OPTIONS FOR TROUBLESHOOTING OR GETTING INF0
(from Scott or Richard)
Ranked from usually-least-productive to usually-most-productive:
Email
This method is best suited for short-answer questions with no likely complications . . . which in my experience doesn’t seem to happen very often. This is the reason why many of my email replies end up being so long (and late, and sometimes MIA completely).
Suggestion when requesting help from Richard: If the issue will likely require some research and he gets a “heads-up” email about the general nature sometime prior to your call, he may be able to have the answer for you before you call.
One additional benefit of email is that if you’re having a problem with a certain file, you can attach a copy of it to the email.
FirstClass Chat
Because this gets info back-and-forth faster than email, it’ll usually get the job done quicker if the person that you’re trying contact is online and at their desk.
But if they’re away and you log off before they get back, they won’t be able to reply.
Skype Chat
When both people are online, this is very similar to FirstClass chat. However, it has the advantage of not requiring both parties to be online at the same time. If a question comes in to me when I’m not at my desk, I can still reply as soon as I get back, and you’ll see my reply the next time that you log into Skype.
You can tell if you have new Skype-chat messages by a little red number on the Skype icon in the dock (which is number of chat-sends or attempted calls).
Clicking the red number near the top of the Skype window will give you a list of contact attempts, with chats being a blue “speech balloon” icon and call-attempts being broken red arrows.
Double-clicking a name in the list opens up a chat window with the newly-sent message displayed in it. You can also see older messages from that person by clicking an option at the top for however far back in time you want to see messages from.
Phone / Skype voice
Voice is usually the best means of communication, because it's two-way, and is faster than typing.
If you have a (free) Skype account, you can call us by typing our Skype usernames into the “Skype Name or number” box at the top of the window (“lbatfish” for Scott or “richardbloom2” for Richard).
Otherwise, you can chat or email me a phone number to call you at or call me and give me a number to call you back at.
Note: Even though you have a “toll-free number” to call the district office with, it’s actually a just a transfer of charges from the calling phone to the District Office bill.
One additional feature of Skype when both parties are present is being able to send files. This saves time and steps compared to sending a separate email-with attachment. And unlike emails attachments, there’s no file size limit (though for bandwidth reasons please don’t do this during school hours). Also avoid sending files during video calls or they'll go v-e-r-y s-l-o-w.
Note: Sometimes chat is useful during a voice call, as a more reliable means of sending copied-and-pasted text (such as web links) or email addressed.
Apple Remote Desktop
Apple Remote Desktop (often called “ARD” for short) gives one user the ability to look at the screen (and optionally perform mouse and keyboard actions) on another computer that it’s connected to via the local network or internet.
This is mainly used by some teachers for monitoring student computers, but as long as the “problem” doesn't involve “no internet connectivity”, it can also be a very handy tool for troubleshooting (because it eliminates the bother of describing “what’s on the screen” or “what steps to take”).
For Richard or I to be able to do this, we’ll need to know the “IP#” for your computer.
Thanks to a little program called “IP in Menu Bar” which was installed as a part of the current “master image”, this number should be showing at the top of the screen (usually “10.6.4x.xxx”).
Note: While ARD permits chat between the two computers, it doesn’t offer voice (not yet, at least). So this resource is most useful as a supplement to phone or Skype contact, rather than instead of voice.
(from Scott or Richard)
Ranked from usually-least-productive to usually-most-productive:
This method is best suited for short-answer questions with no likely complications . . . which in my experience doesn’t seem to happen very often. This is the reason why many of my email replies end up being so long (and late, and sometimes MIA completely).
Suggestion when requesting help from Richard: If the issue will likely require some research and he gets a “heads-up” email about the general nature sometime prior to your call, he may be able to have the answer for you before you call.
One additional benefit of email is that if you’re having a problem with a certain file, you can attach a copy of it to the email.
FirstClass Chat
Because this gets info back-and-forth faster than email, it’ll usually get the job done quicker if the person that you’re trying contact is online and at their desk.
But if they’re away and you log off before they get back, they won’t be able to reply.
Skype Chat
When both people are online, this is very similar to FirstClass chat. However, it has the advantage of not requiring both parties to be online at the same time. If a question comes in to me when I’m not at my desk, I can still reply as soon as I get back, and you’ll see my reply the next time that you log into Skype.
You can tell if you have new Skype-chat messages by a little red number on the Skype icon in the dock (which is number of chat-sends or attempted calls).
Clicking the red number near the top of the Skype window will give you a list of contact attempts, with chats being a blue “speech balloon” icon and call-attempts being broken red arrows.
Double-clicking a name in the list opens up a chat window with the newly-sent message displayed in it. You can also see older messages from that person by clicking an option at the top for however far back in time you want to see messages from.
Phone / Skype voice
Voice is usually the best means of communication, because it's two-way, and is faster than typing.
If you have a (free) Skype account, you can call us by typing our Skype usernames into the “Skype Name or number” box at the top of the window (“lbatfish” for Scott or “richardbloom2” for Richard).
Otherwise, you can chat or email me a phone number to call you at or call me and give me a number to call you back at.
Note: Even though you have a “toll-free number” to call the district office with, it’s actually a just a transfer of charges from the calling phone to the District Office bill.
One additional feature of Skype when both parties are present is being able to send files. This saves time and steps compared to sending a separate email-with attachment. And unlike emails attachments, there’s no file size limit (though for bandwidth reasons please don’t do this during school hours). Also avoid sending files during video calls or they'll go v-e-r-y s-l-o-w.
Note: Sometimes chat is useful during a voice call, as a more reliable means of sending copied-and-pasted text (such as web links) or email addressed.
Apple Remote Desktop
Apple Remote Desktop (often called “ARD” for short) gives one user the ability to look at the screen (and optionally perform mouse and keyboard actions) on another computer that it’s connected to via the local network or internet.
This is mainly used by some teachers for monitoring student computers, but as long as the “problem” doesn't involve “no internet connectivity”, it can also be a very handy tool for troubleshooting (because it eliminates the bother of describing “what’s on the screen” or “what steps to take”).
For Richard or I to be able to do this, we’ll need to know the “IP#” for your computer.
Thanks to a little program called “IP in Menu Bar” which was installed as a part of the current “master image”, this number should be showing at the top of the screen (usually “10.6.4x.xxx”).
Note: While ARD permits chat between the two computers, it doesn’t offer voice (not yet, at least). So this resource is most useful as a supplement to phone or Skype contact, rather than instead of voice.
posted by Scott at
Thursday, February 12, 2009
