Aaaarrrrggggghhh!

[PAH]

One of the benefits of contracting away from 'home' is that I can just say I haven't got time whenever I pop round to the parents or friends who have problems with their computers. In truth I just can't be arsed.

If they aren't capable of sorting it out themselves, willing to look up solutions on the internet, or willing to pay someone to fix it for them, it's their own fault for having unreasonable expectations when they bought it in the first place.

Even my dad has grasped how to create restore points before installing anything, after me fobbing him off for the umpteenth time. I think he learnt it from Windows for Dummies, it certainly wasn't from me!

[Sausage Surprise]

Thing is, if you were a plumber or an electrician or some other tradesman, then invariably you would be offered payment for your work. These people look upon IT as some sort of "hobby" that you do and not your livelihood.

I point blank refuse with the excuse that even if you paid me, if it goes tits up again then I'll get the blame for that and I don't want it to affect a good friendship - seems to work.

[NotAllThere]

I only go near the problem if my wife says that I should. I'm usually quite happy to have a quick look, but if it is too old, and completely messed up, I'll just say - you need a new one. My neighbours are well aware that it's part of my business, my livelihood, and are smart enough not to take the mickey. Did get my conservatory designed for free, however, and a few crates of wine and whisky.

[gingerjedi]

I don't mind fixing the odd thing but what really hacks me off is going back to the same problem 6 months down the line because they didn't listen to my advise the first time or people just don't bother to learn and always say something like "oh you know what I'm like, I’m not very IT literate" well don't buy a fecking computer if you're not prepared to even feckin try.

Also people who don't bother to take basic precautions, I had to tell a mate and his wife that they'd lost all their photo's of their kids growing up despite me telling them how cheap and easy to use an external USB backup drive was only months earlier.

I'm planning on buy a job lot of 'Windows for Dummies' for Xmas pressies, even if they read it at least they'll get the message.

[xoggoth]

I used to get called in continually to fix PCs for a couple of people in the village, usuallly after their kids had installed some game. I got over the problem by completely screwing Windows up. Try that.

[HairyArsedBloke]

keep quiet at all costs.

Sage advice indeed.

However in my case I have to 'get a little man in' to fix things too. I'm not as techie as I was and I don't miss it one bit.

[Turion]

You can also say that when you have had a PC problem you always take it to the Tech Monkeys in PC World, for example. And they were very good and reasonably priced.

[Cyberman]

Issues like this can break apart families and friends. Best advise here is just to keep stum when someone mentions a PC problem. Even if it is a simple fix, keep quiet at all costs. Just say you don't know anything about PC's and that you do design specs all day....Because even a simple fix can turn into a nightmare from which friends turn into enemies, or at best a life long service commitment, the only way out of is re-location

[NickFitz]

http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/itdepartment/388b/

[Turion]

Issues like this can break apart families and friends. Best advise here is just to keep stum when someone mentions a PC problem. Even if it is a simple fix, keep quiet at all costs. Just say you don't know anything about PC's and that you do design specs all day....Because even a simple fix can turn into a nightmare from which friends turn into enemies, or at best a life long service commitment, the only way out of is re-location

[Sysman]

I long ago got out of that trap by saying I worked on mainframes and knew sweet nowt about PCs.

I used to detest working in someone else's home with them peering over my shoulder expecting to "learn something". That or getting messages relayed from their spouse to "hurry up, because we are supposed to be going out".

Nowadays I simply say that I only do Macs

The best advice I got here was from my doctor. His tack was to ask folks to make a surgery appointment if they wanted professional advice. There's probably some mileage in spinning the benefits of professional indemnity insurance here...

[Cyberman]

You have my sympathy as I have been there too !!!

[DiscoStu]

The worst thing about working in something related to IT is that whenever you go and visit someone, they always have some "computer problem" they want you to fix.

I've spent the last 4 hours re-installing Windows and hunting for drivers on an archaic old laptop so infested with porn-related crapware that it had ground to a complete halt. No doubt if I'd asked its owner for 4 hours free labour designing me an extension I'd have got some crap excuse.