Back at the teaching induction today. Elearning was the theme.

Fine except for the presenter who tried to show us several computer-based training packages. One wouldn't run at all (despite, apparently, two days of her and IS guy trying to get round the restrictions); another one ran but everytime she clicked on a link it took 6 presses of the OK button to move on (despite the check box saying 'tick here if you don't want to see this again' being ticked).

And just to add to the fun the network wouldn't let me logon at all. I tried three machines, I tried the usual reboot etc. Eventually I went to find the help desk where they disappeared for several minutes before returning to tell me that the reason it wouldn't work was because I hadn't logged on for 6 weeks. What do you mean haven't logged on for 6 weeks? What do they think I've been doing the last 6 weeks? I've logged on every day. They couldn't answer that.

In actual fact they didn't return to the desk after their sortie 'out back' to tell me that immediately. Oh no. The guy came back and said "Wednesday". Just "Wednesday". I obviously looked a bit blank. Yes, I knew it was Wednesday was he telling me I wouldn't be able to log in again until next wednesday? Eventually he revealed that he'd reset my password to wednesday and I should be able to login now.

Indeed, I could when I returned to class. But I see that 'customer service' from the IT types doesn't seem to differ!

Meanwhile, a helpful German researcher I happened to be sitting next to (having abandoned H who'd come to just this session) in my quest for a computer that would let me login, managed to catch up me up (just about) on where we were in the class. Still, that feeling of being a bit left behind and nothing quite working because I'd missed the bit where something else had been set up was a salutary lesson in how students must often feel.