This Yahoo’s As Big A Problem As His Yahoo
I have my grandfather and his much younger business partner as a client.
Partner: “Your grandfather’s Yahoo is broken.”
Me: “His Yahoo? Do you mean the email account has a problem, or is the website down?”
Partner: “Yes, his email. You have to fix it. Do you have a few minutes?”
Me: “I live in Toronto, remember? He lives over two hours from here.”
Partner: “No, I mean over the phone. You tell me, and I’ll call him and tell him what to do. I think Yahoo has a virus.”
Me: “You mean you think his email was hacked?”
Partner: “No, a virus. He can’t log into his email. You reset his password, and he can’t log in. I can log in using his email and password, but the Yahoo on his computer must have a virus. He took it to one of those shops, and now his Yahoo doesn’t work.”
Me: “Are you sure he isn’t typing his new password in wrong?”
Partner: “No, that’s ridiculous. It must be a virus. Can you, like, Google a virus?”
Me: “Uh, yeah. I’ll call you back.”
I have a coffee and check my schedule to see if I can fit a trip out of Toronto to see my grandfather over the weekend. When I call to see when would work…
Partner: “It works! Everything is fine. Problem solved, and your grandfather is relieved.”
Me: “Good! I’m glad the virus is gone.”
Partner: “Don’t be silly. It was the password. He wasn’t typing it in right. Your grandfather’s very old, you know.”