Who do you provide tech support for?

[Ugg]

My mom, her sister and until he died, their brother.

Fortunately their needs are simple so I only get a call maybe every other month.

I do help my neighbor but it's mostly web related as their first language isn't English. His PC is getting slower and slower and there are serious issues with flickering on the screen. All he uses it for is occasional web browsing, email and photos so I'm pushing him to get an iPad next.

If someone randomly asks for help, I usually try and politely decline.

 

[Mousse]

My company (we're a small company, about 50 employees). Being an Alpha Geek sucks at times, but then no one here monkeys with the system so I get pulled from regular duties once every 2-3 months to fix something.

 

[Mord]

No one.

I used to, hated it with a passion and no one seems to expect it from me any longer, it's blissful.

I think it's a testament to apple products that my father no longer seems to need help with his mac and has never needed help with his iPhone.

 

[bartelby]

I'm Mac IT support for my parents, the wife and a few friends. The in-laws seem to come for help with their vista laptop, god knows why as I've never owned a windows based thing and know nothing about it.

I had the misfortune to use their laptop to show them photos from a cd the other day. It took 6 minutes before the cd even showed up and then 15 minutes to open 25 images for a slide show. I asked why it was so slow, their response was "Oh, it's slow is it?"

 

[Tonsko]

No-one any more. Used to spend hours and hours doing it. People no longer expect it from me, which is a bonus. The one I do help very occasionally is my best mate who took the time to learn how to troubleshoot and now I only get advanced questions- which are interesting anyway!

 

[chrono1081]

What's worse is the employees bring in their personal computers all the time and just have me fix it... of course they dont ask first. I currently have 3 computers in my room... all of which are my co-workers personal computers.... GAHH!

Oh thats when you have to do like I used to do and come up with a "fabricated truth".

I used to tell people that we were not allowed to work on personal computers because it was a conflict of interest. The company saw it as they were paying us for our expertise yet we are giving it away to others for free.

It always worked.

 

[63dot]

I am a techie, and when not paid for it, I always give advice to people for free whenever I run into them. It's amazing how many times things don't work because they are not plugged in all the way.

Sometimes people treat me as if I were a professional but other times I am treated like I invented the crap MS software that is giving them terrible issues and they personally blame it on me.

 

[Rt&Dzine]

Mostly family, a few friends and a neighbor. Just because I can maintain and fix my own computer, and I did some C programming 15 years ago, everyone thinks I'm a computer expert! The problem is that I know diddly squat about networking but can usually get stuff to work through research and trial and error.

 

[Paulywauly]

haha glad to see its not just me! Sometimes i think i may just die while providing IT support!

I help out my parents who are completely clueless with their 5 year old VAIO, have fixed my brothers laptop a million times coz he looks at too much porn.

My girlfriend is another one, she has a very low patience with gadgets that dont work EXACTLY how she wants it too. Her parents are great but also need alot of help.

Theres also 50% of my friends who have no idea how computers work and most of their family and friends.

Its gotten so bad i actually have remote access setup on 90% of their computers so i can help them without leaving the house.

All of this ontop of the fact my job is on an ICT service desk for government in the UK. Providing support for every walk of life from day care centres, hospitals, secure childrens units, toddler groups, lawyers, architects and building survayers, highways maintainance, schools and colleges, leisure centers, libraries, nursing homes, environmental offices and depots etc etc etc etc and a whole bunch of private sector and quango organisations.........

some might call it destiny......or a curse...............