I work in IT. I "get" technology. I can set up a TV, router or sky box without reading the manual (normally). It's second nature. And I'm betting most people on this forum are the same. We're not phased by any electronic gizmo.
Yet I'm constantly coming across people who aren't tech savvy, and who won't let me anywhere near their electronic stuff.
Normally something has gone wrong, and they've spent hours (sometimes days) trying to fix it themselves. Almost by accident, sometimes they find a workaround for their problems. It often involves pressing a combination of buttons in a certain sequence, most of which you immediately realise are redundant or do nothing at all. But this is how they fixed it the first time and now they've memorised it, and are convinced this is the correct solution.
Anyway, at some point they tell you about the problem they had. Sometimes they might even ask if what they did was right. But then I hit a problem with many people - they won't let me anywhere near the problem device.
It doesn't matter how many times you explain what you do for a living, or the fact that you've encountered this exact same problem before. It doesn't matter whether they're a friend (or even family) - they don't trust you to make even the most simple fix.
Today I wasn't even allowed to turn on a computer to see what the wireless access key was, because the PC owner was afraid I'd break it. So the new PC that needs to access the wireless network remains disconnected.
It is frustrating and saddening to know you could fix something only for someone to simply not trust you enough to do it. With electronic stuff this is frighteningly common I find.
Yet I'm constantly coming across people who aren't tech savvy, and who won't let me anywhere near their electronic stuff.
Normally something has gone wrong, and they've spent hours (sometimes days) trying to fix it themselves. Almost by accident, sometimes they find a workaround for their problems. It often involves pressing a combination of buttons in a certain sequence, most of which you immediately realise are redundant or do nothing at all. But this is how they fixed it the first time and now they've memorised it, and are convinced this is the correct solution.
Anyway, at some point they tell you about the problem they had. Sometimes they might even ask if what they did was right. But then I hit a problem with many people - they won't let me anywhere near the problem device.
It doesn't matter how many times you explain what you do for a living, or the fact that you've encountered this exact same problem before. It doesn't matter whether they're a friend (or even family) - they don't trust you to make even the most simple fix.
Today I wasn't even allowed to turn on a computer to see what the wireless access key was, because the PC owner was afraid I'd break it. So the new PC that needs to access the wireless network remains disconnected.
It is frustrating and saddening to know you could fix something only for someone to simply not trust you enough to do it. With electronic stuff this is frighteningly common I find.
![[J.D.C]](/styles/overclockers/avatars/3.png){kind=avatar}
