Mumbai Dreams

Grabbed a new 802.11g wireless router for the house hoping it would make the new powerbook happier. I have to configure the Internet connection w/new router.

Crap. It didn’t work the first time.

Call up earthlink support to make sure I’ve got the basics right (username, password, pppoe/dhcp/etc.). Wade through the phone tree till I get the choice “1 for Windows, 2 for Mac, 3 for Other.”

Hit 3 hoping I’ll get the more “advanced” support people. I end up talking to “Monica.” (Seems like an odd name for someone with such a strong Indian accent.) I can’t get her to stop reading her support scripts to jump to the basic config info. While she’s stumbling through script I realize I plugged a cable into the wrong port on the router. It works now.

Try to gracefully end the conversation at this point but she is still going through support scripts. Perhaps I was talking to a machine? It felt that way. Maybe it’s Earthlink’s contribution to performance art? Like some kind of in-game character from the movie eXistenZ.

I’d always been thrilled with earthlink support before. I guess this is what happens when they outsource their support.

Listening: Quiet Victories - Shipping News