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Bedtime stories with a twist
The switch
It happened to me many years ago. A friend of a friend left his computer at my place and asked me to fix it. I did it. I notice that inside the computer he had a modem from "Creative" - a company that I knew was making only sound cards, CDROMs and sound speakers. The modem also looked awfully a lot like one modem we used to have (one from Acorp). So I removed it from his computer and showed it to my parents and explained to them what made it special. They were clueless, of course, but I just had to share it with someone.
Anyway, I did what had to be done, I put the modem back in and called him to let him know he can visit me and pick it up. Said and done.
The next morning he visits us again, he takes the modem out of his pocket, puts it on the floor and says something like "Sasha, I have no idea what this is, but I want my modem back". I tell him that this is the modem that was inside his computer when he gave it to me - he actively denies that.
I had no idea what to do, all I could do was say that I had no idea which "other modem" he was talking about.
He kept repeating his words, we were in a deadlock. I cried a lot then. I saw no light at the end of the tunnel. He even told my dad something like "Только не бейте его" (whatever you do, please don't beat him)... How thoughtful of him :-)
No party is complete without "gas on the fire", right? The other night I was walking around with his modem and explaining to my parents how unusual it was, etc. What could my dad think in such circumstances?
He told the guy he'd call him later that day. When he left, dad asked me if I was 100% REALLY ABSOLUTELY sure this was the modem that was in the computer when it entered our house. I said "yes". He believed me.
Phew! That felt great. I hope he didn't secretly meet the guy and pay him the money for "his modem", or anything of that sort.
The guy said that before he delivered the computer to me he had it taken to "Ptichka" (a flea market) where someone added more memory to it (or performed some other tasks?). Oh I wonder, would it be so impossible that some switched the modems THERE?!
And the funny part is that I couldn't find a driver for his modem - so when I gave him the computer I said "everything works except the modem, can't find a driver". He said "I have it, will set it up myself". Would I be so dumb as to NOT COVER THE TRACKS of my CRIME and give him a computer with a non-working modem? Apparently he thought I was that dumb :-)
What an episode... My dad really supported me then.
Some time later the guy called again, asking me something about computers. I didn't answer his question but I asked him about the modem instead - was he able to find it or not. He said "А я уже забыл про это" (~"[you were forgiven,] I forgot about it"). I told him to fuck off, in a polite way. Never met him again.
The problem is that he is the cousin of the husband of a woman who means a lot to me. She was the first person whose computer I fixed for money :-) I often visited them. She was the one to show me what the Internet is, she was the one to show me how a scanner works, etc. I imagine that he told them "the truth" about me, which explains why they haven't gotten in touch with me since that event.
Technically, there is nothing I can do. From their point of view it is all "crystal clear". I can only blame them for being dumb, but not for being genuinely evil.
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7 comments
ok, so people know about Valentinieni and Sanda Watt case? :)) 
sunt sigur si eu ca povestile inainte de somn pot avea un rol destul de mare in educatia copilului.Eu de exemplu nu am avut parte de asa ceva :)
dar mi-ar fi interesant sa fi avut.
Eu cred ca in general tot ce se invata in copilarie e cam pentru totdeauna.
Ideea ta este buna. Cand am ceva timp, revin si eu cu niste comentarii pe wiki.
Ceziceu, no they don't. Only those who were there to see it happen are aware of the story. The story from page#2 is from my childhood.Alexandru, pentru mine este ceva neobisnuit, credeam ca fiecare copil are parte de asa ceva "by default" :-)
atunci, daca tot apelezi la public pentru a dezvolta acest proiect, pentru ce ii furnizezi informatii care nu ii este relevanta? Toata informatia de aici este relevanta, cel putin asa am vrut sa fie :-)Mi-am dat seama ca am uitat sa includ si "page#2", poate asta genereaza zapaceala :-)
Deci, Sanda & Valic sunt 2 cazuri proaspete care m-au facut sa scriu despre "others can be right too". Teoretic, articolul explica situatia suficient de clar incit si cineva care nu e familiar cu aceste cazuri va prinde usor ideea de baza.
Apoi mi-am amintit de proiectul cu istorii pentru copii si mi-am dat seama ca exista si o legatura cu o intimplare mai veche.
Apoi am decis ca trasatura umana care se discuta in articol e una importanta si merita sa fie "implementata" in copii la o virsta frageda; si astfel apare necesitatea scrierii unei istorii care sa fie accesibila unui copil.
In scurt timp voi adauga si page#2.
iarasi ma las complesita de "am crezut ca intelegi/stii/presupus despre ce am gandit eu" syndrome. Am vorbit despre pagina wiki, acolo se afla "SW si Val case" si care, in ideea obiectitatii unui wiki, nu isi au locul. Ce zici?
AAh, acolo e o remarca pentru uz intern - ca sa nu uit eu de unde s-a luat acea idee, am adaugat niste cuvinte-cheie care sigur ca imi vor aminti.Initial pagina pe wiki era pentru mine, pur si simplu am decis sa las si pe altii sa monitorizeze evolutia procesului. Si daca pot sa-l monitorizeze, de ce sa nu-l si influenteze?
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