Computer Half-wits

leesmithg

I have read most of this site over the past couple of years.
I find it amazing why people are not forced to take a short course before being able to purchase and use a home computer.

I don't drive, I have never had the need to own or drive a car, however if I were to need one I would have to learn how to drive and prove to an examiner I am capable.

I think this should apply to computer use also.

The stories are here, some are down right stupid and shows the ignorance of people.

An example:

Tech Support: "Ok, ma'am, I need you to do a ctrl-alt-del."
Customer: "How do I do that?"
Tech Support: "Push and hold 'ctrl' and 'alt' at the same time, and then hit 'delete'."
Customer: "Where are those?"
Tech Support: (explains the location of the keys)
Customer: "Nothing happened."
Tech Support: "Try again."
Customer: "Still nothing."
A minute or two later....


Customer: "Should I turn my computer on? Would that help?"
Tech Support: "Yeah, it might."

superscaper

Well if we look at the context that a home pc is the most complicated thing in the world it is possible for most people to buy, you'd think sellers should make that clearer and maybe suggest people take a short course. My dad's an engineer who works on an office pc everyday and my mum took a CLAIT course before even touching a pc yet I still get called upon quite frequently as the family "tech support" for various problems that arise. User friendliness is great for manufacturer's to achieve but you will always need some kind of base knowledge and a computer is such an open ended device you will always come across something you've not encountered before. I'd like to think I'm quite adept at using pcs but I'm always learning new things or coming across probs I have no idea how to solve.

mrcow

leesmithg wrote:

I don't drive, I have never had the need to own or drive a car, however if I were to need one I would have to learn how to drive and prove to an examiner I am capable.

I think this should apply to computer use also.

:rolleyes:

Err yes....a car is a lethal weapon in inexperienced hands.

What's that got to do with pressing CRL ALT DEL?

Get over it!

MercilessKiller

Sorry lee, i disagree.

Some people get the hang of it just by using it. If you force people to take courses, think of all the people in the world who use a pc fine yet never done a course?

A computer is meant to be a luxury thing in the home. Why would you have to prove yourself to an examiner before your allowed to use one?

I diagree COMPLETELY, but i do think optional courses should be provided to new users.

After a lot of visits to my Grandma I've set her pc up fully now and she loves it and uses it fine even if it took a while for her to get going!!! It improved her life, and I know that if she was required to take a course she wouldn't have bothered and would be worse off!

ts_aly2000

Brilliant site leesmithg

It's all so true.

"
I worked on my manager's computer a while back. While waiting for an operation to complete, I was idly spinning the cursor around the screen, as many do. My manager asked why techs often seem to do that.

"Oh," I said, "sometimes you have to spin the mouse around in a clockwise direction to wind it up. You don't have to do it very often, but we usually do it while we're working on other things to save time."

The manager swallowed the story, and my co-workers and I had a good chuckle about it later.

A few days later, another of our guys was working on the same machine. The manager caught him moving the cursor around while he was waiting on the computer to finish something.

"Why are you spinning the cursor counterclockwise?" the manager asked.

Without missing a beat, he replied, "Every so often, they get wound up too tight, and you have to unwind them."
"

superjaggybunnet

Comparing a PC with Driving a Car.

You are joking here aren't you?

MercilessKiller

superjaggybunnet wrote:

Comparing a PC with Driving a Car.

You are joking here aren't you?

Couldnt agree more.

TBH.. i really dont want to sound bad but take your head out of your own.. you know what lee :P hehe.. just sit back for a minute and calm down... it is a good home user leisure tool..

People have problems with plumbing that are SO EASY to fix, but only for plumbers

leesmithg

ts_aly2000 wrote:

Brilliant site leesmithg

It's all so true.

Thanks, seems we sing from the same hymn sheet.

I am not sure if it is there, a friend wrote he read, that a guys girlfriend was trying to order something from a website and thought to pay for the goods she had to insert her credit card into the floppy drive like you do to withdrawl or check bank accounts.

Before the sexist Police arrive, I have read worse, just a thing off the top of my head.

Tallymanjohn

Don't knock the average PC buyer - they are a nice source of income for techies!! :T

MercilessKiller

leesmithg wrote:

Thanks, seems we sing from the same hymn sheet.

I am not sure if it is there, a friend wrote he read, that a guys girlfriend was trying to order something from a website and thought to pay for the goods she had to insert her credit card into the floppy drive like you do to withdrawl or check bank accounts.

Before the sexist Police arrive, I have read worse, just a thing off the top of my head.

I'm sure these people feel stupid enough and dont need you insulting them..... so really I dont see the point in these posts. These forums are to HELP people. not insult them. not needed Lee.

ts_aly2000

Oh God, the things we've done..

In a company I worked for about 5-years ago we had a guy called Stuart in Sales. Everything would happen to him, he was a bloody nuisance, waving his arms about and shouting at his computer.

So I installed BackOrafice on his machine. I'd swap his mouse buttons over, launch applications, open and close his CD-ROM drive, this went on for weeks. And do you know the funniest thing, ...I didn't tell any of my techie colleagues that I'd done it. :A

leesmithg wrote:

Thanks, seems we sing from the same hymn sheet.

I am not sure if it is there, a friend wrote he read, that a guys girlfriend was trying to order something from a website and thought to pay for the goods she had to insert her credit card into the floppy drive like you do to withdrawl or check bank accounts.

Before the sexist Police arrive, I have read worse, just a thing off the top of my head.