And now, a hysterical followup to my recent columns on Dell tech support, submitted by a reader.

The setup: He'd bought a new 19-inch flat-panel screen that he loved so much, he sent Dell a quick note of commendation. "I try to send positive notes to businesses once in a while," he writes, "to balance the negative karma from the assertive complaining I do."

Here's the compliment he posted through Dell's Web site: "No problem! I just wanted to tell you that I just received the 1905FP monitor that I ordered last week, and it's awesome. Not only that, but it arrived just 5 days after I ordered it, and it was a breeze to set up. I can already tell that it's the best $500 I've spent in a long time. Thanks!"

And here's the response Dell sent him. (As he so aptly puts it: "Makes you wonder how they would handle a more complex issue...")

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From: US--CTS--Desktop--Support

Dear Mr. Burger,

Thank you for contacting Dell about your issue. I'm glad to be of assistance. I sense you are not getting optimal performance from your system. I want to help you get it working quickly so you can enjoy your computer.