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The Tech Support Generation

Posted by michael on from the no-grumbling dept.

prostoalex writes "Newsweek technology columnist Brad Stone is looking forward to the Thanksgiving dinner with his family next week, spending time in candle-lit rooms, preparing holiday shopping lists and... let's admit it - fixing the folks' computer. 'We are the Tech-Support Generation. Our job is to troubleshoot the complex but imperfect technology that befuddle mom and dad, veterans of the rotary phone, the record player and the black-and-white cabinet television set. Next week, on our annual pilgrimage home, we'll turn our Web-trained minds and joystick-conditioned fingers to the task of rescuing our parents from bleeding-edge technology on the blink', Brad Stone writes. In related news, what other products besides Google Desktop Search, Spybot Search & Destroy, Google Toolbar and Service Pack 2 are Slashdotters installing on their parents' Windows machines?"

12 of 574 comments (clear)

  1. Surely? by Sexy+Bern · · Score: 5, Funny
    what other products besides Google Desktop Search, Spybot Search & Destroy, Google Toolbar and Service Pack 2 are Slashdotters installing on their parents' Windows machines

    Debian

  2. What other products... by jalet · · Score: 5, Funny

    > In related news, what other products besides
    > Google Desktop Search, Spybot Search & Destroy,
    > Google Toolbar and Service Pack 2 are Slashdotters
    > installing on their parents' Windows machines?"

    GNU/Linux

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    Votez ecolo : Chiez dans l'urne !
  3. None of the above by Insurgent2 · · Score: 5, Funny

    My parents are smarter than I am.

    They have Macs!

  4. 3 things by ArmenTanzarian · · Score: 4, Funny

    AdAware
    Firefox
    That Gator thing I love so much

  5. Re:I usually get flamed for this by 0x461FAB0BD7D2 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm with you....just as soon as I move out of my parent's house...

  6. Re:I usually get flamed for this by lachlan76 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I feel for you. I'm 15, and I've gotten phone calls at school.

    Be grateful ;)

  7. Re:Change the OS by TheRaven64 · · Score: 4, Funny
    Getting a Mac is a huge advantage for two reasons:
    1. Other Mac users never bug you with questions, since they'd have to admit that their OS was less than 100% intuitive if they did) and,
    2. You can happily claim ignorance of every other platform. Saying `Hey, I use a Mac! I don't understand Windows/Linux. See how shiny my Mac is! Shiny!' gets me out of a lot of things (as long as people don't notice the headless FreeBSD box hidden behind my desk).
    --
    I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  8. Re:Firefox & Thunderbird by Zorilla · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think I just stumbled upon how to get all of Oklahoma using Firefox now.

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    It would be cool if it didn't suck.
  9. Re:Firefox & Thunderbird by ShavenYak · · Score: 5, Funny

    Canadians, we're obsessed with the weather.

    Why do you need an app on your computer to tell you the weather? Wouldn't a static text box saying "It's cold!" be sufficient?

    --

    Hey kids, there's only 5 days left 'til Yak Shaving Day!
  10. Re:Firefox & Thunderbird by wo1verin3 · · Score: 4, Funny

    >>Take a look at how IE is being exploited, then
    >>talk to me about how your mom needs to use IE
    >>for some stupid secondary app

    You want to talk back to my mom? Be my guest.

  11. Re:Firefox & Thunderbird by aichpvee · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yeah, I just removed IE and Outlook Express completely by giving my parents Slackware. Done.

    --
    The Farewell Tour II
  12. Re:Firefox & Thunderbird by YetAnotherDave · · Score: 5, Funny

    it's the distiction between "it's snowing" and "it'll snow soon" that we need