An oldie but goodie from 2008 - because I haven't posted in June. Enjoy!

The office network printer; invented to allow people in an office environment the ability to print documents and various other necessities (ie labels, envelopes etc) from the comfort of their desk, to pick up at their leisure.

Where did it go wrong?

This process is simple, in theory - but anyone who has actually had to perform the action of printing to a network printer understands this is not the case.
Daily I see people at this machine and they are not happy and neither are they carrying a stack of newly printed media with a huge, satisfied smile on their face.
No, these people are confused, angry and mystified by this alien piece of equipment.
I see them on their knees looking under the machine.
I see them with the top opened and their hands on some rollers inside.
I see them reading the tiny little LCD screen looking for any signs of help.
I see them shoving paper in. I see them pulling paper out.
I see them slamming doors shut and yanking them open.
I see them give up and go back to their cubicle, defeated.
Defeated by a simple machine.

So what's the problem here?
Why doesn't it work?

Well in order to find that out you will need to call someone in the IT department who will then tell you that you need to call a 1-800 number that is on the machine -
"Didn't you see it when it came up in the LCD screen on the printer?"
You will then need to place a repair ticket order and a time will be scheduled for a repairman to come out to your location.
All this in order to print out the directions to your kid's friend's birthday party tonight! sheesh

This machine is very menacing and the complexity of this simple machine has been parodied many times - (ie: Office Space and countless sitcoms)
What does PC load letter mean anyway?
You can find that out here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC_Load_Letter

The office network printer; turns out it serves many purposes:
- to make employees happy to be at home
- to provide job security for printer repair men
- to provide a challenge to cryptographers who write the content for the little LCD menu
- hours of entertainment for those who watch people trying to use the printer
- saves company money on ink by not printing documents

So you decide:
Friendly machine - or deadly nemesis