Roadkill on the Technology Superhighway

I received a call this morning to interview for a "Service Deli Clerk" job at a local grocery store.  (Beggars can't be choosers.)  The person said I would receive an e-mail regarding a background check, which had to be completed within 48 hours.  I figured I'd better do it now, in case something keeps me from the library tomorrow.

I had a bit of trouble with my address history.  First off, I can't remember my address nor zip code from the Noog.  (I barely remember the street name.)  I was able to stick in some underscores and "unknown" that I hope I can explain if the interviewer asks me.  (Otherwise, I'll have to say, "Well, maybe I can find someplace it was written down.")  After all, how many people remember a temporary address from three years previous?

I remembered to plug in the time I lived with my mom between the Noog and Tulsa, so that was okay, but when I submitted everything else for the last ten years, the system wouldn't let me get away with not listing the month and a half I lived in the hotel in Tulsa, as I was apartment-hunting.  In that case, I just plugged in "hotel".  (I can probably find the name and address of it, if I dig for that, too.)

I nearly couldn't submit the whole application, though.  One page asked me to "sign" the form.  My previous experience has been typing my name and clicking a box to "sign".  This one was different.  It showed my typed name and had a box which read, "Click here to sign."  I did so, and a small window opened.  However, it would not allow me to type my name in it, and I couldn't proceed until I put something in the box.

I asked one of the friendly librarians (and this goes to show I probably can never become a librarian because I couldn't answer questions about computers), and she looked at the page and suggested I "click and hold down the mouse button".  Lo and behold, that worked!  My signature looked like crap, but, hey, the computer finally accepted my submission.

I've never heard of using a mouse to sign one's name.  (That means it probably has been common for years.)  It's a pity there weren't any instructions on the form.  Maybe the grocery expects its meat/cheese slicers to figure things out without instructions?  (If that's the case, I'd better stop now, lest I lose a finger.)