19 replies to this topic

[Fabbrizio]

Wow. I can honestly say I've had to deal with every single one of these at some point or another. Sad, really.

Glad to know I wasn't just being an unruly dick, and that these are genuinely things that the 'clients' shouldn't be doing.

[Beefster]

My brothers and I have, fortunately, been able to train my parents somewhat, (mainly my mom) so problems like these are few and far between. For a good 2 years, I was the designated computer-fixer for our only (at the time) home computer. I constantly insisted on setting up Linux (I wasn't even allowed to reinstall windows...) and upgrading the RAM. It wasn't until my dad got a new work computer (bringing his old one for home) that either could happen. (My brother had to talk my dad into getting more RAM, though)

Pretty much until I got to claim this computer as my own, my dad blamed every single problem with the computer on me or my mom. (Even though every now and then I'd see a Yahoo toolbar that wasn't there the day before- and I obviously didn't install it)

I've dealt with toolbars, I've reinstalled Windows, run spybot, dealt with hilarious trojans that wouldn't let anything run without killing the processes, etc... Yup. Fun.

My brothers and I treat Windows with little respect. None of us use Windows as our primary OS (but will leave it on work computers) and insist that when it is used as the primary OS, it better be reinstalled frequently.

An interesting sidenote: My dad insists on storing all his files in the root of the C drive, using ALLCAPS FILENAMES AND FOLDERS. I don't really understand why, though it really helps to identify which files are his. (He was a programmer back in the days before C and C++ were commonplace, in the days of DOS where everything was in ALLCAPS)

[Bourkification]

What I tend to do is remove all obvious methods of getting to Internet Explorer (because most of those people can't discern between "Internet Explorer" and "The Internet"), skin Firefox to look like Internet Explorer 7/8, and then change the icon of all of Firefox's shortcuts to appear exactly like that of Internet Explorer. I also install Adblock, as well as NoScript (however, I disable NoScript so it's there to be used later, but it won't interfere with their browsing).

That's exactly what I did with my Mothers computer. It makes it much easier and saves trying to explain to her and my sister, who are both tech idiots, why you shouldn't use Internet Explorer.

Great article, I am that guy as well, for all my relatives (siblings, aunts, cousins). I also enjoyed a few more articles there as well.

[Ventus]

man i have inexperienced everyone of those Issues
I Have to fix my sister's stupid net book every time so comes to visit do to the fact
she is always visiting site the have virus's and crap and then on top of that She use's Intercrap Explorer
And She has no anti virus And she usely downloads a bunch of off the wall Virus crap that is Virus'ed
so i dread my sister coming down to my home any more
cuz'' i have usely format her hard drive and reinstall windows in it every time
and then i have to tell her not do this crap again and she'll just ignore me the about a week later she calls and tell's my her net book is
dead Again or some crap Like that Man being the computer fix it guy in the family is a hard job

[Fabbrizio]

I think the most depressing part about these is that the 'client' will NEVER admit operator-error. And when they do, they're referring to another operator.

But somehow in their mind, of all the people who use the computer, the one who actually knows what they're doing is going to be the one who will cause the problem. I don't get that. It's your own damn fault if you install fifty-somes*** toolbars. And who the F*** uninstalls antivirus software? Yeah, it's stopping you from downloading that s*** because there's something bad in there, dumbass!

I'm sorry, but these have got me pretty pissed off. Just when I think I've got my relatives trained, I find out that some poor soul still has to deal with these idiots. It's depressing.

"WHY DID YOU MAKE ME PUT ON KEVLAR?! THAT GUN POINTED AT ME MIGHT FIRE CANDY! NO WAY THEY'D FIRE A BULLET AT ME! I MEAN, WHO USES A GUN TO FIRE BULLETS? THAT'S JUST SILLY!"

Edited by PowerGauntlets, 23 August 2011 - 11:53 AM.