---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 5 Mar 2000 11:36:51 -1000 (HST)
From: Sid Stearns <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re:tech: How To Get the Most From Your Geek
hi ya kelly
i am a new lister i ddont know how to get my message to the listers i purchased
simply talker 98 and get it to work i asked sergio how to make it work i got no
response i know some members of vicug-l have this program could you git this question
to the members if you can i would greatly apreciate it.
thanks again sid stearns---
> Salt Lake City Weekly arts & entertainment
> Offer Him a Soda How to get the most from your geek.
> by Eric Jacobsen <I>Salt Lake City Weekly</I> arts & entertainment
> Web.Runner February 24, 2000
>
> The printer wont print. The system crashed. All the files are gone.
> The computer wont compute. Time to call that person you know who fixes
> things. Time to grok the geek.
>
> Information technology specialists have displaced accountants as the
> least pleasurable people to deal with. Their jobs are tough, they
> think nobody pays any attention to them and feel generally
> unappreciated. Due to various quirks of personality, attempts at
> making them feel appreciated often fail.
>
> This is a set of suggestions on how to get the most from your geekthe
> things to do and say that will help you get the assistance you need.
> These suggestions will also put you on good terms with him, so the
> next time things go wrong he wont duck under his desk when you come to
> see him.
>
> (By the way, this is an editorial about stereotypesstereotypical
> computer newbies and stereotypical geeks. Im referring to the
> tech/wizard/geek as he in this, but that isnt to suggest that computer
> aces are exclusively male.)
>
> First and foremost, dont be self-deprecating. When your computer guy
> sits down at your desk, please dont say, Im so sorry to keep bugging
> you like this. Im so dumb at computers!
>
> To the tech, this kind of talk is frustrating. He doesnt think youre
> stupid (well, he probably doesnt think youre stupid), and he doesnt
> think theres something inherently wrong with computersif he did, he
> would move to a shack in Montana. What he probably thinks is that you
> havent taken the time to sit down and learn basic computer skills (see
> RTFM, below). If you start babbling about how youre an idiot at
> computers, hell start thinking about pulling out the hard disk and
> beating you with it.
>
> Hard disks, by the way, are heavy and made of solid metal.
>
> Offer him a soda. Its a nice gesture.
>
> Explain the problem. Start out by telling him what software you were
> inwhich word processor, web browser, etc. If you werent running any
> software, but were simply in Windows or the Macintosh desktop, say so.
>
> Here are some good terms that will give a general idea of whats going
> on. A crash usually suggests that an error message pops up, and the
> software completely shuts down. This is different than software
> locking upwhen it just freezes and wont do anything. A system crash is
> when the whole computer locks up or shuts down.
>
> Dont be offended if he says your diagnosis is wrong. And try not to be
> too offended if he isnt polite about telling you so. Technical support
> is never, ever fun, and if geeks had social skills, they wouldnt be
> called geeks. By the way, did you offer that soda yet?
>
> Get out of the way and let him fix things. When hes finished, ask what
> went wrong, and what you should do if it happens again. If his answer
> flies over your head, hope it doesnt happen again.
>
> After all this is over (and this applies mainly to Im-a-computer-idiot
> types), go to the bookstore and learn some basic computer skills.
> Geeks have a saying that applies to this: RTFM. It means: Read the
> fucking manual. Most people dont, but the few who do reap the
> benefits.
>
> I cant overstate the importance of this. Contrary to popular belief,
> geeks dont mind coming over to fix your computer. What they do mind is
> people who dont take four hours out of their lives to learn the basic
> stuff.
>
> Im partial to The Little PC Book, published by the Peachpit Press.
> Anyone who reads the first 80 pages of it will have all the knowledge
> they need for day-to-day computer use. The rest of the book will help
> teach nearly any other skills youd like to pick up along the way. Im
> not a big fan of the Dummies books, but others swear by them.
>
> After breezing through one of these guides, youll find yourself much
> less frustrated when sitting in front of that cold screen. And if
> anything really bad happens, dont worry about calling your geekif its
> really bad, hell understand. Just be sure to have some soda in the
> fridge.
>
>
> VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
> To join or leave the list, send a message to
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> VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
> http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html
>
VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
To join or leave the list, send a message to
[log in to unmask] In the body of the message, simply type
"subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html
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