This post is for anyone that ever submits a help ticket to technical support (web hosting specifically in this case) then gets mad when you get a “default” reply that asks you for more information.

Let me start by saying that there are default replies for a reason.  Certain information, as trivial as it may seem, is often very necessary to help solve your problem.  For example, here are a few common “issues” I see at work that elicit a default response:

• “My e-mail isn’t working.”
• “I can’t login.”
• “My site isn’t showing up.”
• “My site is broken.”
• “FTP won’t work.”

That’s it.  A customer submits a ticket and that is all the information I get.   It makes my head boil.  I reply with what we call a “pre-def” (predefined response) asking for more information which includes a list of specific questions related to the issue.  If the customer did actually provide some information, like what mail or FTP client they are using, their domain name, or - god forbid - a way to replicate the issue, I kindly remove those parts of the pre-def to not make them repeat the same thing (unless I’m in a bad mood).

If you want to avoid these “pre-def” responses I suggest the following for any type of tech support ticket (web hosting or not):

Provide as much information as possible, including but not limited to:

• Operating system and version you are using
• Browser type and version, if applicable
• Mail client and version, if applicable (Outlooks comes in so many flavors)
• A ULR to replicate the issue, if applicable
• Any error messages that you encountered - copy them exactly, including the error codes
• A way to create or replicate the error
• A time-frame, ex. it always happens, sometimes happens, etc.
• Your IP address (http://ipfinder.us works great)
• Any username(s) or password(s) needed to replicate (change to a temporary one if it makes you feel more comfortable)
• Location, if applicable (connecting from an office or workplace can cause all sorts of problems)

Basically, the more information you provide, the more time tech support can spend fixing your problem and not having to wait for more information from you.  Most tech support people are more than happy to help you but you have to throw them a bone first!

Popularity: 100% [?]

Popularity: 90% [?]

Even though my last update was too long ago, this site is still getting a fair amount of traffic.  I could really use the help of some guest bloggers that would like to write a few posts.

Browse the site, get a feel for the type of stories that appear on this blog and send your submissions to

“admin @ jemmille.com”

Popularity: 79% [?]

I make a living in front of the computer. Eight hours per day, at least 5 days per week, I sit in front of the computer clicking and typing away. A few months ago I started noticing pain in my hands and forearms. The first thing that popped into my head was carpal-tunnel syndrome. It was a scary thought that at 28 years old I could be heading down a road that would ultimately end in surgery. I decided to research the major symptoms and found this:

“Classic” Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel

• Tingling and numbness in your thumb, index and middle finger.
• Aching in the forearm which can radiate to the shoulder and clumsiness or weak grip.

“Other” Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel

• Tingling in all fingers
• Tingling only in the thumb or the middle finger
• Aching and pain in the hand
• Radiating pain to the shoulder or back.

If I stretched it a bit I supposed I could have made my symptoms meed a few of these criteria but in reality I had the following:

• Pain in the pinky finger (mostly the right hand)
• Pain in the wrist (mostly on the right side)
• The pain would increase as the day progressed
• My pink would become “non-responsive” — it just wouldn’t work

I decided to consult my father who has worked in sports medicine for the past 30 years and has dealt with more repetitive-motion injuries than anyone I know.  He asked me a few questions and had me do a few self-tests.  He was almost certain that, based on the symptoms, it couldn’t be carpal-tunnel.  Instead he believed it was tendonitis (inflamed tendons).  He warned that tendonitis would not get better unless I used my hands as little as possible.  Knowing that wasn’t an option he recommended that I go to CVS and buy a hand/wrist brace that kept my hands “still” as much as possible.

I have been using the brace for five days now and the results are dramatic.  My hands feel 100% better.  The moral of the story: Don’t jump to the worst possible conclusion…talk to a health professional and get the real scoop.  A $10 brace might fix the problem!

Note: I am not a health professional and this post is not meant to diagnose anything!  If you are experiencing hand pain please consult a health professional for an official diagnosis.

Popularity: 64% [?]

Today jemmille.com is one year old! Here are a few highlights:

• Approximately 300 posts
• Over 100,000 visits
• Digg Front Page Article (which accounts for half of the above number)
• Lots of friends made (even met a few of them)
• Interviews with some of the top bloggers

Future plans:

• Ramp up the posting schedule, I’ve been slacking lately
• New design (possibly)
• More “5 Questions With” interviews

Thanks for reading and I hope you keep coming back!

Popularity: 37% [?]