Grumpification Proclamation

Brought to you by technical difficulties.

Well, my friends, it looks like the photoblogging is on hold until further notice. My Treo's MMS application has developed an attitude problem that is not easily fixed (unless it goes into spontaneous remission), so I cannot send photos to the web site. Here's the deal:

• MMS croaked on Friday. The Treo crashes every time I tried to send a photo or text message using that application.

  
  

• I took my device to the T-Mobile store over lunch today. Goran, the in-store tech guy, spent 45 minutes on the phone to tech support, 40 of those on hold. No exaggeration. I timed it. And Goran had dialed the special direct number, not the one mere end users like me usually get.

  
  

• Tech support told Goran that they'd need to do a hard reset of my Treo. Since that wipes all data a user has entered (phone numbers and other contact info), I would need to reload my data from the backup on my home computer.

  
  

• I explained to Goran, who relayed the info to tech support, the utter failure of tech support to fix or even adequately address my backup problem during my several calls to them back in April. I CANNOT back up my data, and they have extensive record of my phone calls about that unresolved problem.

  
  

• Goran meekly suggested backing up my data onto a computer other than the one that has the problem. But I don't have a spare computer lying around, nor any friends with spare computers lying around, and using my work computer is out of the question. I CANNOT back up my data. Back up I cannot. Get it?

  
  

• No, they didn't get it. Goran explained this to tech support — the ones with the records in front of them, remember — again. Although his face changed color, he remained outwardly calm.

  
  

• "Oh, so you don't have a way to back up the data?" tech support asked.

  
  

• No.

  
  

• "You're hosed," tech support said.

  
  

• OK, they didn't actually use those words, but that's the message I got. The Treo needs a hard reset, and that's going to wipe my data. So Goran finally wheedled a "direct" phone number I can call, and a few code phrases I can drop, when I'm at my home computer. In theory, the tech support person to whom I whisper these sweet nothings will walk me through a fix for my backup problem, then do the hard reset, then walk me through restoring my data from the backup.

  
  

• I have no faith that this will work. What I foresee is the backup operation failing utterly, followed by me cursing fluently with my hand over the phone, followed by me waving bye-bye to my contact data when we do the hard reset anyway.

  
  

• This has had a grumpifying effect on my Monday. I'd rather go to the dentist than call tech support. I'd rather file my taxes than call tech support. I'd rather change a dirty diaper and empty the cat box than call tech support. But I will call tech support on my first free evening, which is Wednesday.

  
  

• If I had to stare at a stranger for 45 minutes, at least Goran is cute.
  

Photos today? NO, dammit

Today around the world: August 1 is August Holidays and Bank Holidays in many parts of the world. Apparently my MMS program is with those vacationers in spirit.