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The PEBKAC situation
Tonight's GeekNights episode touched on something that has always gotten under my skin: people (even intelligent people) act as though their computer is magic as soon as they have a problem. An error message (or even just a new dialog box) pops up, and one of two things happens: they call tech support and read the message for the first time while reciting it to the person on the other end of the line, or, worse, they close the message, call tech support, and give such wonderful problem descriptions as "my computer is broken"
Now, I'm not really talking about the people who are just slow, or have bad reasoning skills. Those people you can recognize, allowing you to brace yourself whenever they call. The real issue is people who otherwise exercise good lateral thinking and deductive reasoning. People who would be able to think through a problem if it were with a physical object, or an issue of science or philosophy, but simply refuse to devote any thought to what the words on their screen might actually mean.
I used to work the help desk of a university, and would get daily calls from PhD's who I know for a fact are very intelligent, and trained in critical thinking. The typical conversation would run along one of two lines:
1st possibility:
Client: Hey, an error message just popped up on my computer
Me: What did it say?
C: I don't know, I closed it.
Me: Well, what were you doing?
C: Nothing
...ad nauseam
2nd possibility:
C: Is the server down?
Me: Which server?
C: The server. The one we use (this is before they give their name...not that I'd know for sure where they worked based on that, anyway)
Me: *subdued groan* Well, what were you trying to do?
C: Check my mail
Me: Well, let me check...no, the mail server is doing just fine.
C: Well, I can't log into hotmail, so something's got to be wrong with the server! (I did not work for Microsoft, so, no, hotmail was not something we handled)
There is, of course, crossover between these groups...my sister, for example, is guilty of both sins. She's quite intelligent, but refuses to learn anything new about computers. She'd rather call me every other day.
I know I'm not the only person with this problem (Rym and Scott seem to have the same troubles, at least), so my question is this: What do you do about it when it's not your job...when your family keeps calling, failing to provide descriptions of problems, and refusing to learn for themselves, what's appropriate? I've taken to giving intentionally bad service, because it's easier than explaining that, while I'm still a highly technical user, I now use windows at about the same level as them. I can't fix their problem with MS Office, because I don't even use an office suite 19 days out of 20! No one believes that if you spend the majority of your free time in front of a computer, that you don't know how to fix their install of the latest spyware-infested puzzle game from a shady website. I mean, like, *everyone* plays Snood, right?!!!11
Wow, this turned into a crazy rant, and I apologize. Feel free to ignore this...or respond. I just had to get this out after hearing it mentioned on the show.
One last thing, and they just touched on it in the show: Google, motherfucker! Do you use it?!
Now, I'm not really talking about the people who are just slow, or have bad reasoning skills. Those people you can recognize, allowing you to brace yourself whenever they call. The real issue is people who otherwise exercise good lateral thinking and deductive reasoning. People who would be able to think through a problem if it were with a physical object, or an issue of science or philosophy, but simply refuse to devote any thought to what the words on their screen might actually mean.
I used to work the help desk of a university, and would get daily calls from PhD's who I know for a fact are very intelligent, and trained in critical thinking. The typical conversation would run along one of two lines:
1st possibility:
Client: Hey, an error message just popped up on my computer
Me: What did it say?
C: I don't know, I closed it.
Me: Well, what were you doing?
C: Nothing
...ad nauseam
2nd possibility:
C: Is the server down?
Me: Which server?
C: The server. The one we use (this is before they give their name...not that I'd know for sure where they worked based on that, anyway)
Me: *subdued groan* Well, what were you trying to do?
C: Check my mail
Me: Well, let me check...no, the mail server is doing just fine.
C: Well, I can't log into hotmail, so something's got to be wrong with the server! (I did not work for Microsoft, so, no, hotmail was not something we handled)
There is, of course, crossover between these groups...my sister, for example, is guilty of both sins. She's quite intelligent, but refuses to learn anything new about computers. She'd rather call me every other day.
I know I'm not the only person with this problem (Rym and Scott seem to have the same troubles, at least), so my question is this: What do you do about it when it's not your job...when your family keeps calling, failing to provide descriptions of problems, and refusing to learn for themselves, what's appropriate? I've taken to giving intentionally bad service, because it's easier than explaining that, while I'm still a highly technical user, I now use windows at about the same level as them. I can't fix their problem with MS Office, because I don't even use an office suite 19 days out of 20! No one believes that if you spend the majority of your free time in front of a computer, that you don't know how to fix their install of the latest spyware-infested puzzle game from a shady website. I mean, like, *everyone* plays Snood, right?!!!11
Wow, this turned into a crazy rant, and I apologize. Feel free to ignore this...or respond. I just had to get this out after hearing it mentioned on the show.
One last thing, and they just touched on it in the show: Google, motherfucker! Do you use it?!
Comments
Of course, I enjoy helping people with certain things or teaching, but that's very different from troubleshooting.
I so want that PEBKAC shirt from ThinkGeek...
My rant came off a little angrier that I'd intended, due largely to being written at 3am. It doesn't help that nearly every time my phone has rang in the last 2 weeks has been a question from friends or family about computers. The friends, at least, are willing & anxious to learn what they can. If only I could say the same about my family...
Way 0: Help can you please install for me.....
Way 1: Help, need.....
Way 2 Help, Help, I really need.....
Way 3: HOLY FUCKING SHIT WHAT HAPPENED! I'M STRESSED, ARGH!
Now the above are completely understandable in our corporate environment. Things happen and not everybody understands computers. I can deal with these with no problems. The below ones however do nothing but piss me off
Way 4: I need this NOW NOW NOW, but I don't have time for you to do it as I am too important and busy.....
Way 5: It's not my fault, you won't give me admin access so I can't 'fix' it myself
Way 6: What do you mean I need my manager's approval for software that costs $$$$$.
Way 7: I'm a sales guy/gal, and I am going to woo you into giving me what I want. (there is a funny story behind this one)
Way 8: I opened a ticket for this little thing, but that's not really what I want, you see I really want ........
Okay, I need to stop now. These are just some of the things that I run into. If anyone can think of more let me know. :)
Me: Ok, go Tools-Internet options.
Them:O..k...
Me:Ok, now delete all cookies.
Them:It says I cannot, because a file is allready in use? Help plz!!
Me:Erm... Damn your spyware n00b boy
*Blocked*
Pleased to meet you.
*ahem*
To 'fix' my parents problem of getting spyware and malware and etc I removed IE from displaying in windows under their logins. Since they do not have the computer knowledge to find it on the machine I have, in effect, forced them to use FireFox.