If we humans have learned nothing from our interactions with the tiny information boxes they call computers, we should have learned that the little monsters do have minds of their own. This concept that they "can only do what you tell it to do" and that all they understand are two commands (yes and no), we all know this is garbage.
The truth is that inside every computer are evil little gremlins, and those evils little gremlins know exactly what you're trying to do and how to prevent it. Their biggest goal is to screw you over at every turn. Don't believe me? We have all pushed "save" and the computer has not complied. We have all pushed "print" and the computer has not complied. We have all tried to load games and the computer has not complied. We have tried to copy files, transfer files, delete files and open files, and to every given command, the computer has often failed us.
And the biggest, meaniest, horniest gremlins live in the Internet. They have a special vendetta against us for trying to do things things like "send" and "save" and "download". However, even worse than the gremlins' general disobediance is their two-facedness. How many times have we pushed "post", even here in Diaryland, and believe that we have, indeed, posted? But then we click on our diary, and lo and behold, we were wrong. We have been cheated by the Internet Gremlins.
You might think we would learn, be wary of the tempermental gremlins. But no, we expect this from the gremlins. The Internet gremlins especially we allow to continue to screw us over: we think, oh, it's just a game, or just a diary post, it's not life and death.
There is a lovely little online programme that is, in essence, a web classroom. Professors can administer tests, post syllibi, grades, and accept assignment submissions. I have one particular professor who is enamoured with this system and uses it as the only way to accept assignments.
I have a class with her with four assigments only, no tests. Each assignment is worth a quarter of our grade. These assignments must be electronically submitted. I did so a few weeks ago. It turns out no, this was not the case. The professor informed me that she received nothing from me. I asked whether I had done something wrong in my submission and resubmitted them. She informed me that, yes, she received the resubmissions, but could not grade me on one of them because it was late.
Imagine my fury, if you will. This assignment was not late, I had submitted it at something like 2 AM on the morning before it was due. I was labouring under the delusion that I had submitted, because the Internet gremlins informed that, yes, I had submitted. Because those little bastards cheated me, but I have absolutely no way to prove it, I lose an entire quarter of my grade and the hours of my life I spent writing the damned thing in the first place.
I suppose I should be thankful she accepted the work that both my partner and I both had to turn in (and was pretty much exactly the same as a result), or that would have been half my grade down the tube. However, I feel understandably enraged that because some damned computer refused to do what it told me it had done, I must pay the price. From my point of view, this is exactly the same as if the professor had spilled coffee on it and told me that since she couldn't read it, I would not be graded. Unfortunately, from her point of view, I may well not have sent it in, but dicked around this whole month, finally wrote it, and claimed that it told me it had been accepted when it wasn't.
So I'm not mad at her perse, but I am furious at the damned programme. Today I sent her an e-mail explaining that if she wanted assignments turned in electronically I would continue to do that, but she had better be prepared to accept a paper copy too (except I managed not to sound so rude, I have register problems when I'm angry- I think I'm being super clear and formal when really I'm being super bitch). I have not had problems with the programme before now, but thanks to this probably having done some serious damage to my grade (at least it's only a one hour class) I do not want this to chance being repeated.
So kids, if you have learned nothing from my experience with the little gremlins, take this away: either refuse to accept anything less than the best behaviour from your gremlins, or remember to always cover your tracks when it comes to dealing with them.