I feel your pain! I'm the IT manager for a international company, I support 180-230 (give or take at any given time) accross 3 countries and 95% of them are females.

I've had comments such as:
".. but don't the files fly around in the air because I have the wireless network thing. Can't you recover them from the air?"

From time-to-time I (the helpdesk) gets a very non-descript request for support, emails such as "my internet is not working", so after many weeks of these types of emails I put together a nice form letter to send back to those who in turn sent my an information lacking email. The size of the font is the actualy size used in the emails. Yet, regardless of this some people still send emails that contain a total of 3 words "net not working?"
Examples of what not to email:
“My computer won’t print”
“I can’t open a file.”
“I can’t scan”
“I can’t send emails” or “My emails bounced back”
"I can’t logon”
“The internet is not working”



This is an actual email to the helpdesk, I have highlighed the important part of the email:

Hi there,
Not sure if you know but I have damaged nerves in my neck and need to have some work done on the way my desk is set up.
Bob is organising parts of it (on behalf of health and safety)…
However I need to have my mouse moved to left side so I stop using my right hand – can someone please come around and do this.

Yes, she wanted us to move the mouse from the right side of the desk to the LEFT side of the desk.


This is an excert from a document I frequently send to staff. This is the VERY first thing when they open the document:

** DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL WITH YOUR DETAILS. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DOCUMENT **

(lots of pictures and stuff, simple, small text to read and directions to follow.)

This is whats at the bottom of the document.

The helpdesk will need to know the full computer name, your network logon name and password.
CREATE A NEW EMAIL AND SEND THIS TO THE HELPDESK – DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL WITH YOUR DETAILS.
In an email to the helpdesk include the following:
1. Your computer name (EG: PC1237.DOMAIN.LOCAL)
2. Your network logon (EG: MSMITH)
3. Your password (EG: PASSWORD123)


And this is what a lot of people do:
1. Reply to the email with the word "DONE"
2. Reply to the email with their details
3. Create a new email with the word "DONE"
4. "I can't follow the instructions can you do it for me?"

~200 female staff + computers = my gray