The main problem with technophobes in general is they don't really bother to look for help before whinging that it is 'broken'.Littlee300 said:
SON!! I broke the computer!!
- Thread starter Eri
- Start date
Recommended Videos
That typing one as people said.
My computer breaks all the time, it'd be terrible if I wasn't good with it. If it's hardware problems my Dad can normally deal with that.
Also, I never use an AV. I suppose if you know what you are doing you hardly need one (especially if you use Linux).
My computer breaks all the time, it'd be terrible if I wasn't good with it. If it's hardware problems my Dad can normally deal with that.
Also, I never use an AV. I suppose if you know what you are doing you hardly need one (especially if you use Linux).
Im glad I don't have to deal with that. My parents are both pretty knowledgeable when it comes to not downloading random crap. My sister is the only one with tech problems and almost all of them deal with downloading games or uninstaling something (she only deletes the icons not the program).
all of these stories hit way too close to home and remind me of Mike Birbiglia's story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0wY4wIB5_4
For my own story (since most of the good ones are already taken):
A year or so ago I was dating this girl who just got a mac for school. Her dad told her that if she tried to install anything on it without him there it would break and she wouldn't be able to use it anymore. Granted, I don't use Macs ever, but I feel like there isn't a "ruin my computer" function put it in on purpose. I tried to explain it to her, but since I've only been using computers since I could reach the keyboard, I clearly didn't know what I was talking about. I inevitably just gave up because it wasn't worth the effort.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0wY4wIB5_4
For my own story (since most of the good ones are already taken):
A year or so ago I was dating this girl who just got a mac for school. Her dad told her that if she tried to install anything on it without him there it would break and she wouldn't be able to use it anymore. Granted, I don't use Macs ever, but I feel like there isn't a "ruin my computer" function put it in on purpose. I tried to explain it to her, but since I've only been using computers since I could reach the keyboard, I clearly didn't know what I was talking about. I inevitably just gave up because it wasn't worth the effort.
Pretty much everything that's been said here has happened to me. I've had to wipe our computer at least three times in the year we've had it.
oh, also my sister once upon a time found that her computer complained when it tried to update, which it did when it shut down.
Instead of telling someone about this she decided to forever-more shut down her laptop by holding down the power key, the equivalant of tucking your kid to bed by knocking it unconcious every night.
this eventually caused the poor neglected thing to enter the VISTA UPDATE LOOP OF DEATH!!!
which then had to be fixed by taking it to IT repair store.
I would have reformatted the thing but she didn't want to lose her files. (collection of virus')
I thought "too bad dipstick" but sister wants what sister gets.
Instead of telling someone about this she decided to forever-more shut down her laptop by holding down the power key, the equivalant of tucking your kid to bed by knocking it unconcious every night.
this eventually caused the poor neglected thing to enter the VISTA UPDATE LOOP OF DEATH!!!
which then had to be fixed by taking it to IT repair store.
I would have reformatted the thing but she didn't want to lose her files. (collection of virus')
I thought "too bad dipstick" but sister wants what sister gets.
I love helping my dad out 
He plays WoW though so he is not completely computer-stupid. He even installed a Tv program card thing so he can watch Football and all the other sportso my mom wont let him watch on the living room television XD
But there are still things like "driver updates" and that sorta thing I have to help him with.
He usually tries to figure out the problem himself.. using an hour or two.. then calls me. I come over.. 10 minutes later the problem is fixed.
But he is never annoyed or angry. Just thankful that I can help him.
Even though my kind of help is exactly what that flowchart described
He plays WoW though so he is not completely computer-stupid. He even installed a Tv program card thing so he can watch Football and all the other sportso my mom wont let him watch on the living room television XD
But there are still things like "driver updates" and that sorta thing I have to help him with.
He usually tries to figure out the problem himself.. using an hour or two.. then calls me. I come over.. 10 minutes later the problem is fixed.
But he is never annoyed or angry. Just thankful that I can help him.
Even though my kind of help is exactly what that flowchart described
I FORGOT MY DAD!!!
this guy is perhaps the most unduly confident person i'v ever met when it comes to computers (everything). i don't think he even understands the concept of a folder, the desktop is just a see of icons, bezel to bezel.
And he STILL talks like he knows shit!
this guy is perhaps the most unduly confident person i'v ever met when it comes to computers (everything). i don't think he even understands the concept of a folder, the desktop is just a see of icons, bezel to bezel.
And he STILL talks like he knows shit!
got a phone call a few weeks back;
Dad: I can't make the sound work on this video
Me: ok, what are you trying to watch it with?
Dad: the video.
Me: yes, the video, what programme?
Dad: stop getting so technical, tell me how to make the sound work!
Me [exasperated]: I can't tell you if you won't tell me what programme you're using..
Dad: you're so impatient! forget it!
Me: look, just tell me what you're trying to watch it with.. youtube, media player?
Dad: youtube! that's it!
Me: check the little speaker icon, if it has a cross through it, click it
Dad: erm.. erm... this is complicated... there it is! *labourious clicking sound* it works now! why couldn't you have explained it simply?!
Me: *hangs up*
Dad: I can't make the sound work on this video
Me: ok, what are you trying to watch it with?
Dad: the video.
Me: yes, the video, what programme?
Dad: stop getting so technical, tell me how to make the sound work!
Me [exasperated]: I can't tell you if you won't tell me what programme you're using..
Dad: you're so impatient! forget it!
Me: look, just tell me what you're trying to watch it with.. youtube, media player?
Dad: youtube! that's it!
Me: check the little speaker icon, if it has a cross through it, click it
Dad: erm.. erm... this is complicated... there it is! *labourious clicking sound* it works now! why couldn't you have explained it simply?!
Me: *hangs up*
My dad is good with computers,but I'm better than him now.My mother is something else entirely.
Her laptop has an ATI gpu,a particularly troublesome one that is.The drivers that came with it had a huge problem:a small hotkey program went haywire sometimes and used all the processing power the poor little Intel had to give.
When I asked my mother if this is the first time it happens,she said no,but since she had no idea what was happening,she just ignored it hoping it would fix itself.
Or my sister.Installs some obvious MSN messenger mal/spyware asking her to pay,not letting the computer do anything until she entered a credit card number.She asks my dad for help,who promptly reinstalls windows.First thing my sister does?Redownload MSN and the same malware bullshit.When I saw my dad in the evening and asked why he looked annoyed,he told me.I laughed and "accidently" unplugged the wifi connector on her computer.
Now,as a rule of thumb,I don't trust anyone who puts stickers on his/her LCD screen or has over 1 toolbar on IE while using it,and no other program.
Her laptop has an ATI gpu,a particularly troublesome one that is.The drivers that came with it had a huge problem:a small hotkey program went haywire sometimes and used all the processing power the poor little Intel had to give.
When I asked my mother if this is the first time it happens,she said no,but since she had no idea what was happening,she just ignored it hoping it would fix itself.
Or my sister.Installs some obvious MSN messenger mal/spyware asking her to pay,not letting the computer do anything until she entered a credit card number.She asks my dad for help,who promptly reinstalls windows.First thing my sister does?Redownload MSN and the same malware bullshit.When I saw my dad in the evening and asked why he looked annoyed,he told me.I laughed and "accidently" unplugged the wifi connector on her computer.
Now,as a rule of thumb,I don't trust anyone who puts stickers on his/her LCD screen or has over 1 toolbar on IE while using it,and no other program.
My mom got one of those "Forward this to tweny firends and win a free cell phone" spam e-mails. And she believed it, until I pointed out that there was no way for the people allegedly giving the stuff away to know what her adress was or even that she had forwarded the e-mail in the first place.
Yes, it does. WEP is the out-dated virus scanner of Wireless encryption. It's only slightly better than having nothing at all.Dexiro said:
The only reason that people still use WEP is because of devices on their network that don't support anything else (example: The Nintendo DS and DS lite).
Yeah. To be fair though, I've noticed that modern operating systems aren't nearly vocal enough about laptop batteries being close to death.child of lileth said:
I know you did, just felt like stating it again for empirical reasonsJiraiya72 said:
I'm glad I have a laptop which I keep clean, though its specs are sub-par for anything more than surfing the net or playing the simplest games. I need to get myself a computer.
That is hilarious...Chris^^ said:
Edit: and slightly sad
__________________________________
This forum makes me feel vulnerable because some of the problems i had to have other people fix because there so confusing ):
My biggest issue is having to explain to my dad how to find stuff on the internet. I've told him hundreds of times, "go to google, type in some key words, and look". He just doesn't understand that you can literally find anything you need by doing that.
Before she passed away my mom always used to get mad when I would turn and talk to her while still typing. She had to look at the keyboard to type, I don't even have to watch the screen most of the time.
Before she passed away my mom always used to get mad when I would turn and talk to her while still typing. She had to look at the keyboard to type, I don't even have to watch the screen most of the time.
I still type with my index fingers. I remember we had 2 hours of lessons in primary school, which wasn't adequate I have to say.Outright Villainy said:
However now that I have been typing like this for years I'm about as fast as a normal person who types properly, so I don't really care.