The discussion dives into the mixed feelings of early adopters with new features and the joys and pains of using scheduling tools like Calendly. Personal stories highlight the humorous mishaps and technical challenges faced in troubleshooting. Transparency in tech, especially during outages, becomes a focal point, examining the ethics of communication with customers. They also share the significance of minor code changes, reflecting on the impacts these have on system performance, while reminiscing about past tech projects and the intricate dance of support and trust in customer relations.
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Quick takeaways
User anticipation for new features highlights the emotional connection individuals have with platforms, emphasizing the importance of timely feature rollouts.
The effectiveness of tools like Calendly hinges on context-sensitive usage, underscoring the balance between efficiency and perceived rudeness in scheduling interactions.
Customer support success relies on maintaining transparency while conveying difficult information, crucial for building trust and fostering long-term relationships with users.
Deep dives
The Urgency of Feature Access
Experiencing the gradual rollout of new features creates a sense of urgency and anticipation among users. While acknowledging that the feature is universal, individuals often feel a personal stake in its availability, questioning who may need it more urgently than they do. This particularly resonates for those who have been consistently reliable in utilizing the platform, yet find themselves waiting for features that could enhance their experience. The feeling of being overlooked by a platform that sends reminders about events while delaying user access to critical features can foster frustration.
Calendly and Scheduled Coordination
The use of tools like Calendly for scheduling meetings elicits mixed responses from users, as perceptions of rudeness or efficiency emerge based on context. Sending a Calendly invite may be viewed negatively if it seems controlling, but it can also simplify scheduling when presented with clear time options. Users often express relief when receiving suggestions on available meeting times, yet may feel inconvenienced by overly broad availability options. The discussion highlights the importance of effectively using scheduling tools without coming across as dismissive or impersonal.
System Challenges and Debugging Tales
Software debugging can lead to unexpected complications, often likened to searching for a needle in a haystack under distressing circumstances. One anecdote illustrates the frustration of addressing a system error that initially misleads the user to assume it's a software issue, when in reality, it stemmed from hardware failures. Sophisticated troubleshooting methods become vital as professionals learn that the culprits can often be mundane, such as a faulty power strip, rather than complex programming bugs. These experiences emphasize the importance of patience and the need for a systemic approach to problem-solving in tech environments.
User Experience and the Role of Auditing
The significance of auditing commands within tech support environments is crucial in maintaining accountability and transparency. A notable instance arose where a user inadvertently caused significant data loss after executing changes without sufficient guidance, bringing to light the potential consequences of uninformed actions. These incidents highlight the fine line between user autonomy and the necessity for robust support structures. The subsequent implementation of an auditing system serves to mitigate such risks and ensures a trail for future reference during audits and troubleshooting.
The Fine Balance in Customer Support
Navigating customer support requires a delicate balance of transparency and discretion while addressing technical issues. Service representatives often walk a tightrope between maintaining client trust and delivering difficult news regarding system failures or user errors. A mindful approach to customer interaction can foster long-term relationships, even through challenging situations. Ultimately, the insights gained from these experiences contribute to evolving customer support practices, emphasizing the importance of communication and understanding in fostering positive user experiences.
Oxide and Friends Twitter Space: February 7th, 2022
I Know This! (Purpose-built systems with general-purpose guts)
We’ve been holding a Twitter Space weekly on Mondays at 5p for about an hour. Even though it’s not (yet?) a feature of Twitter Spaces, we have been recording them all; here is the recording for our Twitter Space for February 7th, 2022.
[@11:47](https://youtu.be/WsvJT6i_atw?t=707) Hacker News post
[@18:15](https://youtu.be/WsvJT6i_atw?t=1095) James Garfield shooting
[@21:29](https://youtu.be/WsvJT6i_atw?t=1289) Adam’s story about customers taking on heroic interventions themselves, learning the value of logging all commands, and digging through email chains for paydirt
Developed “three strikes” rule, focus on fixing the proximate issues (and defer general health boosters for another time) so as not to lose the faith of the customer
[@33:38](https://youtu.be/WsvJT6i_atw?t=2018) Support personnel remaining calm in the face of unknown damage
[@41:22](https://youtu.be/WsvJT6i_atw?t=2482) Outages, postmortem, software as a service and public cloud providers
Vendor transparency or lack thereof
[@48:28](https://youtu.be/WsvJT6i_atw?t=2908) Ken: transparency as part of legal compliance?
MITRE CVE List of publicly disclosed cybersecurity vulnerabilities
[@52:45](https://youtu.be/WsvJT6i_atw?t=3165) Adventures in shady pay to play industry events
Fixed raffles
[@1:01:30](https://youtu.be/WsvJT6i_atw?t=3690) “We never lost anyone’s data but it took some long vacations”
Incident where someone corrupted kernel data structures
Adam pulls a fast one
Paul Newman and Robert Redford in (1973) The Stingmovie
Different ways to structure support contracts
mdb -kw, the w is load bearing
If we got something wrong or missed something, please file a PR! Our next Twitter space will likely be on Monday at 5p Pacific Time; stay tuned to our Twitter feeds for details. We’d love to have you join us, as we always love to hear from new speakers!
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