Topic: Soem people should not use computers

[Clark Kent]

SO the short of it- some years back i bought my dad an iMac G3, as I was starting to move back to the mac OS after a few years hiatus in the realm of PCs.  He didn't have any interest until I bought myself an iBook G4, and then all of a sudden he thought it was great. 

Fast forward a few years: to emulate me he has bought an iBook G4 of lower specifications than the one I bought.  Then he bought another, then another.  Then my sister bought one.  Over the last two years My sister's iBook has been down 3 times.  And when I say down, I mean down for the count, doesn't boot, anything.  I've fixed it, three times.  I even got her on the latest mac OS because it has built in remote access capabilities. 

Same with my dad.  All three of his iBooks have been down multiple times (similar to my sister's).  In fact, i have two of his iBooks right now, trying to resurrect them again.  The iMac has been dead for a year and a half- he fried the motherboard because it was always left on and he litrerally had junk and papers piled all over it so no cool air could get in to the computer. I'm actually impressed that it took a few year years for this machine to give up the ghost.

So he's down to his last iBook, which is hanging on by a thread.  I just found a "newer" powermac, so I gave him my old one, which I had been using as a server since 2004.  Installed parts, RAM, HD etc from his dead iMac into the old Powermac, all is working, two weeks later he calls me to say he bought a new powermac (newer than the one I recently got) because the one I gave him doesn't work anymore.  TWO FRIGGIN WEEKS!!!

Oh, and it just mysteriously happened just after he said he downloaded some software off the internet.  He unequivocally refuses to tell me what that software was.  Well, good luck dad, since the problem with the old computer is probably on the hard drive you want to put in the new one.

Jebus.

[Nemesis]

You have just explained why I only help certain select people with their computer problems.  My condolences.

[Clark Kent]

You have just explained why I only help certain select people with their computer problems.  My condolences.

I hear ya, it's just hard because they're family. His kind of crap coupled withthe fact that they think it's ok to use their laptops as placemats for their dinner plats and/or drinks just blows my mind.

[manitoba1073]

Welcome to my world. I have to put up with that stuff from my family too.

[Age]

vWell atleast yours is PCs and not Macs.We talked about this.

[Nemesis]

You have just explained why I only help certain select people with their computer problems.  My condolences.

I hear ya, it's just hard because they're family. His kind of crap coupled withthe fact that they think it's ok to use their laptops as placemats for their dinner plats and/or drinks just blows my mind.

I long ago came to the conclusion that helping some people doesn't help as then they refuse to learn if you help them.  So for some family I refuse to help them with their computer issues.  I don't like it but since it doesn't help them and leaves me wasting time and being frustrated when I help that I refuse them.  It goes against my natural tendencies but I do it as the lesser of two evils.

[Clark Kent]

vWell atleast yours is PCs and not Macs.We talked about this.

Dude, seriously, is it really necessary to make this a mac vs PC thing? 

[Capt. Mike]

Nem, I am in total heartfelt agreement...

Many years ago (24 to be exact) I got stationed to RAF Croughton as the maintenance NCO for the military satellite facility there..then someone found out I could spell computer..and actually write intelligible batch files and config.sys files..and I ended up at the squadron headquarters troubleshooting everyone in the squadrons computer problems..at least they were the old Z248s..

But it followed me, as many things in the military do..

today, as a Air Force contractor in a calibration lab, I do my best to look stupid around computers, and it's successful for the most part..but the calibrations are getting so complicated and computerized, it's hard to hide in the background..

Ah well, 12 more years to retirement

mike

[Nemesis]

I do my best to look stupid around computers

I use the "I mostly use Linux these days and never bought XP" excuse. 

I don't have to mention that the two computers I was given by my last employer (both over hauled and 1 given to my mother) have XP on them.

[manitoba1073]

vWell atleast yours is PCs and not Macs.We talked about this.

Dude, seriously, is it really necessary to make this a mac vs PC thing?

 Um clark he wasnt. he was talking about me and my family , lol

[Clark Kent]

vWell atleast yours is PCs and not Macs.We talked about this.

Dude, seriously, is it really necessary to make this a mac vs PC thing?

 Um clark he wasnt. he was talking about me and my family , lol

Oh, sorry, I misunderstood

[toasty0]

You have just explained why I only help certain select people with their computer problems.  My condolences.

[Sirgod]

While reading this, I kept coming back to a Star Trek line, then dealing with Klingons but it fits here also with stupid people.

"I hear only the top of the line models can talk."

Stephen

[FRA.E.Kehakoul_XC]

I am so with you in this issue, i quit helping everybody back in the late 90tys,although i felt  like an ass several times at this time ,but it usually   was  a mistake to do so.
4 years ago  my father started to use computers and that was when the real trouble started , the exact same story ,just not that many new rigs.
The last episode happened 4 weeks ago and left his Hp laptop with a sudden black screen,it  was also rooted in sites i would never touch ,and obscure downloads. An no clear answers to my questions. At the same time my sister manged to ruin a Ibm think pad in about 1 week, she refuses to handle computers like sensitive equipment.
My newest policy is to not fix those machines instantly ,..if the breakdown happens  within two weeks of the last "Operation". So i hate to repair
But of course i will do as long as it is needed ,.. but that just for family and  people close to me.


And i want one of those Tshirts!:)

[Nemesis]

I do help some.  In fact next week I expect to be doing so. 

[Dracho]

You have just explained why I only help certain select people with their computer problems.  My condolences.

You know, there is a "Gas, Grass, or A$$, No PC Fixed for Free" T-shirt in there somewhere..

[toasty0]

 

[Clark Kent]

Uggh, my girlfriend is one of "those" people.  we've had a couple snafu's already, but I lent her my iBook because ehr HP doesn't have Office on it and the iBook does.

"I don't know how to copy and paste on yoru computer."

"Oh, it's easy, it's the same as your computer, jsut instead of using the control key, use the open apple key."

"The what?"

"The open apple key, we've been over this before..."

"...."

"the only key on the keyboard that looks like an Apple.  It's by the space bar."

"I don't see anything like that..."

"well, are you looking at the keyboard, because it's there."

"I don't understand..."

"OK, I'll walk you through it.  Frist select the text you want."

"well, I use the shift key..."

"just let me know when you've selected the text you want to copy."

"...."

"Are you done yet?"

"...."

"You there?"

"Yes."

"Are you done yet?"

"yes."

"OK, good, now find the opena apple key, next to the space bar, and hold it down, then you hit the 'C' key"

"Nothing happened."

"It's ok, now open the document you want to paste to."

"BUT NOTHING HAPPENED!!"

"Just do what I tell you to, it'll make sense in a second."

"BUt it doesn't work!"

"We're not done yet, did you open up you other document?"

"..."

"Are you there?"

"Yes."

"OK, open the document you want to paste to."

"I don't want to do it anymore. I'm hanging up now."


Jebus.  why the hell do I even bother?

[Tus-XC]

welll that last one is a simple problem with termonology, she was thinking copy as in 'cut' and your were thinking copy as it actually works.... ahh... miscommunication is wonderful...