Sometimes knowing about computers is a bad thing...

Pulsedriver

Pulsedriver

Pulsedriver

Soldato
Joined
19 Dec 2003
Posts
3,086
Location
UK
Hiya,

Don't know about anyone else, but I am so fed up of people asking me about computers etc.
If its not someone phoning me up, friends of the family etc asking questions all the time, how to do this, how to do that, can you come help us do this?

I dont get paid for it, and I find it boring!

Friend of the family phoned and asked would I mind if they came round to use my comp (well me do it for them!) to put their car on a for sale site as it apparantly 'doesnt work' to do it on theirs.

I just cant be bothered really, I know it could be classed as selfish etc, but really, I'd prefer to just do my own thing.
Yet I dont want to be out of order by saying "no, sorry".

Anyone else feel the same in those situations?
 
You could always try making it clear to them that they are monopolising your free time unfairly and that it is a problem for you having to explain/deal with their issues about PCs.

Then again it depends how often it happens, I have no problems helping out with family or friends every so often and thankfully haven't yet felt the need to say that I can't do anything to help. If I can't do it I can usually point them in the direction of someone who can.
 
I can always fix it, it's usually something ridiculously easy.

I don't really ask anyone favours to be honest, and if I did, it would be outnumbered 1 asked to every 500 given lol.
 
Kronologic said:
Do you not ever ask anyone else for favours? I know I do
Click to expand...

That's my problem, I always try to do things myself or pay a professional. I never ask friends or family for favours.

I used to spend hours every week giving friends PC advice, what to buy, how to fix problems etc. Then one day last summer when I get another call while down the pub enjoying a cold beer I decided enough was enough. Since then whenever someone even says the word PC I stop listening. My evenings and days off have never been so peaceful :)
 
I have no problem helping out friends and family aslong as they are prepared to do favors that i ask after all arent true freinds and family supposed too help each other out?
However when i fix my "friend's" computers for them, and then they mock me for being a geek the next day i feel like telling them where they can go but I would sooner tell people "no i won't help you" rather than ever lose knowledge of computers though.
 
xb8browney said:
Sisters are the worst, Sound doesnt work :confused: , untick mute :D
Click to expand...

The worst ones I usually get are "I don't understand it, it was working fine and just stopped without me doing anything"... after driving round there I discover they moved the whole PC to another room and just didn't plug it all back in again.

I used to help a lot of people but don't now. The other day someone at work asked for my advise on components. So I gave it. Then asked if he knew how to put it together and it turned out he was hoping I could do it for him. I pointed out that I work about 11 hours a day and any free time I get I like to spend with my daughter and wife, not building someone elses PC.
 
Someday - and that day may never come - I'll call upon you to do a service for me. But until that day, accept this justice as gift on my daughter's wedding day.

just replace justice with PC repair, and daughters wedding day with the day of the week. Also, make sure you say it in the most Brando-ish voice possible.
 
I can relate to this. The irony is I myself don't even know that much regarding computers. I can keep a computer functional and operational and thats about it.

What I found most revelating about being asked for help by individuals was, just exactly how little effort they themselves put into solving the 'problem' they faced before they came crying to me. In some cases simply reading the manual was all that was required.

Everyone needs help and assistance now and then, but those who go to others before exhausting all other possible avenues of solution, well, that really is bone idle lazy and it goes completely against my ethos of self governance and independence.

You have to be careful who you offer help to, as they may begin to take liberties. You never know until they take them, though. When I do find out, I shut the the door to them and it remains closed.
 
I don't act like i know about computers in front of people, if they have a problem I keep quiet. No way I am going to spent the next 3 hours troubleshoot or worst case make things worst on their PC. With mine i don't care, worst case i reformat (all my data is in a seperate HD so it doesn't matter), with most people you can't do that. So apart from my sister's PC, I don't fix anyone else's.
 
Lol, the worst ones are always the people who know you.
I once spent 3 hours sorting a mates system out and forgot a very important appointment. When he asked how much he owed me I said just give me a fiver- to which he replied he would give it 2 me later in the week as he had no change. The mean sod had just sold his business for eighty grand and I never even got the fiver :(

Suffice it 2 say he is a mate no longer.
 
i don't mind doing it at all so long as they bring it round. i wouldn't even mind going to theirs if i'm not doing anything. but one thing i refuse point blank and that is telephone support. can't be doing with that..... :D
 
I hate it, especially since I'm sure that if people sat down for a minute and actually made an attempt, but often I get the impression that they ask for my help because they try once, it doesn't work, and can't be bothered. Normally I try to leave it a few days before I help anyone, or just never mention it again, simply because I get fed up of the assumption that because I use computers frequently everyone thinks I enjoy sorting out problems :confused:

I wish people listened when I said no, I'm busy. I don't give a monkeys if they can't watch a media file, I know it's because they haven't got the correct codec installed, but why should I drop what I'm doing to go and help them?
 
There are people who just like to take, and those who give, you know some people ask favours but arent prepared to return the gesture and to those people i say no.
Some people really do take advantage though, learn to say no m8y
 
i just stay away from things now, i've had enough of spending my evenings and weekends trying to explain to people that they've got a virus because av software needs updating. Spending hours trying to reinstall windows from some of the so called 'recovery' discs oems provide just isn't fun.

though if its a hot girl asking..............
 
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