It seems service representatives everywhere are getting a pink slip and being replaced with what can only be called World Class Tweakers. That’s right, bloggers. If you or I, hereafter known as bloggers of the first blog, comment on another blogger’s blog, and receive notification that the other blogger, hereafter known as blogger of the second blog, has responded to our aforementioned comment, don’t expect to simply click on the notification bubble to see what the blogger of the second blog said. Oh no, that would create a feedback loop. Instead, we prefer a feedback logjam. Yes folks, you heard it here first. It seems we are no longer supposed to engage in dialogue on this platform. Awesome! Now what? I have to go back to asking and answering my own questions? I suppose so.
I stopped waiting for an answer. So, now it’s time to unleash the amazing works of the Friday Fictioneers, making every word count and doing so with style. Below is this week’s photo prompt provided by Claire Fuller followed by my 100 words. Thanks for reading.
Copyright – Claire Fuller
Fall of the Human Empire
We’d come to expect it from faceless corporations.
“We’re sorry for the inconvenience.”
“We’re going paperless.”
“We’re updating, upgrading, the economy, blah blah.”
It trickled into society at large; the feckless became the new majority.
“The economy, the weather, the Republicans, the Democrats, the NFL, the NRA, the PTA, the NAACP, the HOA, the economy…”
Some claimed it was the loss of manufacturing. Others argued it was the destruction of the environment. There were those who shouted, “No more tired lies and retread excuses!” But who could hear them really, when there was so much noise? No one, I suppose.
*****
#ADSBELOWTHISPOSTARENOTENDORSEDBYTHISBLOGGER.
Honie Briggs 
And here I thought something was wrong on my end! I noticed that same problem and I really don’t like it. It was so easy to connect and reply when the dialogue box glowed but now I have to fish around until I’m in the right spot.
I also second the frustration you expressed well in your story! Sometimes I can’t tell what’s worse, actual people or automated … things. Yes like the calls you take that magically put you on hold instantly, I just want to scream “YOU CALLED ME!!” Or the automated messages that just keep telling you about the option to use automation as you yell “AGENT” into the phone. BUT, then there are the people who just keep saying “Unh, huh, yes oh I’m so sorry that must be frustrating. Well we’re going to see what we can do to help you today.” The first time it’s okay but as a response to everything you say, come on now. I’d rather they be real then phony.
Well done and thanks for sharing. Thanks for expressing your WordPress frustration too! It helps to know that it’s not just crazy little me!!! I hope they fix it soon. Oh and I also agree that it’s still better than Blogspot…ohhhhhhhhhh as I type I see that the dialogue box is working again!! Woo hoo…so I’m late to the party…thought I saw you commenting the same…
😉
WordPress seems to have lots of glitches these days and I know, too, how frustrating it can be, especially when it’s so difficult to get to a real person for real information. I haven’t had a problem with my conversation box although I thought they moved it recently. But maybe that’s just old age. 🙂 Good story and good intro as well, voicing what we all experience at one time or another.
As far as airlines, so far Southwest is far and away the best and we use them whenever possible.
Happy Thanksgiving!
janet
Happy Thanksgiving to you too, Janet. Luckily I won’t be flying the friendly skies anytime soon. Home for the holidays is where I’ll be!
Great story. You hit the nail on the head. Sometimes it all just seems like so much noise. One gets tired of it all.
I walk softly and carry a big hammer for those occasions when nails need hitting. Thanks for commenting, Margaret.
Love your take on the prompt and such a great play on words “No more tired lies and retread excuses!”
Tired Lies and Retread Excuses was almost the title of an entirely different story, until the little service issue took over.
it seems they change things but end up making things more confusing–I am not glad to hear you are experiencing problems but I am glad I am not the only one
your hundred words, as usual, are beautifully done–well said!
LouAnn, you made my day.
This voices my opinion about many things. And as Bjorn said – it made me think. Thanks!
Well good. Thinking is good. Thanks for the comment.
Dear Honie,
My flight this summer was delayed by United Airlines (Don’t ever fly with them if you value your sanity) and they gave me a voucher for breakfast work seven dollars. They don’t care and I am just a number they are willing to screw over because they have other numbers on their side. Your fine story put me in my of our lack of power in the face of the number crunchers and bean counters. Well done.
Aloha,
Doug
Oh, Doug, don’t get me started on air travel. It’s the worst, the absolute worst. Well, it ranks right up there with plenty of bad service experiences – FedEX, going to the doctor, buying a car, getting a new driver’s license, buying a house…the list goes on and on. It’s sad really, that we’ve come to expect so little of each other.
Oh I think you’ve just summarised my week there Honie. Good one. What’s frustrating about WordPress is that they keep fixing what ain’t broke. And that has repercussions elsewhere that they haven’t foreseen. I’ve lost all hope of trying to actually locate a ‘Happiness Engineer’ and decided that the best thing is to walk away and come back later when hopefully others more persistent than I will have managed to secure a fix. I’ve not had the problem you’re having (the glitches are fairly selective in their application) but I had stat problems this week, Inlinkz is blaming the problems on WP, and pingbacks from my site aren’t working. And I love ‘feckless’ too.
It is a fitting word for the complete lack of accountability we experience on a regular basis. I’m not good at just accepting it, but even worse than that, I believe, would be to become so accepting as to turn into one of the feckless.
WordPress up their tricks, the twits.
As always your Fridays make me smile and shake my head. You are so good at these and I am glad to see your return (or have I simply missed you?).
Yep, tweaking away like the good little tweakers they are.
I’m glad you enjoy FF. I like to have company when I smile and shake my head.
It does seem to be rather difficult to be heard these days, doesn’t it? At least we have our friends in Friday Fictioneers. If it weren’t for this little band, I doubt if I’d have any readers at all. But sometimes an intimate audience is all that really matters.
All my best,
Marie Gail
Hey MG, I know what you mean. There is a steady 17 around here most days. I like that we share stories using the same prompt. I do have a hard time getting around to reading all of them and sometimes I read without commenting. Fictioneers are a creative bunch.
“No more tired lies and retread excuses!” But who could hear them really, when there was so much noise? No one, I suppose….poetic!
Thank you. Thank you very much. That’s the first line that came to mind when I saw the prompt.
Dear Stephonie,
I’ve noticed some WordPress changes. And there’s the inLinkz changes. I’d still rather WordPress than Blogspot though.
You’re story’s spot on. Frustrating times. And yes I’m frustrated by the upper right-hand corner lack-of-dialogue box and I’m not at all pleased. So I have to go to my iPad or iPhone to read the comments.
Well done as always.
Shalom,
Rochelle
The dialogue box seems to be back to normal on my end this morning.
Dear Rochelle,
First, the greeting, Stephonie, you may be the only person who has gotten the connection. I know that wasn’t a typo.
Second, I agree with you about WP vs Blogspot. I can never get a comment on Blogspot blogs and I have very much enjoyed the no-tech knowledge required tools available here. That said, I do wish there was some way to know when the tweakers were coming on duty. Like a sign of some sort.
Forever TechNoLogic,
Honie
It seems that we are not supposed to have a dialogue.. I think they might have come out with a dialogue robot.. only a buck a month.. seriously your story made me think
I’ve just been having issues with the lack of human interaction in too many aspect of everyday life lately. iBots posing a people, being placed on hold for customer service only to discover there is zero service coming my way when someone finally does pick up the call, etc., etc.
I can assure you, I am not a Bot 🙂
I haven’t had any problem, so I’m glad we can still “talk” to each other.
It is just another of those minor tech-NO-logic frustrations I encounter from time to time. The drug dealer business model of “hey, try this free sample,” then WHAM, “oh, so sorry you became dependent on functionality. Wanna upgrade?”
I just click on the little dialogue box on the top right of the screen to see comments and responses!
Feckless is such an underused word, btw…
I usually am able to see comment replies by clicking the little dialogue box too, but today, I get nothing.
Seems now that comment replies are in permanent buffering mode. Surely I didn’t piss off the Happiness Engineers. 🙂 I agree, Mr. Petruska, feckless is an underused word, but really, who would listen if we said it?
I haven’t experienced that WordPress glitch. Knock on wood…
Maybe I’m the lucky winner today.
Winner, winner, chicken dinner.
LOL. The yolk’s on me, I think.