you contact some CS's you end up in a foriegn country with staff that have difficulty speaking and understanding english. If you are a global organization and must support multi-national - then they need to provide for that and not a single site.

Working together isn't enough - CS needs to be supported by budget - good pay for the staffs - on going training - and communications (national language support)..

Tech support isn't working on a large scale because there is no "community". It is every company for themselves. Most of us are paid to protect the companies we work for from the nasties of the Internet without regard to solving where the problem is originating. At the end of the day if a small amount of resources are being consumed on the firewalls and routers to block port scans does my employer really care?

The gateway routers in my network get thousands of port scans a day...to try to contact the originating organization would be an exhaustive and time consuming exorcise. Should my employer bear the brunt of this cost?

The problem is going to get worse unless we as IT professionals come together as a community to work together. I think we all can agree that most of the time we are understaffed, and over worked. The next step is to figure out how we can come together, and share knowledge quickly. I?d be glad to be part of a movement that would change tech support as we know it.

As a Small Business Owner that offers computer support I find it impossible for anyone even with the highest credentials, to be able to keep up with all the new changes that takes place today when it comes to computers.
I have often thought, though, that everyone should employ or at least know a hacker as the best form of security!
Being able to DEFINITELY tell someone that, indeed, this product/update/hotfix/patch, etc will "solve" the problem has become today null and void when for sure another worm/trojan/virus will just come along and wipe it all out.
So, how does one go about honing in all that information to "keep us secure"? That is my question.

Hello, let me introduce myself first, I am Brian Edward Shepherd, 32, years YOUNG I am writing this because of what I feel is lacking on your hearts game, but I LOVE to play hearts, bridge, and Up N' Down the River, which pogo, does not have, YET, but this note is regarding statistics! I feel you should keep, more in-depth statistics, which would improve my game play! I am hurt, so, I may be for this, which you cannot add, but I do not understand why not. They are STATISTICS, which I tested out of, in college at Miami University, Ohio! I also used to work on the NTT Project at Cincinnati Bell Information Systems. I believe Electronic Arts pogo, program CAN, and SHOULD be improved upon! I personally would volunteer my time and efforts on it. I would appreciate this VERY MUCH, as will many others! You could automate this, and SHOULD! I would like to keep as a statistic, an average final score, this can be done by storing the score you have at the completion of a game, divided by the total # games played. Along with this you should create a high score table, (in this Particular case, LOW SCORE Table). Please create a best scores table, because I believe I have scored a -64 as my BEST Score. I think you should create a high scores table too! Because, if I score high, this means I kept my score going and this should account for something! I would create a color schema, for how well, each player does, I would love to have this information! Start with Light, or light yellow - dark blue (My Eye color), you can create a banner with lights that show the top players. I know this would be a great advertisement section to put your advertisements up on the Top players screen! I KNOW I would like to know you would like to have this, create color schemas for how you play! Opportunity to place advertisements of your picture in your statistics file! So, as I remember some of my multiple requests, I will write you again! I believe that you should have a set # games to be played option also. Because, I truly CANNOT Stand these SINGLE games you play win/lose, I feel like you, should have a set number of games option, IT would help out, your steady players! I See I have NO ONE With the GUTS, to tell me, YES/NO. I will tell you, I have the fortitude to handle either way, but I am telling YOU how you CAN IMPROVE POGO. If you WANT to improve pogo, statistically. Which I explain, what YOUR service is LACKING. NOW, is when you want to improve pogo! Now, since you will create this program code, I am your personal contact! THX. I do not KNOW what else I could do, for this to be created for you! As, if you would not reply, with a yes it will be created by Oct. 31, 2003, is ALL I want in return from my ingenious idea FOR pogo, to be better than the zone. I have done this FREE OF charge for these statistics to be created for US All; I just want this done; I have just about quit writing you My great ideas. IF, this is created, which is hard for you, I guess, I want to be able to put up my own ads! Also, please create more tables to play at, because they are FULL, and I KNOW they are not full! Please, INVESTIGATE the optimum rule, because you can create a table when necessary, in the room. That is all for now, but I will probably have dreams tonight, about you creating this, and I will submit more inclusive of this request. I fore see storing what each player has done for their Previous xxxxxxx games would be awesome to keep records about! Thank you, for your supporting this handicap! See, I am working, THINKING, in your behalf!

That is all for now, but I will probably have dreams tonight, about you creating this, and I will submit more inclusive of this request. Because, I LOVE The Cincinnati Reds, who are on a 5 game winning streak, I would like to know what STREAKS everyone is on, since troubled by what sort of streak, I am on, winning and losing streaks would be helpful. I foresee storing what each player has done for their Previous xxxxxxx games would be awesome to keep records about! Thanks, for your supporting this handicap! See, I AM a working, THINKIN' Brian Edward Shepherd; your skills are being diminished typing all this. This Muslim was on-line AND VERY MUCH annoyed me, I would denote him A BLACK Flag to warn others of!!!!!!!!! He stalled a game, I won, and I could not boot him! Flags should be created where you assign certain colored flags to players who annoy you! You should have thought of this already!

It has happened twice to me, so far! FRUSTRATION, reigns! Green, Light for certain players you like to play - Black for players you totally don't want to see what they are doing! I think this should do already, but IF not, by July 4th! For OBVIOUS reasons! THX, for Being American! Sit down - Lakers! Welcome Spurs, and Tim Duncan! Hey, I just thought of something from the Basketball game! How about a scorer's table. I would like a high score list and low scores list, thus you would STRIVE to be on either of the lists, I know, I would be displayed on 1, of the lists! Top ten list @ least! PLEASE, you can have advertisers be displayed on a list! I think, I am finished, Shepherd Hearts Club that meet Fridays for the last 5 years, at my home my parents will treat you, AWESOME! I think, I am being dodged by you are NOT Giving any form of input! Pizzas and Mom prepares desserts for ALL, OF MY Guests, IF you Want to join my club, e-ml me @ cincy2hot4u@hotmail.com Duncan, IS Dunkin on U! OH, WELL POGO'S CALLIN' MY NAME, so, I had better ANSWER THE Call! I want to RE-INFORCE in ur MIND that FLAGS are a necessary feature to your hearts game at least, but you should be able to transmit these ideas to ur Heart, Spade, Bridge, and Up N' Down the River games! There, should be a high score summit, for hearts! I would appreciate flags first of all, as an upgrade; number your upgrades as different upgrades! So, 1st thing you need to add are Statistics, Flags, and High-score tables that can be viewed by your users! You need to set dates for your upgrades for statistics and the like! Please, inform me that you have read this, and that you either like this/not?

I BELIEVE, I JUST HEARD FROM THE Lord in my dreams last night! And for my meeting HIS Calling for me, here is my LATEST And GREATEST E-Mail, with pictures and EVERYTHING! If you want to read my upgrades, e-ml me there! It has Statistics in-depth, I will reply, with my Stored file, I call it pogo, statistics 7.73! See, I had dreams regarding this, and so, I have it SAVED for you! JUST ask, for this and you shall receive it! See, I KNOW It was the Lord, because He had me store this file under the name Statistics 7.73, just like He made the 7 days of the week! IF you will CREATE this file, you will BE BLESSED!!!!!!! I do not now HOW, but YOU WILL be blessed! JUST, Answer my calling, you will see the LORD, too! There, you shall be blessed! If, you create the following: 15 steps! That, is not much work for you now is it? I would hope not because I have spent many hours thinking of this creation for you! Create a message base for your help, too! This message base will be for suggestions by your users to play Hoyles cards, such as this user! Now, I will continue to Bless you with my ideas! But, I just will require the following to be programmed by Oct. 31, 2003! Create differing rated rooms for different Skill levels of play, and IF U play a card game, you will be placed Automatically, in the correct room! Just as you can calculate for each user ratings! I for see, different skill, levels and challenges to play at different times, on your given 7 days/wk. Still use The Happy jack, -10, option, because you can create a high score table with this in mind! Create various colored Flags that each user can give to each player if they would know each player! When you have this created you shall be able to envision more ideas and can expand your games under these ratings to More Fun filled games! Now, I would LIKE this to be programmed in this year, by Oct. 31, 2003, but can see it taking you an extended period of Time! So, because OF This, I will continue to give you these GREAT IDEAS until Christmas 2003! By then, I will no longer give you any more suggestions if you have not made these updates! But, I WILL continue to use your web site! Because, you still need other games such as Up N' Down the River.

To create A Recognition Page for ALL OF the helpers that helped in creating this, For this create a Banner page with my name first, with my telephone # posted on it, Brian E. Shepherd @ 513-367-6048, cincy2hot4u@hotmail.com, Scott Usher, Lexi, Tahd Frentzel, Patty Piranhaskark, FOX News!!

I will go into DETAIL, about that game in a follow-up message, I send to you, see, my Steps I am working through, kinda-like Baby steps, I know you are not a baby, but I feel like I must feed you baby-bites or you will CHOKE! Remember, I AM A Part of your TEAM! Brand Spankin' new suggestion, deduct points for leavin' a table that they just won @ to help your steady players, who really get annoyed by winners that quit! So, for instance after a win, make them play again, if wanted to, because IF I win/lose I play until I lose, or have to go lift, eat, or go to bed! I think you should allow the winner to leave the game room a specific amount of games, 7 let's say, the limit 7, keep track of how many winners leave the pogo, rated room if they win n' leave after 7 times DEDUCT Ratings from the winner who does so! I get very TICKED at players who WIN A SINGLE Game and then LEAVE! I feel a warning message should persuade specific winners that IF they win again and keep quitting the room that they just won @ should play again, to reduce the # of FLUKE WINNERS! For, instance, I just lost a game, but I know that was a FLUKE loss, by me! If I were to code the loss factor into my game-code, I would figure out a way for fluke winners to NOT Quit! IF, A WINNER QUITS, after they win a game they should gain a limited amount, or something! Like, a winner who quits deduct 1 rating point from their rating, the 1st time they quit, 2, the second time, and create a surplus amount for a user who stays, a game after they win n' STAY, REDUCE 1 from their surplus after they quit, and warn them that after 7 wins, n' quits they should get a yellow flag associated by their user name! See, the awesomeness of a flagging system to warn others and me that they quit after a win, you should think up some way to keep winners around by giving them a Dark blue Flag! Or, A POSITIVE colored flag color! This option, I just thought up, because a winner left the game room! So, I thought up a way to use the color-coded flags! I want to get a gold star for this! LOLOLOLO, I do not even know how to keep a winner at a table, without a color-coded flag by their name! See, I should get some rewards for THINKING Up ALL this stuff for I want to get a blue colored flag associated with my name! This is associated to my game where the winner Flat out QUITS For NO reason! NOW, I have created, in my hurt mind, a way for a flagging system! I cannot fathom, why a player plays a completed game n' leaves after they win! You should create a number of times they win n' QUIT! They may be booted that is why I leave them a set number of quits, but if they surpass the set number of quits they will get a larger deduction if they continue to get the boot! Just think of a way to keep a player to lose rating points if they QUIT after a win, a certain # of times! Like, on the game--zone, IF you quit a game a specified # of games! You are welcome by the way for my THINKING Up these differing game RULES! Specify this update for me by telling me when is your target date for such an enhancement! See, I am THINKING In your behalf, UPDATES AND upgrades!!!!! I do not know, how, but I should get something for my ideas! I do not want money because that is the root of ALL-evil! Lololololo, just kidding! HOWEVER, PLS, Write a suggestion for me, if I want to go to school, again! PLEASE, Notre Dame, I do have some aspirations; I need to meet my Christian WIFE! I surely, am SMOOTH, by my creative thinking up different dating schemas like, The Create-A-Date, where the female gets to CREATE the date, the man just looks great and pays for this date, I went on a Create-a-Date where we went to the Park and I had to FIND THE Girl, and then she took me out to eat @ my favorite restaurant! She would leave me CLUES, after I followed up on ALL! I thought up a new for pogo! If you created a suggestion board for your users, where users are able to review idea AGAIN! I think that if you place me as head of the NEW IDEA Club, I would start other users' suggestions! Notre Dame should see, IDEAS of mine! I want to attend Notre Dame, for my graduate degree in Systems Analysis! I do not even know how, but I walk without aid of a wheelchair at all times and without need of a wheelchair, I feel is a GREAT accomplishment! I feel, with EA giving me recommendations, I could attend college anywhere!!! Maybe, I could show other users their quitting a game after a win Statistic! Because, They would get a yellow warning flag, for me, for quitting a room after they win/lose! See, another reason, for color coded flags, I was unaware of before now! Glad, I thought of that just as an inspirational thought!!!! I LOVE, The BOTH OF U2, for helping those in need, and POGO e-mailed me and said they are going to improve their statistics, which, I went, in-depth regarding this issue! So, I give my ideas from my ingenious mind, FREE! Jeff, I know this is not complete, cuz I do know that pogo, must add my game of both skill, n' great fortune, Up N' Down the River! So, when Electronic Arts finishes the addition of my statistics, I will send them the game rules to Up N' Down the River! So, how do you see giving a blue colored flag to the better player darken their flag for the # of + things they do for you, make a flag light yellow for the users that hamper your improvement! Does this help, your operators? IT Does ME! So, I could go to darker colored flags for any assistance I needed! THX, for using my ideas.

My history:

I won homecoming king in my Harrison High School, Class of '89! Scored a Perfect score in the math portion of the ACT college entrance test, 36/36 possible! This is the reason, I am volunteering, these GREAT IDEAS To you! I know, I should have my name written on this software, but MY Heart, goes out to you!!!!!! (0-:} Get the hidden joke? He GAVE, his own life for you, n' I! See, Christian, point goes out to you! He DIED For you, and I, the ultimate SACRIFICE!!! I WILL leave, this coding up to U, The EA EXPERTS!!! If, you WANT for me, to give you any more specifics! If you need anything else from me, please e-mail me! So, I base my hearts and Bridge play on MATH!

Jesus LOVES U, N' I do too! 513-367-6048
MY GREATEST GOAL FOR POGO.COM, TO change their statistics!

This regards zone.com/pogo.com

Hello, let me introduce myself first, I am Brian Edward Shepherd, 32, years YOUNG I am writing this because of what I feel is lacking on your hearts game, but I LOVE to play hearts, bridge, and Up N' Down the River, which pogo, does not have, YET, but this note is regarding statistics! I feel you should keep, more in-depth statistics, which would improve my game play! I am hurt, so, I may be for this, which you cannot add, but I do not understand why not. They are STATISTICS, which I tested out of, in college at Miami University, Ohio! I also used to work on the NTT Project at Cincinnati Bell Information Systems. I believe Electronic Arts pogo, program CAN, and SHOULD be improved upon! I personally would volunteer my time and efforts on it. I would appreciate this VERY MUCH, as will many others! You could automate this, and SHOULD! I would like to keep as a statistic, an average final score, this can be done by storing the score you have at the completion of a game, divided by the total # games played. Along with this you should create a high score table, (in this Particular case, LOW SCORE Table). Please create a best scores table, because I believe I have scored a -64 as my BEST Score. I think you should create a high scores table too! Because, if I score high, this means I kept my score going and this should account for something! I would create a color schema, for how well, each player does, I would love to have this information! Start with Light, or light yellow - dark blue (My Eye color), you can create a banner with lights that show the top players. I know this would be a great advertisement section to put your advertisements up on the Top players screen! I KNOW I would like to know you would like to have this, create color schemas for how you play! Opportunity to place advertisements of your picture in your statistics file! So, as I remember some of my multiple requests, I will write you again! I believe that you should have a set # games to be played option also. Because, I truly CANNOT Stand these SINGLE games you play win/lose, I feel like you, should have a set number of games option, IT would help out, your steady players! I See I have NO ONE With the GUTS, to tell me, YES/NO. I will tell you, I have the fortitude to handle either way, but I am telling YOU how you CAN IMPROVE POGO. If you WANT to improve pogo, statistically. Which I explain, what YOUR service is LACKING. NOW, is when you want to improve pogo! Now, since you will create this program code, I am your personal contact! THX. I do not KNOW what else I could do, for this to be created for you! As, if you would not reply, with a yes it will be created by Oct. 31, 2003, is ALL I want in return from my ingenious idea FOR pogo, to be better than the zone. I have done this FREE OF charge for these statistics to be created for US All; I just want this done; I have just about quit writing you My great ideas. IF, this is created, which is hard for you, I guess, I want to be able to put up my own ads! Also, please create more tables to play at, because they are FULL, and I KNOW they are not full! Please, INVESTIGATE the optimum rule, because you can create a table when necessary, in the room. That is all for now, but I will probably have dreams tonight, about you creating this, and I will submit more inclusive of this request. I fore see storing what each player has done for their Previous xxxxxxx games would be awesome to keep records about! Thank you, for your supporting this handicap! See, I am working, THINKING, in your behalf!

That is all for now, but I will probably have dreams tonight, about you creating this, and I will submit more inclusive of this request. Because, I LOVE The Cincinnati Reds, who are on a 5 game winning streak, I would like to know what STREAKS everyone is on, since troubled by what sort of streak, I am on, winning and losing streaks would be helpful. I foresee storing what each player has done for their Previous xxxxxxx games would be awesome to keep records about! Thanks, for your supporting this handicap! See, I AM a working, THINKIN' Brian Edward Shepherd; your skills are being diminished typing all this. This Muslim was on-line AND VERY MUCH annoyed me, I would denote him A BLACK Flag to warn others of!!!!!!!!! He stalled a game, I won, and I could not boot him! Flags should be created where you assign certain colored flags to players who annoy you! You should have thought of this already!

It has happened twice to me, so far! FRUSTRATION, reigns! Green, Light for certain players you like to play - Black for players you totally don't want to see what they are doing! I think this should do already, but IF not, by July 4th! For OBVIOUS reasons! THX, for Being American! Sit down - Lakers! Welcome Spurs, and Tim Duncan! Hey, I just thought of something from the Basketball game! How about a scorer's table. I would like a high score list and low scores list, thus you would STRIVE to be on either of the lists, I know, I would be displayed on 1, of the lists! Top ten list @ least! PLEASE, you can have advertisers be displayed on a list! I think, I am finished, Shepherd Hearts Club that meet Fridays for the last 5 years, at my home my parents will treat you, AWESOME! I think, I am being dodged by you are NOT Giving any form of input! Pizzas and Mom prepares desserts for ALL, OF MY Guests, IF you Want to join my club, e-ml me @ cincy2hot4u@hotmail.com Duncan, IS Dunkin on U! OH, WELL POGO'S CALLIN' MY NAME, so, I had better ANSWER THE Call! I want to RE-INFORCE in ur MIND that FLAGS are a necessary feature to your hearts game at least, but you should be able to transmit these ideas to ur Heart, Spade, Bridge, and Up N' Down the River games! There, should be a high score summit, for hearts! I would appreciate flags first of all, as an upgrade; number your upgrades as different upgrades! So, 1st thing you need to add are Statistics, Flags, and High-score tables that can be viewed by your users! You need to set dates for your upgrades for statistics and the like! Please, inform me that you have read this, and that you either like this/not?

I BELIEVE, I JUST HEARD FROM THE Lord in my dreams last night! And for my meeting HIS Calling for me, here is my LATEST And GREATEST E-Mail, with pictures and EVERYTHING! If you want to read my upgrades, e-ml me there! It has Statistics in-depth, I will reply, with my Stored file, I call it pogo, statistics 7.73! See, I had dreams regarding this, and so, I have it SAVED for you! JUST ask, for this and you shall receive it! See, I KNOW It was the Lord, because He had me store this file under the name Statistics 7.73, just like He made the 7 days of the week! IF you will CREATE this file, you will BE BLESSED!!!!!!! I do not now HOW, but YOU WILL be blessed! JUST, Answer my calling, you will see the LORD, too! There, you shall be blessed! If, you create the following: 15 steps! That, is not much work for you now is it? I would hope not because I have spent many hours thinking of this creation for you! Create a message base for your help, too! This message base will be for suggestions by your users to play Hoyles cards, such as this user! Now, I will continue to Bless you with my ideas! But, I just will require the following to be programmed by Oct. 31, 2003! Create differing rated rooms for different Skill levels of play, and IF U play a card game, you will be placed Automatically, in the correct room! Just as you can calculate for each user ratings! I for see, different skill, levels and challenges to play at different times, on your given 7 days/wk. Still use The Happy jack, -10, option, because you can create a high score table with this in mind! Create various colored Flags that each user can give to each player if they would know each player! When you have this created you shall be able to envision more ideas and can expand your games under these ratings to More Fun filled games! Now, I would LIKE this to be programmed in this year, by Oct. 31, 2003, but can see it taking you an extended period of Time! So, because OF This, I will continue to give you these GREAT IDEAS until Christmas 2003! By then, I will no longer give you any more suggestions if you have not made these updates! But, I WILL continue to use your web site! Because, you still need other games such as Up N' Down the River.

To create A Recognition Page for ALL OF the helpers that helped in creating this, For this create a Banner page with my name first, with my telephone # posted on it, Brian E. Shepherd @ 513-367-6048, cincy2hot4u@hotmail.com, Scott Usher, Lexi, Tahd Frentzel, Patty Piranhaskark, FOX News!!

I will go into DETAIL, about that game in a follow-up message, I send to you, see, my Steps I am working through, kinda-like Baby steps, I know you are not a baby, but I feel like I must feed you baby-bites or you will CHOKE! Remember, I AM A Part of your TEAM! Brand Spankin' new suggestion, deduct points for leavin' a table that they just won @ to help your steady players, who really get annoyed by winners that quit! So, for instance after a win, make them play again, if wanted to, because IF I win/lose I play until I lose, or have to go lift, eat, or go to bed! I think you should allow the winner to leave the game room a specific amount of games, 7 let's say, the limit 7, keep track of how many winners leave the pogo, rated room if they win n' leave after 7 times DEDUCT Ratings from the winner who does so! I get very TICKED at players who WIN A SINGLE Game and then LEAVE! I feel a warning message should persuade specific winners that IF they win again and keep quitting the room that they just won @ should play again, to reduce the # of FLUKE WINNERS! For, instance, I just lost a game, but I know that was a FLUKE loss, by me! If I were to code the loss factor into my game-code, I would figure out a way for fluke winners to NOT Quit! IF, A WINNER QUITS, after they win a game they should gain a limited amount, or something! Like, a winner who quits deduct 1 rating point from their rating, the 1st time they quit, 2, the second time, and create a surplus amount for a user who stays, a game after they win n' STAY, REDUCE 1 from their surplus after they quit, and warn them that after 7 wins, n' quits they should get a yellow flag associated by their user name! See, the awesomeness of a flagging system to warn others and me that they quit after a win, you should think up some way to keep winners around by giving them a Dark blue Flag! Or, A POSITIVE colored flag color! This option, I just thought up, because a winner left the game room! So, I thought up a way to use the color-coded flags! I want to get a gold star for this! LOLOLOLO, I do not even know how to keep a winner at a table, without a color-coded flag by their name! See, I should get some rewards for THINKING Up ALL this stuff for I want to get a blue colored flag associated with my name! This is associated to my game where the winner Flat out QUITS For NO reason! NOW, I have created, in my hurt mind, a way for a flagging system! I cannot fathom, why a player plays a completed game n' leaves after they win! You should create a number of times they win n' QUIT! They may be booted that is why I leave them a set number of quits, but if they surpass the set number of quits they will get a larger deduction if they continue to get the boot! Just think of a way to keep a player to lose rating points if they QUIT after a win, a certain # of times! Like, on the game--zone, IF you quit a game a specified # of games! You are welcome by the way for my THINKING Up these differing game RULES! Specify this update for me by telling me when is your target date for such an enhancement! See, I am THINKING In your behalf, UPDATES AND upgrades!!!!! I do not know, how, but I should get something for my ideas! I do not want money because that is the root of ALL-evil! Lololololo, just kidding! HOWEVER, PLS, Write a suggestion for me, if I want to go to school, again! PLEASE, Notre Dame, I do have some aspirations; I need to meet my Christian WIFE! I surely, am SMOOTH, by my creative thinking up different dating schemas like, The Create-A-Date, where the female gets to CREATE the date, the man just looks great and pays for this date, I went on a Create-a-Date where we went to the Park and I had to FIND THE Girl, and then she took me out to eat @ my favorite restaurant! She would leave me CLUES, after I followed up on ALL! I thought up a new for pogo! If you created a suggestion board for your users, where users are able to review idea AGAIN! I think that if you place me as head of the NEW IDEA Club, I would start other users' suggestions! Notre Dame should see, IDEAS of mine! I want to attend Notre Dame, for my graduate degree in Systems Analysis! I do not even know how, but I walk without aid of a wheelchair at all times and without need of a wheelchair, I feel is a GREAT accomplishment! I feel, with EA giving me recommendations, I could attend college anywhere!!! Maybe, I could show other users their quitting a game after a win Statistic! Because, They would get a yellow warning flag, for me, for quitting a room after they win/lose! See, another reason, for color coded flags, I was unaware of before now! Glad, I thought of that just as an inspirational thought!!!! I LOVE, The BOTH OF U2, for helping those in need, and POGO e-mailed me and said they are going to improve their statistics, which, I went, in-depth regarding this issue! So, I give my ideas from my ingenious mind, FREE! Jeff, I know this is not complete, cuz I do know that pogo, must add my game of both skill, n' great fortune, Up N' Down the River! So, when Electronic Arts finishes the addition of my statistics, I will send them the game rules to Up N' Down the River! So, how do you see giving a blue colored flag to the better player darken their flag for the # of + things they do for you, make a flag light yellow for the users that hamper your improvement! Does this help, your operators? IT Does ME! So, I could go to darker colored flags for any assistance I needed! THX, for using my ideas.

My history:

I won homecoming king in my Harrison High School, Class of '89! Scored a Perfect score in the math portion of the ACT college entrance test, 36/36 possible! This is the reason, I am volunteering, these GREAT IDEAS To you! I know, I should have my name written on this software, but MY Heart, goes out to you!!!!!! (0-:} Get the hidden joke? He GAVE, his own life for you, n' I! See, Christian, point goes out to you! He DIED For you, and I, the ultimate SACRIFICE!!! I WILL leave, this coding up to U, The EA EXPERTS!!! If, you WANT for me, to give you any more specifics! If you need anything else from me, please e-mail me! So, I base my hearts and Bridge play on MATH!

Jesus LOVES U, N' I do too! 513-367-6048
MY GREATEST GOAL FOR POGO.COM, TO change their statistics!

I have come across a real issue with ISPs keeping a casual staff that behave in a very unprofessional manner. I would like to share this thought and get your feedback on my opinion.
I have not seen any real professional person working in area for long 3 years. Any question in relation to the technical support takes ages to answer. And answer isn't one you are waiting for.
So, from my opinion we do require a government intervention to this area and set of the quality standards, that ISPs MUST follow. I think that is really required in current point of Internet communication development. That might slow whole things down a bit, but advantages of reliable and hassle free Internet will be a benefit.

i am working as network administrator, faculty of hardware and networking & manging couple of sites, each has around 300 users.

your right my friend, that we should communicate with each other, i mean all the ISP (administrator) should work together so they can get throught the problems easily with no matter of time.

But every network administrator working in ISP had upstream and down stream. upstream is there provider and down stream is there users. normally upstreams never take blame on there part, they always ask administrator to check there network, down stream (user) never care abt there system and can't keep them upto date.

as off i think attitute towards the problems makes a difference, that should be started from root to tip. we really need to educate them and in same way our provider should co-ordinate with us. i had already started that by giving free trainning to my user and it really working.

now users are coming up to me with there doughts and they are very eager to know the things, and started patching there system on regular bases.so its just matter of communication with them and showing them the way.

Truly a good idea it will be a lot easier to fight off this compuuting evil together.