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Admin
This is not the frist time I've been in the right-but-wrong time zone. At least one server thinks I'm somewhere in Africa. That time zone is correct now, but in a few weeks' time I'll have DST and they won't.
Edit Admin
Lyle, have a look at password managers. This is exactly the problem they solve.
Edit Admin
At least the image upload gave a specific error. Usually I just get generic "Something failed, try again later".
Admin
Telling a Slovakian they have to live in Czech time is probably a bit of a diplomatic faux pas as well
Edit Admin
If the site is designed correctly, that would indicate that the error was something that you can in no way fix, workaround, or anything like that, apart from by just waiting.
Admin
Maybe Google understands that some people may live in one location, but their daily schedule for remote work (or whatnot) is based in another time zone?
Admin
Okay, I re-read it and somehow missed the fact that the offered only one time zone. A gentle reminder that I'm an idiot, sometimes.
Admin
Most of the garbage I have to support doesn't even go to that level of details. Best I usually get is 'There was an error'. Ok. Great. Thanks for that. Really (long list of profanity removed) helpful.
I don't expect a bespoke error for everything that may occur - though developers should know the most common reasons and write appropriate messages for them - and I'm well aware that error message scare the normal users, but at least give us an option to see something technical so we've got at least some faint hope of being able know where to start looking to fix it (assuming that it is something we can fix).
Useless error message are a plague within the industry and developers should be ashamed for writing such drivel.
Edit Admin
Unless it's a stupid vendor that requires that you set up your account with the mobile app, and now you lose your desktop access to uniquely generated passwords and automatic storage of them in your password manager.
All. Too. Often. Please, let me sign up for your service with a real keyboard and password manager. Please.
Edit Admin
I think the problem that got me was a particular website at which my username was (probably) "lyle" and my email was something like [email protected]. The website got hacked and decided to force a reset of all passwords. "Hello, you must choose a new password, please supply your email address here to initiate a password reset". Password manager didn't help.
A related scenario that has afflicted me is a handful of accounts my late mother set up using an email address tied to her ISP's domain. Can't readily get access to that email address again.
I am sensing the possibility of a talk sometime in the next year or two. "New Phone, Who Dis"
Edit Admin
"Useless error message are a plague within the industry and developers should be ashamed for writing such drivel." Microsoft has always (or at least since the 1980's) been the kings of useless error messages. One I encountered ages ago: "Error: Intersegment Self-relative fixups. Explanation: Intersegment self-relative fixups are not allowed." Well gee thanks for that, Batman.