Carpei_Noctum - a brief intro

Hello to the Digitally Discontent. I figured I would give a
quick introduction before making my first official post. Though many would
consider me more, I consider myself merely an advanced user. I am no
self-proclaimed guru, or geek to any extent, I have been called a “nerd” and
accept it though it is not a term I would use to describe myself. I can
confidently take apart a computer, and put it back together. I know the
difference between ROM, RAM, Hard Drive, and the CPU and can give you an at
least logical, if not accurate description of what each does and how they work
together to comprise a system. There are a few things that I can diagnose and
even fix on my own, but then again there are MANY more things that I have to
get a tech to look at and figure out for me. I’m constantly learning though.

I am the child of a fairly formidable programmer, and I mean
old school… FORTRAN, COBOL (affectionately known as “Tobol”), Basic (not
visual) and many others, so everyone seems to think that I should know
everything there is to know about a computer. I can at the drop of a hat (if I
know the software) tell you what you need to run a certain program, but write
the programs… FORGET IT! I seem to be everyone’s “Computer friend” because I
have the patience for “users” (on the outside anyway) and can break it down
into layman’s terms without strangling someone most days.

So this is Carpei_Noctum. This is me Now on to my first
Discontent.

Users, Users EVERYWHERE!

Ironic title huh? Since I just introduced myself as an "advanced user".

As I stated in my introduction I tend to end up every one's "computer friend" so I end up the one everyone calls when they have frozen their computer, riddled it with viruses, or done something brilliant like completely re-install their OS not knowing what they are doing and it turns out all they needed to do was update a driver.

This last scenario is what I want to vent about. I have here in recent weeks become suddenly, though not truly unexpectedly, unemployed. It sucks here at Christmas, but what can you do right? Well the whole world suddenly thinks I am free for computer help at no charge because I have the free time... time I should be using to find a job. Anyway I digress. I have a fairly new "friend" that has latched on to me for many reasons, first off they are new to the area and don't know anyone, second our kids go to school and scouts together, so we end up in the same places often.

This new found friend learned quickly that I know more than they do about computers, no big deal, I'm used to that scenario. What bugs me though is the fact they know they have no clue beyond a facebook post how to actually USE a computer, much less maintain one, and their spouse is even more ignorant, I won't even go into what their kids don't know. SO I get a call one night, and my friend is in complete break down mode, frantic because of an error message about a driver, like the good "computer friend" I am I tried to decipher through the panic what the error was, sounded like a driver to me, I told them to calm down and that I couldn't do anything right then but I would be over the next morning to see what was going on. We agreed on a time, when I went over the next morning though I show up to a completely reformatted computer with few working drivers and a panicked friend because they thought they could "fix it" with their windows repair disk.

Begin banging head on table now... I sit down to no network drivers (and I forgot my laptop so I had no access to downloading one) no wireless drivers, and half hearted video drivers that had the screen skewed to a point that it was just barely readable. Thankfully I only live about five minutes away so going home to get my laptop and a network cable was no big deal beyond a mild aggravation. I run home, come back and try a little harder to understand WHAT this person has done and WHY? To no avail.

Long story short, after this reformat it took three days to get the machine back to where it was when they started... I think it is all fine and dandy, I've spent three days digging up drivers, downloading and testing drivers, re-installing software, and basically trying not to loose what shred of composure I had left. Thirty minutes after I get home from dropping the machine I get a call... "I'm getting that error again, do I need to reformat it again?"... of course I caved, got back in my car, and went to see what the problem was. "Wireless drivers missing" hmmmmm... didn't I just dig those up? Yes I did, for a Compaq... which was the right manufacturer... IF it were running on it's original manufacture software. I finally did what I should have the first day, I asked where the disk they used to reformat came from... "Oh a friend of mine gave it to me just before we moved? It's the right Windows isn't it, they said it was"... NOPE

Now as if I had good sense (and by this time I'm questioning that) I look at the system properties, strangely enough, the computer thinks it is a Dell Studio running on a dual core Celeron... blood on my forehead yet? No, but there is a slight dip in my desk now. Looked up drivers for a two year old Dell Studio wireless card and everything works like a charm. Weirdest thing I have seen so far... But hey if it works it works...

So I ask, why do people who know nothing, admit they know nothing, and call you for help, decide they can fix it themselves?? I would really like to know, is there some strange gratification in knowing that they can't do it?!!?? anyone with an answer please enlighten me. If not oh well... at this rate Carpei_noctum may seize more than the night.

Apologies and Views on Age and Tech

Please pardon me for my absence, the last few months have been... interesting, both wonderous, and much discontent, though not of the technical variety. I'm currently not working in IT, but hope to return soon. I've been meaning to write on a few issues. Do to time constraints these may be short and come in batches.

Item 1: Being a few thoughts on the tech field and how age is not a reliable indicator of ability.

With many professions, say carpentry, accounting, etc. it is usually the older people who have been doing it for years and years that have acquired the experience and know-how to best perform their work. The gray haired individual in the back can usually do more in their sleep than the kid just starting. I've found though in dealing with people I've met in the field, you can't really use the persons age as a litmus test of their abilities. I know of older gentlemen in the field that don't know their anus from a deep depression in the ground, and people half my age (I'm 33, if you're curious) that could send my ass back to school.

That is not to say however that tech is purely the domain of the young though. When I was dealing with telecommunications, I was schooled on bandwidth requirements by a woman whose voice would lead me to believe her pass-times were more sipping tea and crocheting... probably with a lot of cats in the house.

I've often said, two techs meeting is like two samurai sometimes. We tend to need to establish what the other person's knowledge is, and what level we will be able to talk to them on. One of the people I dealt with in a facility I serviced essentially refused to talk to me until I got him on the subject of Linux for a few minutes, after that he was like an entirely different person.

Crunched for time, so I'll probably be coming back to this at some point. Views, comments appreciated.

Item 2: List of Offenders
Myself, probably everyone at some point

Item 3: Suggested Course of Action:
Make no assumptions, neither undervalue or overvalue a persons abilities until you've talked with them a bit.