RST 2009 Core Training: Day 1 (Part II)

Ok: time for the follow-up to the comments from yesterday. For you "real implementation content" readers, check out my Day 2 posting for the actual stuff. For the most part, this post is just me venting a little.

Here's the story. We were given RST 2008 training manuals for RST 2009 training. I didn't think it was kosher and asked about it. Explanation: they aren't available yet. Ok. So I checked the online store and found (after putting it in my cart) that they are "in stock." That was before my posting last night and the biggest reason I wasn't very comfortable. Would you be? Since I have a contact or two at The Desk, I put out a few feelers after hours last night and had my replies before I hit training this morning. As it turns out, the RST 2009 AOTC "has not shipped yet but is very close."

The Desk evidently does not have the magic wand that they should to make the manuals materialize out of thin air right after the product ships. Go figure. However, I do think they could do better since they had our gazillion-page User's Manuals and Imperial Tutorials to us a few weeks ago. Somebody out in Cali is calling in a few markers with the Tooth Fairy or somebody to make that happen, so why not the AOTC books, too? Anyway, that's not the fault of our trainers.

I will say this, though, because I feel I have to. I thought it would've been more professional if they had told us up front (before I specifically asked about it) that we would get the new ones when they came in. Honestly? It made me feel like they were trying to slide that one by us. If they had approached me first, more than likely I would not have questioned whether they were available or not, but because I had to be the one to bring it up....

What would you say if Microsoft sent the instruction booklet for XP-Pro in the package for Vista? And that's a little booklet you get for free. These things aren't small and definitely aren't free.

To their credit, a few people there have said (in roundabout ways) that they will make it right.

So my suspicions have been arrested. Sorry, guys - it's not personal. Some of that suspicion comes from having teenage kids. Me to my wonderful wife: "Weren't report cards supposed to come out yesterday?" My wife: "I think so." Me again: "Did they say anything to you about it?" My wife: "No." Sirens, bells, whistles & flags going up all over the place! See what I mean? You with kids are laughing & gritting your teeth at the same time. Some call it paranoia, some call it a sixth-sense. My therapist says I shouldn't tell you what she calls it until the medication has had more time to start working.

I'm back to feeling much better about things.

"Take us back to DEFCON 4."