Technology Requires Common Sense

I have to log into a website to get a tax document.?The website requires me to use a code from an authentication application in addition to my login.?According to the website, the authentication code is supposed to be six digits.?My authentication application, which is one of the applications the website recommends, provides eight digit codes and does not work.?I emailed the help desk.?I got an automatic reply encouraging me to go to their online help frequently asked questions section.?I click on that link and it asks me to login.?You guessed it – it requires an authentication code for me to get to their FAQ page.?For you spreadsheet fans, I feel like I created a circular reference in Excel and cannot figure out where it is.?

But did anyone think that people having trouble logging in might not be able to get their FAQ page??Or is this a case of an IT department thinking they are funny??I have a feeling I am going to spend a significant amount of time on hold with a help desk today, costing the company and me money.

As our IT department used to say to me when I had an issue, “You have an ID-10-T problem.”?Maybe that is true in this case.?But for the life of me, I cannot figure out why an FAQ section requires password protection.?A little common sense goes a long way.