Why IT support is hated

Archived teaching anecdote: This 2016 post depended on Blackboard and Internet Explorer behavior that is no longer useful as current technical guidance. It remains here as a record of the troubleshooting lesson: test assumptions and isolate variables before escalating a problem.

This morning I had an issue creating a new content folder using the Blackboard software we used at the college. After the usual troubleshooting — logging out, restarting the browser, and restarting the computer — I finally asked myself the same question I would have asked someone calling for support: What browser are you using?

I used Chrome almost exclusively and had not considered trying Internet Explorer. The same operation worked there immediately.

The browser names and software environment are now historical. The useful part of the story is not: troubleshooting often fails because the person diagnosing the problem has unconsciously excluded one of the variables.

Last reviewed: August 9, 2026.