Am I a Genius OR an Idiot?
So, it's one of THOSE days...
On the one hand, I was feeling like the IT Queen this morning! Here was the issue: Rich's iPad suddenly stopped displaying any email (Mail). This happened to him on Monday morning, while he was away at OFEA (Oregon Festivals and Events Association -- at the Conference). This is where they announce their annual Ovation! Awards.
Anyway, he told me about it when he got back on Tuesday. I didn't have time to mess with it during work hours on Tuesday, so I did some research Tuesday night at home. Nothing. Then I spent some time yesterday trying to work it out, unsuccessfully. Finally today I spent some serious time on the issue (during work hours). I kept trying things I found online, but nothing was working. The 'fix' for this was directly related to his Exchange email account (we use the Exchange here at the festival office).
I discovered someone with the same problem (I actually found dozens of people with the problem, but that's beside the point!). This person said we needed to work on the actual email on the computer end. It might be related to problems with the original Exchange account -- or with a corrupt email trying to come through. Rich had in excess of 20,000 (!!!) emails in his Deleted Items. What??? (Remember that I've told EVERY SINGLE STAFF PERSON there are three folders that need to be keep low in number: The Inbox, Sent and Deleted Items.) So we emptied it (why was he saving it?), for a start. Then we hunted recent emails that might have issues. Another person had mentioned that the Exchange account on the iPad doesn't like emails with too many attachments, so we tackled one of those, too.
Then I went back and closed out of the email App (you double-click the Home button, then you swipe up) and re-opening Mail. (We'd already deleted the account and then put it back on, but that didn't work.) Suddenly his email was displaying! Wow, was I pleased!
Obviously I wasn't brilliant to work this out. It was about doing reams of research, sorting through what was possible and reasonable and what wasn't and then applying it correctly. Plus having a good idea how to manage actual email on a computer system. But considering all the failures I read about online, I think it was amazing it worked out. We were afraid Rich might need to go through the pain of backing up his iPad and restoring it! (ugh)
So I'll take a small bow, anyway! (grin)
Then this afternoon? I was dealing with the new CHANGE at the festival website -- putting a News 'box' (area) near the top of the page (well, under the image banner). I needed to know HOW to select the News item to go there. That part was easy. But you have to use an 'Excerpt' area so it won't just auto-gack 500 words and throw everything OFF.
Brit sent me instructions. I tried repeatedly (and I mean over and over and over again) to FIND what she was telling me about. No go. Yes, I was starting to feel pretty stupid, I'm telling you. Plus talk about a waste of time!
I sent emails back and forth. I assumed it was the level of access -- Brit has Administrator level, those at the highest level here are Editors. So I was also cc:ing John and David. David came back and explained the issue. Not really clearly, mind you, but enough for me to FIND what I needed.
Here's the thing: Not everyone is good at teaching others. But that IS one of my skills. So once I get this all down, I'll write it up in such a way that people will know how to do it going forward...
Anyway, I showed it to Christine. I always show her what I know -- because I want her to understand these things and be able to do them, too.
By the way, I've been going up and down the stairs here all day long, trying to build my steps. Instead of picking up the phone and calling people, I go down the stairs, then come back up again. Now that I'm doing 4,000 steps a day, I think it's pretty essential. Especially on days when we don't walk out at lunch time (we went home for lunch, instead -- which means we drove).
Oh. And I guess I didn't fall in the IDIOT category today, after all. Not that I'm sure I qualify for the GENIUS category, either. (No kiddding! Hahaha!) Still, I'm doing okay today. I'll take it. If I can run somewhere outside the idiot/stupid/confused category, then I'm happy, believe me!
Well, back to work!!!
(I'm around 3,300 steps right now. I guess I might still need to do the treadmill tonight, at this rate... sigh...)
Two quick things! We won the 2014 Ovation! Awards - Festival of the Year award, and Rich got to go up and accept it on Monday. (I think we're really the only festival that qualifies, as it's for festivals with a budget over $150,000 -- and I suspect we're the only one in the state of Oregon. But it's still COOL, even so!)
Also, I coded a page at the website for Rich where I added a really nice table view of a list he needed. I'm not the only one who can do it, but most people in here can't. (I still code, after all. I just don't get to do it very often anymore!)