I hate being the "Tech Guy"

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FrancisBenjamin

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Francis_Benjamin
in the family and friends circle... all my relatives and friends come to me for their "electronic" and "software" issues...

and im not even that much of a tech guy, i just improvise, i dig around the settings and menus and just figure it out... i never even build a PC from ground up, i could try and probably succeed.

i just hate when people purchase an item they have no idea what it fully does or how it works... then ask me to set it up, i always do my research and read the manual...

or even worst ask me to go on line and handle their ebay, paypal, est accounts while they don't even know their own login and passwords.

like this sat i spent most of my evening setting up a "Slingbox" instead of going to a reggae show... BTW Slingbox, a totally useless item... who would want to watch tv while their not home... that's the whole point of going out... :ouch:

even worst when family or friends recommend your assistance to other people you hardly know or even don't know, like i help you out because we are friends/family, don't abuse it.

i know im not the only one.
 
Simple solution - say no.

Or if you're into the whole PC crap, say you'd rather not.
 
Or say: "yeah sure, 25 bucks per hour".
 
I always say I work with canned foods when meeting new people..
 
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FrancisBenjamin
in the family and friends circle... all my relatives and friends come to me for their "electronic" and "software" issues...
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Be contradictory, confuse them with facts.

Act like you are fixing something then uninstall the whole program and be like "oooops did i do that??".

Bitch at them for having a "slow mouse pointer" and non-streamlined-ergonomic keyboard. "I cant work with this CRAP"

Use aluminum paper once in a while, for no reason, if you are seting up a modem\router just put a sheet over the 2 and tell people to avoid breathing in that direction cuz they will mess with the reception or something.

Better yet, make them hold tiny pieces of it in awkward and uncomfortable positions while you do something unrelated like stretch or wash your hands.

Make alot of demands, you are helping THEM, they need to be hospitable, ask for water and complain about it, ask for chips and make a mess on their desk. The neat freaks and germophobes will go nuts.

Pretend to have allergies of cats or dogs, or even fabrics or dust, cite those are reasons you cant help them.

Before helping someone with their problems, play sports and dont bathe or change clothes, the smell alone will make them not want to be around you.

Be really eccentric, impatient, and fake incompetence thats what i learned in Dilberts Guide to Work, about being a technological primadonna, and watch them avoid you like potholes.

Whenever you ARE in the mood to help someone out ALWAYS OUTRIGHT DENY their request, EVEN IF you want to do it, then later on, call them and tell them you managed to squeeze them in, they will be so happy to know someone as busy as yourself found the time to help them.
This is a Win-Win because even if they got someone else to do it, you letting them know you were willing and offered to do it, is just as good as doing it.
 
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I'm on the phone right now with my sister doing exactly this, currently instructing how to install WinRAR to open a file to fix another problem. Yaaay.

Update 1:

"Right click, extract here."
"Okay. Something happened."
"It's extracted, now there's files on your desktop."
"I can't find it."
"It'll be there, just go in the folder, double click the icon to start."

Commence 5 minutes of trying to work out the content of a folder you've not downloaded to give instructions for, assuming someone is competent enough to use a minute amount of initiative.

Update 2:

Finally done. A 3 minute task, taking 15 minutes.
 
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I'm more like the "Anything That Requires Higher Brain Function Guy." Of course, that only applies to in school, my outside social life usually includes people who know somewhat what they're doing.
 
Well, your not the only one. I don't like to ask for people's help only if I can't solve the issue; if it is an virus problem, I search the web for clues or tips. You should get them maximum PC.
 
Yeah, tell me about it.
Since I work in electronics, I don't only have to set up TV's, Sat Receivers, PCs, I'm also the guy who gets called if something breaks.

I only do this for family or really close friends, though.
Can't say "no" to my grandma, can I ?
I gave up trying to explain to her what "an internet" is however :lol:
 
I hate filling the role, but I end up doing it anyways because I can't stand it when I know that someone else did it and that they did it wrong.
 
My suggestion to you all is to hang out with other like-minded individuals.
 
You mean I can dump my current family and get a new, tech-savvy family? Where do I sign?
 
Richardrfo
"Right click, extract here."
"Okay. Something happened."
"It's extracted, now there's files on your desktop."
"I can't find it."
"It'll be there, just go in the folder, double click the icon to start."
Click to expand...

As a technology nub myself, using terms like 'extract' and 'desktop' with commands like 'find the folder, and double click the icon' means nothing and is just jibberish to me and my people. If you are trying to help people quickly, try using words that aren't only heard in the subject they know nothing about!!
 
I'm also the tech guy. My family doesn't even know how to plug in a computer, they can't find what's wrong with the phone line, why the INTERNET'S NOT WORKING AND THERE'S A PLUG THEY MISSED!!

Phew. Had to get that off my chest. It's awful because I do like to have good technology, at least up to date, and my house was as ancient as the ruins of Troy. TV's from 1993. A Nintendo 64. Old boombox. CD's.

Luckily over the time we got a PS3 (still have the N64, I still play it to this day), Home Entertainment system, 2 HDTV's, one big one small, so yeah I'm the only guy who strives to not look like an 19th century catalog.
 
GT_Prologue5
Old boombox. CD's.
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:grumpy:

You're making me feel old. I'm only 25 and I don't have an ipod with mp3 stuff which makes me last gen..
 
hahaha, daily chores with my parents. Yeah, I hear you bud. At least my dad seems to be learning how to move around.
 
I think the problem is most people don't know how to google.com
 
Stop being such an obvious nerd then. ;)
 
Family member #1: Hey, can you help me with this gadget I just bought? I can't get it working man. :p

Tech dude: Sure, let me see.... Where are the 220v power sockets?

Family member #1: Whoa, slow down buddy, the box clearly says 110v....

Tech dude: Yeah, obviously 110v for each of the pins in the plug... *Plugs, turns the equipment on and smells the acrid smoke coming of the gadget*

It used to work back in the time when things aren't all bivolt. People just stopped to ask me for help even when I graduated in IT. :D
 
I tend to be that guy myself with family and thier friends. Most of my friends are just as tech savvy as myself if not moreso.

What really sucks is I got 10+ years in the commerical glass biz, which means to my family and friends that I can do any sort of home repair just as good as a pro, With minimal cost and investment for the right tool for the job.

I got friends who think they are the best damn shadetree mechanics. Still I take my truck to a real mechanic if I can't figure it out myself. Best way to avoid the conflict when your friend buys $600 worth of parts for your automobile, without fixing the problem.
 
It's always me phoning my friend's ISP to get the WEP key on the wi-fi to hook up to the PS3...

Whenever I have to fix people's computers, it's usually just a pebkac error.
 
I never really get asked to do tech support, mostly cause I don't have any relatives that live near me.
 
Danoff
My suggestion to you all is to hang out with other like-minded individuals.
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If I could find them.
 
Danoff
My suggestion to you all is to hang out with other like-minded individuals.
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They are either too advanced for me or not so like minded which kind of sucks sometimes.
 
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Either what? You only posted one example.
 
nk4e
They are either too advanced for me.. which kind of sucks sometimes.
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I wish I was in your position, unless they act like douchebags.
 
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