5 ms·

I get the feeling that the author was judging the person he was helping far more harshly than the perceived judgement she might have passed on him. There are c

by 300bps 13y ago

I get the feeling that the author was judging the person he was helping far more harshly than the perceived judgement she might have passed on him. There are certain professions that get brought problems constantly by people who think nothing of having you work for them for free. Doctors get this constantly at parties, at the grocery store, functions for their kids, etc. "Does this look like anything to you?" To a much lesser extent, IT people get similar requests from people. I have been brought at least a dozen computers in the last year with desperate pleas of, "I have x years of pictures on this computer and it won't turn on!" Take a look and half the time they have a virus the other half their hard drive is dead. My profession is in corporate IT but they just know I "work with computers". So they trudge right over, notebook in hand asking me to recover their data. I've spent as long as 7 hours and as much as $50 for these data recovery jobs on things like circuit cooler and replacement hard drive circuit boards. The more appreciative always offer to pay. But I always decline because then I'm responsible for anything that doesn't work on that computer for the next 10 years. "You re-installed Windows nine years ago and last week my Caps Lock key broke, WHAT DID YOU DO?" The nicer ones end up buying me a case of beer then. So then I end up working hours on behalf of an aquaintances for beer instead of providing for my family at my typical $150 hourly rate. Ignorance is your right so long as you don't ask other people to clean up after you for free.

ryanmcbride 13y ago
>So they trudge right over, notebook in hand asking me to recover their data. I got this in spades at my last job. We were a web app startup, and the youngest people in a 13 story building. Everyone in the building knew we did something with computers, so they would never hesitate in bringing us their ancient machines and ask us to fix it, ask us to fix their network, in one case, ask us to do their daughter's final project for her intro to C++ class. People really do just assume that everything to do with computers is directly related, and that they can ask anyone to fix it for free because "it'll only take a second". I definitely got the feeling that the author had a bit of a chip on their shoulder, but I got through it and loved this article, because I have that same chip on my shoulder. edit: One cool thing about those old people asking us to fix their shit, was that I got to see an authentic modem from 1999. They wouldn't upgrade because they didn't want to have to change their email addresses.
- mhurron 13y ago
  > I got to see an authentic modem from 1999 Get off my lawn. You know ebay has them if you wanted to see them before, they're not museum pieces yet. Also, they do still have their uses. Kids these days ...
  - 300bps 13y ago
    Seriously... this was my first modem from 1985. http://i.imgur.com/1A3dvzh.jpg http://i.imgur.com/1A3dvzh.jpg
    - danielweber 13y ago
      Every time I see you username I remember, fondly, watching text scroll across the screen and how utterly fascinating it was that it was coming over a phone line.
      - crucini 13y ago
        So fascinating that I wrote a program in MS Basic (on CP/M) to emulate that.
      - kylebrown 13y ago
        Reminds me of a particular segment in the documentary BBS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=JnSz-Hb9LQY&t=1704 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=JnS...
- F30 13y ago
  > People really do just assume that everything to do with computers is directly related, and that they can ask anyone to fix it for free because "it'll only take a second". I totally get your point, but to be honest they're not completely wrong about that most of the time: Even if you're usually working in an entirely different area, you probably still have more general knowledge on computing than most people. This will often be enough for everday problems. I like the "You work with computers, lease fix mine" requests as little as you do, but in reality we are able to help most of the time.
jlgreco 13y ago
I use to experience this heavily. I've resorted to self-deprecating humor to tell them to buzz off without them feeling too insulted. "Oh wow, [Windows|OSX]? I don't know how this stuff works, I only work with little computers!" With my parents I feel less obliged to be polite so I generally just say something about not bothering a mechanical engineer with your car problems. The idea there is to emphasize that despite a degree in something they think is plainly related to installing printer drivers in windows XP, that is not actually something that I am trained in.
- mst 13y ago
  My version of this is "sorry, I'm a server side guy, normal people computers hate me too".
brandon272 13y ago
I detect a lot of resentment in your post that could all be avoided by just saying "No, sorry, I can't fix your computer."
- sseveran 13y ago
  Yeah. In college I refused to help anyone except my closest friends and basically swore them to secrecy if I did help them. Otherwise everyone who downloaded some virus from directconnect or kazaa would stop by to get help as if I have nothing better to do than wander over to their dorm room to do battle with their bad decisions. On the other hand I did teach my mom to fish. She is even comfortable making changes in her linksys router, although she does usually call to check with me first. Making her self sufficient was great and now she asks me why everyone wants her help...
- 300bps 13y ago
  I detect a lot of resentment in your post that could all be avoided by just saying "No, sorry, I can't fix your computer." So I should lie to them? Because that's what I would be doing. The truth is that I can fix their computer. To make that a truthful statement it would have to be, "No, sorry, I won't fix your computer." Has a bit of a different ring to it, doesn't it?
  - brandon272 13y ago
    You can tell them whatever you want. The point is that you're saying, "No". I don't have time to be fixing friends and acquaintances computers and I have no qualms about telling them that. I've never had anyone give me a hard time about it. A lot of people assume that because you are knowledgeable that you may want to fix it, a point of view which is only reinforced when you gladly take their broken computer and return it to them repaired without putting up a fuss about it.
  - craigching 13y ago
    I would say "yeah, I could probably fix it, but it'll take me at least a few hours and even then it's not certain. You're better off taking it somewhere professionally where they can properly backup your data and be held accountable. These are the guys I'd recommend." No offense, but it sounds more like you want to fix it. Not that there's anything wrong with that of course, it's your prerogative.
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]

by 300bps 13y ago

ryanmcbride 13y ago

>So they trudge right over, notebook in hand asking me to recover their data. I got this in spades at my last job. We were a web app startup, and the youngest people in a 13 story building. Everyone in the building knew we did something with computers, so they would never hesitate in bringing us their ancient machines and ask us to fix it, ask us to fix their network, in one case, ask us to do their daughter's final project for her intro to C++ class. People really do just assume that everything to do with computers is directly related, and that they can ask anyone to fix it for free because "it'll only take a second". I definitely got the feeling that the author had a bit of a chip on their shoulder, but I got through it and loved this article, because I have that same chip on my shoulder. edit: One cool thing about those old people asking us to fix their shit, was that I got to see an authentic modem from 1999. They wouldn't upgrade because they didn't want to have to change their email addresses.

mhurron 13y ago
> I got to see an authentic modem from 1999 Get off my lawn. You know ebay has them if you wanted to see them before, they're not museum pieces yet. Also, they do still have their uses. Kids these days ...
- 300bps 13y ago
  Seriously... this was my first modem from 1985. http://i.imgur.com/1A3dvzh.jpg http://i.imgur.com/1A3dvzh.jpg
  - danielweber 13y ago
    Every time I see you username I remember, fondly, watching text scroll across the screen and how utterly fascinating it was that it was coming over a phone line.
    - crucini 13y ago
      So fascinating that I wrote a program in MS Basic (on CP/M) to emulate that.
    - kylebrown 13y ago
      Reminds me of a particular segment in the documentary BBS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=JnSz-Hb9LQY&t=1704 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=JnS...
F30 13y ago
> People really do just assume that everything to do with computers is directly related, and that they can ask anyone to fix it for free because "it'll only take a second". I totally get your point, but to be honest they're not completely wrong about that most of the time: Even if you're usually working in an entirely different area, you probably still have more general knowledge on computing than most people. This will often be enough for everday problems. I like the "You work with computers, lease fix mine" requests as little as you do, but in reality we are able to help most of the time.

jlgreco 13y ago

I use to experience this heavily. I've resorted to self-deprecating humor to tell them to buzz off without them feeling too insulted. "Oh wow, [Windows|OSX]? I don't know how this stuff works, I only work with little computers!" With my parents I feel less obliged to be polite so I generally just say something about not bothering a mechanical engineer with your car problems. The idea there is to emphasize that despite a degree in something they think is plainly related to installing printer drivers in windows XP, that is not actually something that I am trained in.

mst 13y ago
My version of this is "sorry, I'm a server side guy, normal people computers hate me too".

brandon272 13y ago

I detect a lot of resentment in your post that could all be avoided by just saying "No, sorry, I can't fix your computer."

sseveran 13y ago
Yeah. In college I refused to help anyone except my closest friends and basically swore them to secrecy if I did help them. Otherwise everyone who downloaded some virus from directconnect or kazaa would stop by to get help as if I have nothing better to do than wander over to their dorm room to do battle with their bad decisions. On the other hand I did teach my mom to fish. She is even comfortable making changes in her linksys router, although she does usually call to check with me first. Making her self sufficient was great and now she asks me why everyone wants her help...
300bps 13y ago
I detect a lot of resentment in your post that could all be avoided by just saying "No, sorry, I can't fix your computer." So I should lie to them? Because that's what I would be doing. The truth is that I can fix their computer. To make that a truthful statement it would have to be, "No, sorry, I won't fix your computer." Has a bit of a different ring to it, doesn't it?
- brandon272 13y ago
  You can tell them whatever you want. The point is that you're saying, "No". I don't have time to be fixing friends and acquaintances computers and I have no qualms about telling them that. I've never had anyone give me a hard time about it. A lot of people assume that because you are knowledgeable that you may want to fix it, a point of view which is only reinforced when you gladly take their broken computer and return it to them repaired without putting up a fuss about it.
- craigching 13y ago
  I would say "yeah, I could probably fix it, but it'll take me at least a few hours and even then it's not certain. You're better off taking it somewhere professionally where they can properly backup your data and be held accountable. These are the guys I'd recommend." No offense, but it sounds more like you want to fix it. Not that there's anything wrong with that of course, it's your prerogative.

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]