Registering for Microsoft events via Passport is a royal pain in the a*se
So I want to register for this MS event down in Reading that Tim Sneath mentioned. (it's "What's new in VS 2005", if you're interested)
Fine. Click on Tim's link. Get the event preview page. Click on Register via the web. Whoopee! Automation!
You have to sign in via passport to access this page.
Okay, I can deal with this. Except that the passport login thinks my email is [null] and is asking for a password. Even though I have previously said 'automatically sign me in, suckers'. Enter a password. No joy, red error messages. Click 'sign in with a different email address'. Nothing happens.
Start again. Reload the pages, click on 'sign in with a different email address' again. Succeed. Now I'm prompted to fill in a whole shedload of personal information that I have provided on at least 56 previous occasions. Name. Address. Job Title (choose from an encyclopaedic list of nonsense...shall I go as "Chief Knowledge Officer"? I'd rather be "Head of Misinformation" but it's not on the list)
Submit the form.
Telephone number format is incorrect.
Fine. So what is the correct format? I've entered it in the format 1234 5678, with the code in a different box. No joy. No guidance as to what the 'correct' format it. Try several combinations of numbers. I finally realise that the correct format is 'no spaces between the digits'.
Submit the form.
Oh joy! I'm probably registered. They'll get back to me. Stand by.
This is a Level 300 course. Is the painful registration process designed to filter out dunces who can't cut the mustard above Level 100? Or was it just designed by Marketing droids? We may never know.