Techie anecdotes

Very often we come across people who are the end users of technologies like email, smart phones, digital cameras etc. And if they do not happen to know your software engineering background, it could be your rendezvous with ignorance which you can laugh about later. Here are some of mine...

A famous Eyecare chain here created an online record of my issues and generated a patient ID. The next time I happened to visit one of their other centers and I promptly took the ID card with me. But to my surpise, these guys had no clue of my records and wanted me to register again. When I asked why, the young girl replied "Our records are different Sir"

I took my mom's old black and white photograph to get it scanned in my native town. The guy who owns the famous photo studio / lab there quoted an exorbitant price to scan and make a blow up print of the photo. I was in no mood to argue, but did raise my concern in vain. Later, the lady technician who actually did the scan whispered generously "Don't worry I have made 2 copies of the photograph in your memory stick for the same price" !!

Govt. websites need some serious changes in design patterns. My login credentials wasn't working for service tax website. When I called the toll free help desk they said you I'll have to contact my local range officer to reset the password, for whatever reason ! When I went there, this guy finds that they had no record of my business and so he can't access it !! I was in a different region when I started my business and I had moved since then. But what is the point of going "cloud" if a particular regional office can't access(even view) info. about other regional records ? I had to unnecessarily travel some 20km today because of this.


I got an email from the HR of a potential employer asking me to send scanned copies of my documents for verification. As I went through the list I saw the last item was "2 passport size photographs". I called the young lady to confirm if she wanted a soft copy or hard copies. I told her what the last item was and she said "Oh thats ok, just send us 2 soft copies of your photo, that'll do" !!??

Share your anecdotes too...