Make Them Stop......Please!

Can I get a computer exorcism?  The f'ing little devils just won't leave me alone!

Here's what happened this time.  It's all so simple....

I have a website in addition to this blog (Thyme for Cooking).  It's hosted by Yahoo Small Business with a US internet address.  I have happily been accessing Yahoo for 2 years; maintaining my site, getting e-mail, etc.  Two days ago I couldn't sign in to my account though I could still access Yahoo.

Exerting an iron will over my usual impatient nature, I did nothing, assuming, as so often is the case, that it would sort itself out. 

When I still had no access 24 hours later I decided to see what the problem was.  There was nothing anywhere on the Yahoo pages so I reluctantly reached for the phone.....it's an 800 number.  Any of you who live in Europe know what a challenge calling an American 800 number can be.  First you call your phone card service, then you punch in a gazillion numbers, then you find out you dialed wrong, do it all over again and are put on hold for a week while listening to a bad tenor yodeling.

I expected/was hoping to hear that 'they were experiencing a few minor difficulties while upgrading their software for my (and mine alone) benefit' which is geek speak for 'some a'hole f'd up the computer'.  I didn't hear that.  I heard 'It's not us, must be your ISP' which is geek speak for 'ha ha ha'.

A long time ago in a place far, far away I sold mainframe computers.  If there was a problem the hardware people blamed it on the software people and the programmers blamed it on the tecchies.  Now, with the internet, the number of people to blame without actually addressing the problem is astronomical. 

I was not so stupid as to actually call my ISP.  Wanadoo/French Telecom would, I knew, simply tell me that it was a problem with Yahoo.   I don't fall for that trick anymore.  The last time I was on the phone for 2 days before I fixed it myself.

I spent the next 4 hours finding and downloading a bit of 'ftp' software to bypass Yahoo and update my site.  Without going into the bloody details I figured out that I could sign in to Yahoo France (hadn't know there was one before this....maybe there wasn't) and get into Yahoo US through the backdoor, so to speak, to get at my e-mail.  By the time I was done I decided that some brilliant mind somewhere decided that people who live in France should not be able to freely access a US site.  Right up there with 'Freedom Fries'!  I've had it happen before but usually a page pops up telling me I'm a bad human for trying rather than just giving me the dreaded 404 error.

When I tucked my computer in for the night I was somewhat back to normal, had a plan, life back on track and all that. 

I got up this morning and, still half asleep, clicked on the old link to get into Yahoo.  It worked!  The damn thing worked!  It was if the last 2 days hadn't happened!  Why are they playing with me like this?  Can't anyone ever admit that there's a problem?  Just say 'Yes we know, sorry, we'll have it fixed soon, just be patient'  Is there someone, somewhere, looking down on me and laughing his/her ass off? 

BTW, I must apologize to Sam, Anne, Riana and all the other bloggers from France...nay, all of Europe.  If you are wondering what the horrendous, ear-piercing, heart-wrenching wail was this morning I'm afraid it was me.  I was merely expressing my wonder at the miracles of modern technology.

And the answer is '43'.