Kim over at The Ramblings of the Bearded One discusses the problem of being mistaken for a computer genius simply because you can cobble a bit of HTML together. I sympathise because this happens to me too. Even worse, because I happen to have my own in house technical support department (Mr Blogs) people assume that his knowledge has some how rubbed off on me and I too can diagnose their computer problems, often over the phone without even seeing the machine. The truth is, I know nothing about computers. I can turn one on, install programmes, empty the temp folders and that’s about it. The inner workings are a complete mystery, just a jumble of wires and boxes and things I couldn’t identify if my life depended on it. However, no matter how often I tell people this it doesn’t seem to sink in.
I wonder if the same people think tv presenters can also fix televisons? Or that the spouses of brain surgeons stand in on days the surgeon isn’t available?
In future when I encounter such people I think I will try a new approach. Instead of politely explaining I don’t have a clue why their thingy won’t connect to their oozit and their screen has gone blank, I shall tell them it’s time to feed the hamsters. That’s how computers work isn’t it? Hamster power?
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Kate
Mum, blogger and editor based in the north of England; interests include fog knitting, cat herding and jelly juggling. If you want to get in touch for any reason you can find me on Twitter, LinkedIn or drop me a line via the contact page on my portfolio. Alternatively, you can follow this blog via it's Facebook page, or subscribe to the feed.
Jack Yan
It is the same with moving to a new country. People think I know EVERYTHING about the US just because I am from there. I get some of the weirdest questions and get blamed for everything my government does.
Well since you’re obviously an expert on hamsters, I have a question about their toenails….
Just kidding. LOL
xo
Nicci: Or when you go abroad and people assume you know their friend who comes from your country LOL
Attila: Now if you were asking about cockatiel toenails, I could have helped
All problems can be fixed with all computers with one of these cure-all techniques.
Send user for a fresh canister of Magic Smoke – older computer leak thier magic smoke and need a refill.
Tell user the 15 Watt fallopian tube is blown – send them to PC world for a fresh one.
Agree to come over and fix it then spend hours drinking coffee and demand a lot of cash. Leave a sticker on the PC saying “for use by experts only!”
Say something like “the hyper-textual pre-processors micro-circtry routing has become interleaved with the parabolic function. To fix it simply edit the registry and change the hexadecimal referenses to octal inumeration, you can do this by setting the parameters and arguments for the non-optional user settings in advanced mode – SIMPLE!” By the time you get to the end you could be talking about square monkeys and after you tell them it’s simple (and hang up, go to pub) the poor soul’s brain will melt.
My other option (that I use when I still want to be friends) is to make soothing sypathetic noises and after they have talked themselves out for a while say “I see. The problem seems to be that it’s broken. Take it to INSERT NAME OF LOCAL INDY PC SHOP and ask INSERT SHOP OWNERS NAME to take a look at it for you. Tell them I sent you.” for some reason this satisfies everyone apart from my mum who is wise to all that lark.
I do like the Magic Smoke idea, I’ll have to try that one. I would love to send them to a pc shop, but as they wish to pay, I don’t think Mr Blogs would like it LOL