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Please Don't Ask Me About Windows On Christmas
Like many Slashdot users I spend a wee bit of my otherwise leisure
time doing gratis tech support for people I may not even know. I usually don't
mind too much but last Christmas I got more than one call from distant
relatives that, along with wanting to spread holiday cheer, had me weigh in on
whatever might be wrong with their new gadget. I was pleased as punch to see this
article in the NYT (F.R.Y.Y.Y) about
where I might be able to send the less techo hip. If you do *Windows* tech
support for grandma after hours this article might also come in handy." Here are a couple of previous articles about the sorry state of conventional support options -- perhaps articles like this will spark some entrepreneurial ideas, too.
Heh, I don't even have to wast for the holidays... ppl call me up anyhow, and the first thing that crosses my mind is
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hda bs=512
There now, that should fix it....
C|N>K
In my Unix Operator days, I used to get these calls. Actually they turned out to be beneficial (to the OS world).... I got some of the users to upgrade to StartOffice/OpenOffice or even Linux.
Consensus is good, but informed dictatorship is better
if google made $1 everytime someone used them to find an answer to a tech support question, they would 0wn microsoft.
I'll offer to do support for Macs, since they're what I know best. Oh wait ... I'm done already. ;-)
;-)
I feel ever so slightly guilty about it, but I have for years kept very quiet about knowing *anything* about computers. I used to do tech support (secondary to coding) and don't remember it fondly. If you couldn't fix the problem, you were possibly incompetent; if you could, the problem was maybe your fault, or easy. (OK, that's the mos cynical description.)
Worst of all, people would ask me to work on their PC's (shudder) where I'm pretty ignorant, having tuned out around Windows 3.1. There's an idea out there that if you "know something about computers" that you can strike up a conversation with *any* computer. (You know, like the American theory that anyone anywhere can understand English if you just speak it slowly and loudly enough.
But to help out is great, it's a shame to see $1000+ paperweights. Also, as a Mac fan and investor I have wanted people to enjoy their machine -- that evangelism thang.
Gee, I had a point here. Just some observations I suppose, sitting here with my wireless iBook.... Works great.
Never let anyone know your job/schooling involves tweaking computers.
Example:
Hot Blonde at Campus Bar : So what's your major?
You : Computer Science
Hot Blonde at Campus Bar : Ooh, can I get some help from you later? Here's my roommate's friend's number. They'll know how to get in touch with me.
You : Cool!
Later On, after spending 20 hours on some shitty HTML assignment for her:
Hot Blonde previously at Campus Bar : Get the fuck out of the Computer Lab, loser.
Wrong!
Let's try again.
Hot Blonde at Campus Bar : So what's your major?
You : Art History
Hot Blonde at Campus Bar : My daddy bought me a cool Rembrandt painting for my 16th birthday. Well that, and the bimmer. Want to come up to my room and see it?
Correct.
This can be rough if the only people you know are coworkers and people in your Degree Major, but if you're that kind of person, you're fucked anyways.
I had to learn this the hard way, being in Computer Science in a previous life. Although my answer to the problem was to change majors ; instead, I am a Liberal Arts Major. And *wink wink* my previous major was Mathematics.
Call up Janie Porche and her PowerBook. She saved Christmas! Who wants to spend Christmas afternoon downloading Windows drivers??
Is your browser retarded?
People, I realize that support options for most software products are severely lacking, but you must jump down off your "high horse" so to speak and consider what kinds of support options exist for folks using the preferred software here at Slashdot, "Open Source" (or "Free").
Users of free software are an interesting bunch. They knowingly accept and embrace and are even attracted to the fact that it's traditionally much harder to use than everyday Windows software. This is fine and good until 90% of them realize that they can't even get their freshly-downloaded project to configure/compile itself. Another 8% do manage to do so, but then they run into problems figuring out how to get it to work to do what they want it to do (e.g. "Hmm, was that tar -xfp or -xzfv tar?). Still the meager 2%, or the truly gifted gurus, actually manage to run the program.
Now comes the tough part -- tech support.
After using pico or more software to read the INSTALL and README files, a user is still baffled by certain run-time characteristics of the Free Software project. They then turn to (as indicated on the project website) to the appropriate IRC channel.
You guys all know what happens next; after a series of RTFM j00 dumb n00bie!!1 and Wow your dumb comments, 99.1% of these folks who were initially awe-inspired by Open Source turn severely sour on it and give up. They then reinstall Windows and go along their merry way.
This is all (mostly) truth, people, and the figures prove it. There are probably a couple million people who use Linux as their preferred desktop. Everyone else uses Windows or OS X because support options with these types of licensed proprietary products are paramount when compared to Linux-class code and support.
Your parents run Windows for a reason, and trust me -- it's not because it looks that incredible. It's just easier to use, and easier to get support for. End of story.
Sure, I use Linux and really respect myself and others who do the same. But even the most unexpected people turn to another platform after awhile because the support that we all give for our Linux projects just simply sucks. I know I personally don't have time to support apps I write, and you folks probably don't either.
If you celebrate Xmas, befriend me (538
If they paid for the current software I ask them to have the people that got the money fix the problem.
This is a good lead in for putting Mozilla / OpenOffice etc on the windows box.
Help fight continental drift.
As someone who did PC support for years, I can relate to this. Everyone and their brother wants help with their PC's, and expects it for free. They think you like nothing better than to sit around giving computer advice at family functions, parties, etc. You wouldn't expect your brother-in-law the mechanic to fix your car for free, would you? Or get a free root canal from a relative who's a dentist? Why is there this perception that IT people should work for free, and live to fix your Windows problems? Now I just tell them I only work on mainframes (or "BIG Computers" when they give you a blank look), and don't know Windows. Anyway, sorry for the rant, this is something that's been bugging me for years.
I'm starting to get "Christmas requests" at work and frankly I don't want to do any of it, but people do ask who to buy from. I just tell them to goto Dell or even CDW as that's who I use for corporate, but they aren't necessarily the best deals nor the best option for the home buyer and I'd hate to point them to Best Buy or some other retail nightmare. By retail nightmare I mean a selection of only Compaqs starting at much more than what they're worth, $40 USB and parallel cables, pushy saleskids pushing worthless 'extended warranties', etc.
So who to recommend? I'd like to point people towards a company or two who excel in price and service. It doesn't matter if they're a multi-national or some local/web only shop, but the latter would be nice. So what retailers would you recommend for technophobes in need of a windows machine that'll do the basics?
"Uncle Frank gave me his old PC with a 50 Mhz Pentium Processor, 4 meg RAM, ISA video card, and monochrome display. How can I get The Sims on here? I think we have like 900k free on the A drive..."
"This food is problematic."
You're a jackass, you know that? You only have one family, don't fucking laugh at them because they don't have the same interests you do.
We're called Geeks and Nerds in general...
...but when 'they' (the populace who ridicule or look down on us) want us to do something for them, we're called 'friends'. That is until we've fixed it and gone home.
Cynicism, don't you just love it, eh?
Are you local? There's nothing for you here!
Supporting Windows is making me rich! I am constantly receiving calls from clients who run NT, 2000 and even XP! A lack of support options means I am in demand! In this economy I can't afford for people to switch from Windows.
:)
Please, if you care about the IT support business; if you like spending every spare minute earning cash; or if you just want to see other peoples' systems crash and burn, JUST SAY WINDOWS!!
And if you can get people to install those freaking HP print managers and logitech mouseman drivers, hey! More business for me
When you're down visiting for Christmas I need you to open up my CD drive and see what's making all that racket, because you're a programmer and know all about computers!
A Government Is a Body of People, Usually Notably Ungoverned
Perhaps I don't get it. If its friends or family, why would this be a problem? I've been asked for help plenty of times over the years and never thought twice about it. Why would I?
Generaly they just ask what might be wrong. And you probably wouldn't think it wrong to ask for free of your bother-in-law "My car's engine seems to be making a lot of noise, you know what might be wrong?" Anymore than somone asking an IT person "My computer doesn't seem to be able to access the internet, you know how I can fix that?"
People are just generaly looking for advise of somone they consider an expert. Most often they think you just know the answer rather than having to look it up, find out what's going on, so they don't see it as a burden to you.
It's not just somthing that happens to IT people. It's just that you happen to be one, so it's more evidnet.
Free Registration Yada Yada Yada (or Yeah, yeah, yeah)
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
"They created the abortion of an OS, so let them support it." Those are the exact words I use.
This is my thinking on the matter:
If I go do the job that MS tech support is supposed to be doing, I am, in fact, donating to them. Why should I do that? They have money and resources and time. They are not paying me to answer questions. So, why should I spend my time and energy?
Now, I am not talking about fixing stuff at work. I am talking about fixing other people's computers.
I first took this stance a few years ago at a family get together. Suddenly it was "let's ask Randy all our Windows questions." On the way home it dawned on me what an entirely shitty evening I had because I got to solve everyone's problems for free. I fixed their problems and got nothing in return.
What really took the cake though was this friend of a friend whose computer I got roped into fixing. While I am sitting there trying to fix a sound card problem and get the 10 different copies of Netscape off the machine (yes, she had 10 copies of Netscape) the lady says to me, "well, my son says there is nothing wrong with the sound card drivers." I looked her square in the eye and said "Who's your son?" Then I got up and promptly left. I wasn't charging the lady any money, but the last thing in the world I want is some car mechanic son of hers telling me how to do my job.
I now provide support for only two people - my mom and my dad. That's it. If someone asks me for help I tell them I charge $100/hour billable in 15 minute increments. Unless they are running Linux, then I do it for free.
One final story: I had this one chucklehead I used to work with call me up at work one day and ask some dumb Windows question - it was something like "Why do I get a blue screen?" My answer - "That's Windows!" He proceeds to tell me how Windows is really popular and that when he worked for some company on the help desk (like this guy could help anyone) he came to that conclusion because he got 100 calls for Windows support vs one call for Mac support. To which I replied, "Well, maybe that's because Windows is so shitty it needs that many support calls." He hung up pretty quick.
Here's the article, no registration, no fake registration, nothing.
90% of the NYT stories that Slashdot posts can be viewed without registration through a deal that the New York Times has with Asahi.com. You can see the listing of stories here.
Bottom line, don't lament your inevitable consultation requests. Help them as best you can, and then cash in the karma for appropriate favors from them. I think you'll find it comes in handy.
"You're never ready, just less unprepared."
(I don't mind helping out, but doing it blind via a phone call is really hard and very time consuming.)
I see a lot of griping about fixing computer problems here. Sure, I can understand politely saying "I'm sorry, its Xmas, I'll help you another day", but I don't understand saying "Go away, I'll never help you!"
I will admit, I have fixed computers for family and friends. I have even given away low cost parts for cheap. In return, I have called on the same members of my family and friends for help moving, for advice on vehicle problems, to borrow items, or just to dig their brains for a specific kernel of knowledge.
Help your family and friends. The only calls you should be turning down (or charging for) are from aquaintances that only contact you when they need computer help. Being friendly isn't an excuse to be walked on.
Just my $.02
There's something called "productivity", and it's called "turning the computer on and doing what I need to without fidgeting around with stuff".
That feature also comes on the Mac platform.
As for BSOD, yes, I got that twice a day on Win98, but only twice in a year and a half on WinXP.
I installed Linux, once, and I didn't find much use for it other than dicking around and exploring stuff.
Does it make you happy you're so strange?
You see, christmas ia no longer a joy for the teenager. Not only must the awkward youth spend time with family and endure endless comments about (lack of) boyfriends, (lack of) taste in clothes and finaly, (lack of) social life. We must now deal with the mind boggling queries of the adults about their new toys.
Grandma got a new version of Windows. Joy. Although I am not a windows users and must give support *over the phone*, not able to play around and discover the problem, I am expected to be able to fix her installation woes, and quickly.
Of course, I must also make AOL work in an efficent manner. I would comment that I am not Jesus Christ, but that kind of heathenism isn't allowed at the dinner table.
Let's not get into the time I was asked to install an older version of Windows (95) over a newer version (ME) without distroying any of the information on the computer. (i.e., without formating.) When I asked why, I was told that Grandpa's Outlook Express wasn't printing files properly. My hand became firmly stapled to my forehead.
*sigh* And they say my angst is unjustified.
"You sir, have just crossed my happy line..."
The line is the same at all the holiday parties:
Host: So what do yo do for a living?
Me: I'm the Network Administrator at a small private school.
Host: Really? Hey, you know something about computers! I've got this problem...can you help me out? I'm sure it will only take a second.
Me: If you know it will only take a second, then why do you need me?
Holiday parties would only be worse if I was a doctor...
-ted
C'mon people, this argument is getting tired. Isn't the industry well developed enough at this point to realise that hey, linux is stable...wow, MS is easy to use (therefore preferred by Joe User)...y'know, if I know both, I might just be able to get by....
For the record (from my 2K Server):
Current System Uptime: 147 day(s), 23 hour(s), 4 minute(s), 18 second(s)
Since 25/06/2002:
System Availability: 99.9668%
Total Uptime: 151d 11h:45m:31s
Total Downtime: 0d 1h:12m:25s
Total Reboots: 8
Mean Time Between Reboots: 18.94 days
Total Bluescreens: 0
From my Linux server:
5:17am up 93 days, 20:22, 1 user, load average: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00
(sorry, that's as detailed as you get with linux)
The only people I provide support on their personal machines are my parents.
A while ago, one person decided to accuse me after fixing her laptop of locking her out of some silly ass program that she uses - it turned out that she was playing with the settings and set a password on her program and forgot the password.
So fuck em. If they ask for computer advise from me, I tell them to go to Dell or Gateway. If they ask for me to fix their PCs, they get told depending on my mood one of the following:
if google made $1 everytime someone used them to find an answer to a tech support question, they would 0wn microsoft.
...the Wininet.dll file determines if the HTML content attached to the HTTP error is a well designed Web page. This is based on the size of the page.
I always find it amusing when the answer to your question is in the Microsoft Knowledge Base, but Microsoft's search engine doesn't seem to find it. Hint: add "site:support.microsoft.com" to the end of your query. For example, to see Microsoft's definition of quality:
well-designed web page site:support.microsoft.com
Q218155:
$x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
$x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
See what could happen.
Don't be free tech support for Microsoft. If they want to use Windows, fine. It's their choice, their problem. Not yours. Let them pay... how much is now? $100 a call?
Users must learn the cost of their decissions.
... and the only reason I do, is because I provided her a PowerMac two years ago as a X-mas present, complete with Internet access. I pre-configured it before I gave it to her, and I know exactly how everything is set up and what software needs to be updated and when.
This computer's 7 years old now (it's a PowerMac 7600), and runs OS9, but it works, and it works damn well. She hasn't complained to me about speed (it's only a 255MHz G3), and recently commented on how much she'd like a laptop and printer for work (she's an RN). My girlfriend mentioned that she has an available iBook and my mom seemed quite interested.
Yes, I'm unabashed Mac supporter, but for a reason. It worked great, for my mom, and it works great for me. I knew she was really using it when she started meeting guys online. Hoo boy.
My mom's hilarious. She calls me with problems on her Toshiba laptop, even though the last three cmputers I've owned have been macs and she bought me two of them. Sigh. :)
Triv
"I get lots of code done on my linux box... perl/tk, my website, java, some C, etc...
and on windows, I get just as much work done....
ut2003, battlefield 1942, neverwinter nights....hey wait a minute....
just a an fyi, not a troll.
my point is, for me, linux is both a tinkering system and a WORKstation... the windows partition is strictly for goofing off:) "
Are you implying that Windows isn't for 'work'? Sorry, I can't quite tell. Well in case you do mean that, hear my story:
I'm a 3D Artist. I do lots of 3D rendering using Lightwave. I do texture painting in Photoshop. I do compositing in After Effects. My computer is *constantly* busy. I'm running Windows 2000, and I don't have stability issues. (I wouldn't dare say that about Win 9X, at best I had 2 days uptime with any of those OS's.)
I get quite a bit of 'work' done, and Windows isn't standing in my way. I have not lost a single render due to Windows or LW instability.
Would Linux be just as stable? Sure. No doubt about it. The thing is, though, Windows is happily doing what I need it to. (And the games you mention are a big plus) If I'm to switch to Linux, it's going to have to be better than Windows, not just caught up.
It's funny really, this article is about supporting Windows. What about supporting Linux? I loathe the idea of telling my mom (who lives 3,000 miles alway) to open a 'shell window' and type in badly spelt commands in a case sensitive manner.
Anyway, rant rant rant. If Windows was such a 'toy OS', I wouldn't be able to depend on it. I know lots of people, all artists, that'll tell you the same thing.
"Derp de derp."
While I am not Jamie Porshe. I set up my folks with a wireless airport network that would automatically connect to their DSL whenever they accessed an app that required the "net". Six months later, my sister, who has the same ISP asked me how I was able to have my parents connect automatically...she always has to use Internet Connect when accessing the net. I told her that I had configured the Airport to connect automatically...She now is deciding whether it is worth buying an Airport to forgo having to connect each time.
My folks are very happy with their set up.
Think of the hours of wasted time saved by some software that does a routine task.
I did my part last christmas, but this shit should not even be necessary. The OS should automatically configure things for people.
Y
no sig.
"That's YOUR decision if you choose to ignore Microsoft just because they're microsoft - and I certainly won't bash you for it - but sometimes a microsoft product IS 'the best tool' for the job.."
I am not in IT, but I always find it amusing how efficient IT "professionals" are. Too efficient, I might add.
I have been studying to become a CPA, and I can state from direct experience that the current set of accounting standards are by no means the "best way to do things." In this respect, accounting standards for CPAs are comparable to Laws for Lawyers. So if they are so inefficient, why do CPAs and Lawyers make much, much more $ than "IT Professionals?" Because CPAs and Lawyers are REAL Professionals (please hear me out on this).
You see, REAL professionals need organisations, that are acting in the best interest of the profession, to have control over the standards of the profession. CPAs have the AICPA (and FASB). Lawyers have the BAR association. And IT workers have . . . Microsoft, who, like you said, control most of the industry, so they control the standards of the profession.
However, MS doesn't care about the IT profession. They care about selling their software. Cheap IT workers = more software sales. So, Microsoft prints out MSCE certificates like its printing out money, turning IT workers into somewhere just above your average McDonald's employee.
I know, in your effort to do your job "better," you pick the "best tool." However, while you are doing a great service to your company, you are doing a great disservice to your profession when that "tool" reinforces a closed standard.
The lack of wider use of Open Standards and Open Source software (at least for Operating Systems, which set the standards for all applications, commercial and non-commerical) are the only things keeping IT workers from enjoying the security that other professions enjoy.
Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
The real problem with fixing someone's PC is that they won't follow the two simple rules of a stable windows box:
1. Install what you need, then never install anything else. Especially not games!
2. Always shut down correctly before turning the power off.
I help the people that follow the rules. They have very stable windows machines that work well for *years* and stay fast with no registry bloat.
People who don't follow the rule quickly get crashy, unreliable systems - and frequently try to make me feel responsible for their problems, because I'm the last person who mucked with the settings.
My uncle is a bit older and taught me this lesson early. See he's an electrical engineer and learned how to fix TV's in the sixties. When word got out that he could fix TV's, he spent all his time fixing TV's for friends, and then got blamed when they eventually died anyway.
The Rules
The Game of Christmas is a game for any number of players, but must include at least three who would much rather be watching The Guns of Navarone and two who would prefer a nice walk, after all "It's only a bit of drizzle and we could all do with some fresh air."
Contents
One poorly decorated sitting-room; one television set; one remote control (confiscated); one complete boxed set of "Grievances", including Huffs, Chips, Grudges, Injuries and Insults; a disgruntlement of relations.
Preparations
Preparations may begin on Boxing Day of the previous year ("Never again"), but must begin no later than August or early September. Players should allow three months to manoeuvre into one of the four correct starting positions. These are:
i) The Stand-off Position: "But we came to you last year: it's your turn to come to us."
ii) The Feet-up Position: "Of course we'd love to have you; it's just that we're a shorter drive from you than you are from us."
iii) The Hands-off Position: "Actually, we were thinking of going abroad this year. No, it's not that we didn't enjoy it last year".
iv) The Hands-up Position: "Would you mind if we also brought her sister from Wales? The one with bulimia? You see, she's terribly depressed at the moment."
Playing the Guilt card
Early playing of the Guilt card, followed by the Huff, is essential. Any change to the Christmas schedule beyond mid-October may be opposed by the Home Captain by accompanying the Guilt Card with the exasperated sigh: "I suppose we'll have to make do, though as usual it's very last minute."
Objective
To cause the maximum number of players to depart the room slamming the door before close of play. Each exit must be accompanied by the question: "Was it something I said?" To which the players left in the game must reply: "So what do you think?"
How to play
Each player of Christmas must invade another player's space by asking a series of Personal Questions. These are drawn from one of five categories:
i) History: eg, "Was it in 1978 or 1979 that you forgot my birthday? No, it doesn't matter. I've forgotten all about it. It's just that I don't suppose I'll ever really get over it."
ii) Sport: eg, "Who told your children they could play French cricket in the kitchen?"
iii) Hobbies and Interests: eg, "But what makes you think I didn't like the shoeshine kit you gave me the year before last?"
iv) Guess the Weight: eg, "Is it just me or have you put on weight?"
v) Politics: eg, "How can you possibly say that when it comes to third-world debt they've only got themselves to blame? I can't believe I'm hearing this!"
If the answer is either incorrect or unrepeatable, the Chip then passes to the original player, who now holds an all-important Grudge.
Remember
If one of your ploys is sunk, you may add Insult to Injury to form a complete set of Grievances.
How to start
Players from the ages 8 to 80 sit around the table staring at one another. Players aged seven and under proceed to screech at one another either a) "Give it", or b) "But I had it first". Players aged 81 and over must now raise their eyebrows and mumble either: a) "In my day we were perfectly happy to make do with a cardboard box and a bit of string", or b) "They've lost all sense of respect".
First move
The Home Captain makes the first move by reading the following instructions in monotone: "The score is doubled when the square landed on is either less than the total number indicated by the spaces moved by the previous player or the route taken by the green player is indicated by the square landed on by the player with the highest score at the beginning of the round, but only if the sum of the aggregate is the same as or less than the score of all the remaining pieces combined (a challenge may not be called unless the challenger is at right angles to the player with the lowest number of cards)."
Second move
The second player then looks vexed and replies: "I'm sorry, but that's not how we've always played." Subsequent disputes about the rules then continue in a clockwise direction until that point when one or more players insist that the original rulebook states that the correct direction for disputes is anti-clockwise.
The role of non-players
At least once every five minutes each non-player must call out either, "But The Guns of Navarone is about to start", or, "If we don't go for that walk, it'll be dark in half an hour". Non-players over the age of 81 are allowed to repeat, "It's a time for the kiddies" over and over again. Extra points may be gained by leaning over a player's shoulder for three minutes and breathing noisily before exclaiming: "You shouldn't have done that!"
Scoring
The winner is the first player to find himself in a deserted room. On hearing one or more of the following sounds drifting through the slammed door, the winner may add these points to his total:
i) Mutual recrimination (one point).
ii) Indiscriminate sobbing (two).
iii) Tyres screeching (four).
An extra five points are awarded for each melted strawberry creme discovered beneath a cushion.
Warning
The game of Christmas should be played no more than once a year.
egg
Actually, that is something I would love to be able to do.
In windows, you generally have to say. Ok, right click on that funny icon right there. What, you say? Don't you find it? Ok, it should have a label called "foo". Oh, you are running the norwegian version, hmm.. in that case it should be called "bar" or something. You still can't find it. Let's see, which version of windows are you running? Hmm, you are right, how would you know? I think I remember that in windows 98 it used to be somewhere else...
Sure, these visual environments might be user-friendly when you do not know the command-name, but are at least somewhat able to use a computer, and can find it by experimenting. Asking your mom to do that experimenting and tell you what happens on her screen is not so fun...
The result of all this is that I usually answer that I do not know, and even if I knew the answer, I wouldn't be able to tell her, because it's "complicated to explain over the phone". That usually stops her from bothering me anymore, and since a computer really isn't very essential to her life, I couldn't really care less...
i'm completely disturbed by the posts that have been modded +5 on this one.
...). don't kid yourself and think that you're an island and never need any help. the connection is still valid, because hopefully in your all-knowing little world, you can use some of that omnipotence to understand some of these other situations. that you're not the only persecuted soul who has to/ought to use some of their background to (gasp) help people.
this is your family. help them out. grow up. this is what people do for one another.
you can't help your dad with his ridiculously old machine? how long has he put up with you and perhaps even encouraged whatever led you to being this computer savvy, to then have you turn around and claim your too busy or can't be bothered? give me a break.
be thankful that all that crap in your head that you learned while pissing away hours to get something to work can be used to help someone else. how about some return on your own investment of all that time--now you can do something useful with it, where "useful" doesn't necessarily mean self-serving.
say you have an uncle who's a mechanic. chances are, you're going to ask him if you want to know about something wrong with your car (you'd be stupid not to, unless you know more than he does already). the joke about "50 mhz processor, 4 mb ram, etc." and trying to install the sims? sure it's modded as funny, but it's just like you trying to get that uncle to repair your piece of crap that you drive. get over it. help them understand what's wrong with what they're trying to do. teach them something.
and even if you'd never go to this hypothetical uncle, it works in all occasions, whether its their background or just about anything you might ask of anyone else (i need help moving! could someone drop me of at
my brother is a builder, and does construction. if i want to get something built, or need to have it done, am i going to consult him? of course. if he can't get his 14.4 modem to work with his crappy old mac, is he going to call me? of course.
welcome to the world, folks. you don't live in a vacuum. drop the self-importance and start interacting with people. be useful for a change. and i say for a change *only* because from the sounds of the majority of what's been modded up, there are a few too many people who live in this vacuum.
think about the hell you've gone through with your machine, even when *you* supposedly know what you're doing. now imagine how much worse it is for the people asking for help, when they don't even know the first thing about what's going on with their $2500 desk ornament.
Heck, I LOVE fixing my friends' Windows machines -- that's why I carry a burn of Mandrake v8.2 with me at all times.
"Hey, Greg? What's the deal with the penguin?"
That's about the only damn way to fix 'em anyways.
The only tool you've got against psychosis is experience.