It's So Fun When They Do This

[furrbear]

From techsupport:

Subject: Hardware

"Description: Black streaks on monitor, intermittently.
Possibly video card going out.
Have a screenshot saved if you want."

LOL

Comments

[happyengineer.livejournal.com]

I dunno. I'm fairly tech-savvy -- an engineer of the physics as opposed to computer variety -- and I'm not 100% sure why this is funny.

*shrugs*

[furrbear.livejournal.com]

Because what a screenshot captures is a copy of the viewpane in RAM, before it's transferred to the video card and is transformed into RGB signals for the monitor.

Think of it as taking a picture at the TV studio to show the technician what's wrong with your television.

[happyengineer.livejournal.com]

Okay, I thought it might be something like that.

BUT

Doesn't the humor of this rely on the idea that the user is stupid? The reasoning behind the user's request is sound-ish, and they're trying to be helpful.

[urbear]

With a little careful editing, that ticket would make a nice haiku... now *THAT* would be funny.

something like...

[furrbear.livejournal.com]

Black streaks on monitor.
video card going out.
screenshot saved if you want.

Re: something like...

[urbear]

Yes, something very much like that. I didn't do it myself because I didn't want to deprive you of the pleasure...