The problem is that the author thinks that he has a clue, when he clearly doesn't.

Your post is exactly the proof that he doesn't have a clue, because if he did, he'd understand EXACTLY what you've stated already and wouldn't be asking this question on slashdot in the first place.

The real problem is, we've got some dude that knows slightly more than pushing the power button to turn his PC on (probably just figured out he can hold it down to force it off) and he thinks that qualifies him as an 'IT Pro'

By asking the question he asked, he's shown he has pretty much no experience in the industry and knowns pretty much nothing about how and why tech support is done the way its done. His question shows us that he isn't an 'IT Pro', whatever that is actually supposed to be.

No, no it isn't.

Its easier for the tech support guy trying to not have to do any work and at the same time not caring about getting anything done or actually solving any problems. Using email or chat ... WHEN YOUR INTERNET DOESN't WORK is ... well, pretty fucking stupid of a suggestion.

Chat alone takes longer, loses subtle clues that voice doesn't, lets you have some sort of idea how much time it takes the customer to do things, there are hundreds of reasons why a voice call is more efficient than chat or email, both of which take an order of magnitude or 2 (respectively) to accomplish anything.

I'm sure you're customer service skills are right up there with Comcast and TWC by the sound of it.

What is with this stream of people recently that thinks they are 'pros' or 'experienced' asking questions that a new grad wouldn't ask?

Don't call yourself a pro and then ask a question about basic life that everyone else on the planet has found a way to cope with.

Energy and mass are equivelent. Massless particles (light) can have effects like particles with mass because of their energy.

Example: radiometers

Don't pretend you know everything about high energy physics either.

People who move to the desert and then demand someone else supply them with water (which comes from out of state btw) so they can grow crops that would NEVER grow there on their own ...

Yea, fuck those people and their ignorance, they did it to themselves and its bullshit they are dragging down others with them.

They KNEW this was an issue, how did they know? BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO PIPE WATER IN FROM HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY AND THEIR CROPS DON'T STAND A SNOWBALLS CHANCE IN HELL WITHOUT SOMEONE ELSES WATER.

You're an asshole because you think just because some dumbfuck started a farm in a shitty plot we should subsidise his stupidity and supply water to him. Personal responsibility, learn about it.

... Look up the definition of a desert ... look at where the water is flowing in the state ... look at what that area was like say 200 years ago ... then get back to me on how hey aren't watering a desert.

This has been common knowledge for 50 years. They have been warned about this problem for god knows how long and have been complaining about running out of water for at least 30 years.

Here's a novel idea, move out of the fucking desert and quit trying to grow produce by piping in water from several states away.

If you're 'senior' anything, you should have been around long enough to know that slashdot is not the place to ask a question, especially since its a question only you or someone who knows you REALLY well can answer.

My suggestion if you want some safety is to start with some introspection.

... because in the ridiculous example provided ... they would certainly model it exactly after the EU law ... because Muslim extremist countries are so thoughtful and considerate ...

What they would do is 'Google is not allowed to exist anywhere in the world because they know of Charlie Hebdo'

Thats the point. Do you want this sort of thing happening where countries think they can tell other countries what to do, more so than already happens?

In reality, Google will just invade France with something as powerful as an Android device that just repeatedly plays 'capitulation' loudly and that would be the end of France complaining about 'Right to be Forgotten', which, by the way, is a stupid fucking law.

If people in France actually wanted to solve a problem, they'd remove the original source material, not just remove it from the index.

Its "our" fault that we don't magically undo a hundred thousand years of evolution and make every woman think being in tech is cool and make them want to do all the same things as men.

Its "our" fault that women and men are different.

Can someone please explain to me WHY WE HAVE TO HAVE EQUAL REPRESENTATION WHEN WOMEN AREN'T FRAKING INTERESTED IN THE JOB.

Oh wait ... you know why? Because they can treat women to lower pay thanks to the required time off for most who want to have children not being able to dedicate every hour of the day to working their fingers to the bone like males can in most cases.

Yes, as a white male you are automatically a racist sexist homophobe on the verge of a hate crime. Its in our DNA apparently ...

No, they don't, they just have a monopoly on getting caught often. We get caught less because we're better at it. It generally takes a traitor for us to get caught.

Win32 refers to an API, not a address bus bit width.

64 bit apps use the Win32 API, just with 64 bit pointers.

Yea, this is a great thing to teach our kids ... do things you can't afford to do, and force someone else to pay for it or beg for money to do so.

WTF happened to running a balanced budget and setting a good example to our kids about living within their means, why the fuck are we teaching them in elementary school that you can depend on someone else to give you hand outs to survive.

Its no wonder the rest of the world likes to take our jobs, we're raising a bunch of dependent babies.

GIRLS DON'T FUCKING LIKE COMPUTER SCIENCE, GET THE FUCK OVER IT.

Its not because all men in it are assholes, its BECAUSE THEY DON'T FUCKING LIKE IT. They are wired differently than men, this is a KNOWN AND ACCEPTED FACT to anyone who doesn't have political correctness shoved so far up their ass they can taste it.

Women do somethings better than men, and like some things men don't like, and dislike some things that men like ... conversely, Men do some things better than women, like things women don't like and dislike some things that men like.

YES THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS, but those are tiny number and you don't change everything because someone who doesn't even DO CS work thinks there should be more women in CS work.

Men and women ARE NOT EQUAL. STOP TRYING TO PRETEND THEY ARE.

If you think men and women are 100% equal, then you haven't paid attention to even basic anatomy.

I'm not saying one is better than the other, I'm saying they aren't the same and its fucking stupid to keep shoving shit down the throats of one of the sexes just to appease some douche who things he's crusading for the good of all women.

Pardon my ignorance, but who does that anymore? The Cisco phones I've seen have a menu (small one, but its there) that you can see caller id, time and length of each message and select it directly.

I'm an iPhone user, so I have visual voice mail and wouldn't even consider using anything that didn't.

Doesn't Android do something like visual voicemail as well?

And of course, as you said, there is Google Voice if you really do have a shitty phone/phone service, GV will take care of your shitty phone service and provider.

I just really don't understand anyone that doesn't have something like visual voice mail.

He didn't provide a good reason. Sure, sometimes IMs make sense, but not for any serious discussion. If you think you can have a serious discussion over IM you have some serious social issues and I'm fairly certain you do it poorly.