I've just bought a software maintenance contract for a Cisco router, and you have to activate it online. Well, the whole thing is a big WTF.

You'd think Cisco, being a big 'networky' company would know a bit about websites, but how wrong you'd be.

First, you can't use the website in Opera since it just continually reloads the page, then when you do it in IE, you get told it will take 6 hours to activate, and so on and on.

But, what really got me was the 'Organization Profile' area of your 'account' pages. The possible answers to the questions are just plain bizarre.

For the 'Industry' question you have options:

• Education
• Energy/Utilities
• Hospitality
• Healthcare
• Financial Services
• Manufacturing
• Media/Entertainment
• Professional Services
• Public Sector
• Retail
• Service Provider
• Transportation
• Wholesale/distribution

Apparently, Cisco think that covers the whole realm of possible industries. There isn't even an 'Other' option. So, if you are, for instance, an IT maintenance company, where would you put yourself, 'Service Provider'? or a network installation company? Or, for us, a software company? You'd expect at least an 'IT/Technology' option given whose website it is...

Then, to get more strange, look at the 'Relationship to Cisco' option. You have to remember that question, and try to work out what the answers could mean...

• Company Networking
• Distributor
• Home/personal
• Housebuilding/construction
• Manufacturer of Cisco Products
• Marketplace
• Reseller
• Service Provider

Note that there's no 'customer' or 'end user' option! Quite why 'housebuilding/construction' is there is beyond me, unless it's for the people who make buildings for Cisco. I presume that 'Service Provider' there means someone who provides a service TO CISCO - since that's the question it relates to. "Company Networking"??? Is that if you manage Cisco's network?

Remember that this is Cisco, not some small mom & pop place, these are the people whose equipment runs much of the world's network infrastructure...

But Everyone Has a Relationship to Cisco.

Company Networking is probably supposed to be for their corporate customers.

Benanov:

But Everyone Has a Relationship to Cisco.

Company Networking is probably supposed to be for their corporate customers.

 

So you decided to type like SpectateSwamp? Please tell me this isn't contagious.

Yeah, Cisco's equipment is great but their website has always sucked.  You think they'd invest a little in making the site presentable, but their bread and butter is large enterprise customers who probably don't care all that much about whether the website works in alternative browsers, is easy to navigate and is usable for end-users.

Yes, it is a massive WTF, as part of doing a CCNA at uni last year, we were playing around and noticed that they sent the passwords for netacad in PLAIN TEXT!!!

MasterPlanSoftware:

Benanov:

But Everyone Has a Relationship to Cisco.

Company Networking is probably supposed to be for their corporate customers.

 

So you decided to type like SpectateSwamp? Please Tell Me This Isn't Contagious.

Fixed

 

alegr:

MasterPlanSoftware:

Benanov:

But Everyone Has a Relationship to Cisco.

Company Networking is probably supposed to be for their corporate customers.

 

So you decided to type like SpectateSwamp? Please Tell Me This Isn't Contagious.

Fixed

 

Thanks. Much appreciated.

stevie.f:

Yes, it is a massive WTF, as part of doing a CCNA at uni last year, we were playing around and noticed that they sent the passwords for netacad in PLAIN TEXT!!!

Through email?  That's a pretty common practice.  If your email account has been compromised, then you're screwed anyway.  Cisco has some WTFs, but this doesn't seem too bad. 

MasterPlanSoftware:

So you decided to type like SpectateSwamp? Please tell me this isn't contagious.

Nah, it's a facetious use of capitialization to feign importance of topic. 

Benanov:

MasterPlanSoftware:

So you decided to type like SpectateSwamp? Please tell me this isn't contagious.

Nah, it's a facetious use of capitialization to feign importance of topic. 

 

Looks like you found enough rocks with holes in them to cure yourself...

Cisco's site has always been ridden with WTF goodness.  Like downloading software with export control forms that say "Click 'I Accept' to continue", followed by a button labelled "I Agree".

stevie.f:

Yes, it is a massive WTF, as part of doing a CCNA at uni last year, we were playing around and noticed that they sent the passwords for netacad in PLAIN TEXT!!!

Do you mean in emails or something? The login form at cisco.netacad.net seems to use HTTPS for the login. I did the CCNA at high school 3 years ago