Yes, Virginia--there really are live people at Yahoo

I swear to God. It's true :)

Cuz I talked to 'em. I did. I KNEW there had to be a big ole building somewhere that housed the many techie geeks who run Yahell. They're all sitting in their cubicles, wearing bifocals, pocket protectors and pressing the red button with maniacal glee while rivulets of sweat drip down their wrinkled brows torturing Dakota Cassidy.

It began yesterday when I was expericencing technical difficulties. I was co-hosting a day with another author on the Changeling loop and in the middle of everything, I got a note that said--unable to deliver your message because your auto responder is ON.

Yeah--sure. Like I'd know how to use an auto responder. I can't even change my underwear if I'm not balanced on a chair or bed edge. Do they really think I could set an auto responder? ROFLMAO

So I, fool that I am, hopeful much like Annie and tomorrow and something about the sun, go to the yahoo groups. Now I can see my list--access their pages, receive the e-mail but I cannot respond without that damned message coming back.

Then, like most Mac truck accidents, everything is GONE. Like poof.

So, I set about re-joining the groups I can remember I'm a part of and go to set my primary e-mail acct as Dakota@dakotacassidy.com and it tells me I'm DISABLED. No matter what I do, I can't get around it. I got a big D on my chest and Yahoo isn't letting me play anymore.

So, I'm PISSED, yes? Long story short, minus all of the other things I tried, I spend until four in the morning deleting and re-joining groups with diff addy's hoping that will clear up the problem. Nooooooooo such luck, Chuck.

This morning, still pissed, teeth clenched, I am beyond myself and decide that I will just set up another account in Eudora (my e-mail client) and reroute my e-mail from the new yahoo account.

Oh, no, no, no you will not. Because Eudora is like trying to read Greek after a long nights drunk.

I call my friend Michelle Hoppe and I say, "You know. I KNOW there has to be a big building that houses these fuckersat Yahoo and I want to know where it is! I'm going in and I'm taking some skin when I do."

I remember seeing a reality show that featured the daughter of the doofus who thunk this all up AND she was leaving a big block of buildings (with shopping bags in hand) that said YAHOO.

SO I look up Yahoo headquarters :) I find a phone number. Want it?

408-349-1572

They have bitchin' muzack :) Very festive and lighthearted. it, I suppose, is played to soothe the savage beast I have now become.

So I call them.

Yep, that's it and you can talk to REAL LIVE people. However, those real live people can only help you so much. Cuz it IS free, you know. They send me to the help page again--Like I hadn't already been there a zillion times--to which I respond, "But that doesn't list my Yahell issue." Which is nowconsidered unique and diffferent, I suppose and requires the "special geeks" to help me.

"oh," she says.

So I say, "Lemme ask you this. What if I were a paying customer and I had this disabled problem? Would I then have a special dept to go to?"

"Um...well, it IS a free service --"

"No, no," I interrupt. "If I pay, I get LIVE help. That's all I needed to know. Buh-bye, now."

I hang up and I go buy me an account :)

Cuz, now, I got some real ammo and I fully intend to wave my PAYING CUSTOMER status around.

Lo and behold, I buy, they fly-- they allow me to re-route my yahoo group e-mail with the very disabled account I wasn't allowed to use just moments prior as a non-paying client. Hmmmm. But can I send a reply those groups???

Er, no.

However, I AM a paying customer and the advertisment DOES say I can have my e-mail sent anywhere, like even Zimbabwe :) I paid for that one--make it happen, NOW, I tell the lovely South African man whom I got to know and now shall exchange Xmas cards with.

Yahoo and all of it's super, fab employees are going to FIX everything all nice and they're doing it as I type.

Sooooo, a little note as well about Yahell and it's lovely offer of 20 bucks a year for more e-mail storage...did you know you can cancel at anytime and they'll pay you back retro-actively?

Guess who won't need NEAR the space in her e-mail account tomorrow that she once needed today?

Snort :)

Dakota :)