The Reboot

I'd like to thank Microsoft for one of the most misunderstood inventions of all time: The Reboot.

Most people become annoyed when forced to reboot since closing their Solitaire game and Facebook session can be quite the productivity setback.

Those of us on the front lines of the help desk, however, know how useful this tool can be when used properly.

Here are some of the many uses for The Reboot:

1. The Great Time Buy - If I don't know the answer to your issue and need a few minutes to consult with Buddy Google, but you're out of sorts and on the verge of becoming the Panicked User of Doom, then I'm not above buying myself three minutes while you reboot.

2. The "I Don't Know, So Why Not?" Crap Shoot - No, it's not dishonest. Since you insist upon leaving your workstation turned on for weeks on end, half your issues are regularly solved with a reboot. Out of temp space? Connectivity issues? General system slowdown? I've got your reboot right here, my friend.

3. The Passive-Aggressive Help Desk Revenge - Remember when I reset your password last week? Four times on Thursday alone? When you blamed the fact you couldn't remember your cat's middle name on me and my 'complex password' security requirements? Yeah, you've had a target on your back since then. But it's all good - I feel better now. Don't worry about the spreadsheets you lost during that last reboot - no one really reads spreadsheets anyway, they just look at the totals.

If you're on the help desk front lines, I hope you begin to realize the value The Reboot brings us. Don't worry about getting caught - Microsoft has made The Reboot pervasive in our society, and the users are accustomed to it.

Be careful not to abuse its use, though. Like all tools, The Reboot must be used sparingly and only in the proper situations.

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