Micro$oft released a hotfix KB951748 that broke Zone Alarm, causing ZA to block net access. By the time I realized it was ZA causing the problem, I’d already wasted half the day with my ISP and pulling my network apart. This must be causing ZA a great deal of problems, but they don’t seem overly concerned about it. I suppose if you’re savvy enough to install ZA on your system, then you should know enough to visit the ZA site (once you figure out it was ZA causing the problem). Info on a workaround is here:

But, the main problem, here is not Zone Alarm. It’s India. It’s this customer service-in-India bid idea so many corporations had. I usually don’t bother calling customer service because I usually know more about what I’m talking about than the guy in India, who is usually not a tech at all but some guy reading from a script. Calls himself “Bob.” Yeah, right.

I think it important to underscore: if Bob knew what he was doing, I wouldn’t care where he lived, India or anywhere else. But in, like, 9.5 out of 10 technical support calls to India, I’ve been talking to Bob—who knows nothing. He is literally reading pages off his screen, walking me through a battery of useless tests, tests I’d already conducted—I mean, why else would I be calling Bob?!? I don’t call support unless I’m in over my head, and it takes a pretty severe problem to do that.

Tech support centers really ought to have two separate areas: one for the civilians who know nothing (bob), and, say Gary, who is an actual tech and not just some kid answering the phone. Gary would only talk to people who have some advanced knowledge of their PCs. Gary wouldn’t talk to me like I’m an idiot or make me run useless diagnoses tests. Gary would trust me when I tell him what the problem is *not* so we wouldn’t waste time. I’d be off the phone with Gary in less than half the time as with Bob, who kept cutting me off, completing my sentences, not listening, and became defensive and snarky when I refused to do all the goofy stuff. Trust me, Bob, that ain’t it.

If Bob had any knowledge of computers at all, the first thing he’d check would be the internet connection, The second would be the firewall. I actually knew that. I just spaced it—calling the ISP before I checked the firewall. I really would be amazed and grateful if these huge corporations, who take my money each and every month, had at least one place where I could call and talk to an actual tech.