Related
Recommended

Writing Challenge Day 26: Adventures in Home Tech Support

HerrDoktor
1 minute read time

There came a time when a decree went out from Caesar Augustus parents to their children to return to their own city to be registered fix all the IT problems.

We’re right in the middle of Christmas festivities, and any other year most of us would be enjoying our free time and the company of loved ones. Having great food, great conversations, singing, and laughing together.

If you’re like myself and you don’t feel the urge to hang out around your extended family for too long over the Christmas holidays, you might have found ways to have “alone time.” This season with my family would usually be a big party. Many cousins, uncles and aunts, grandparents, and friends gathering at my parent’s house to celebrate together. The festivities were sometimes going on for 3 – 5 days with relatives “changing the guest beds,” which was clearly too much for me. Don’t get me wrong I really love my relatives and I enjoy having time with them together, but not as long as they would.

I found if I offer IT help for them, I could go to my old apartment and “do my stuff” without being called a Grinch. I remember one year where I was fixing three computers and cleaning up software from two mobile phones for my relatives.

This has become a habit and I think I’ll deeply miss it this year. However, my relatives have discovered remote support tools and video conferencing with me this year, so I guess (hope) there will be some remote calls and remote support sessions coming up over the next weeks.

And let’s face it, us IT folks like showing off our “superpowers” and we also have the urge to fix stuff. Even though I roll my eyes when my dad calls me, asking for help with some of his “PC problems,” I really enjoy giving him advice, as he gave me advice when I grew up.

I hope you’re all safe out there, enjoy the festivities and have a great start into 2021.

  • the "inner circle" of course get's "all year 'round support", the extended family (cousins, Uncles, etc)relies on the festivities and now on remote support capabilites.

  • I regularly do tech support for my mom - and I share that responsibility with my brother - and my son. Otherwise, I get the odd question from my dad or my sister, but not much. When I worked at a start-up (before there was in-office tech support) any time one of us engineers stepped into the office we were bombarded with tech support requests from those in sales and administrative roles. That caused me to avoid the office more than once just because I knew I wouldn't get things done that I needed to. I am lucky that my brother also works in IT, so I am not the only one called upon to support. I will say that it has never been confined to holiday times, and goes all year. My absolute favorite time that I was called for help though is when my mom got a new I-pad for Christmas a few years ago and called me in a panic to get her Wi-Fi password. I got a good chuckle out of that whole situation, but I did help. 

  • I have an endless amount of questions from my folks.  Visits to them turn into hours of "fixing" things and showing them how to do things.  Dad takes notes but can never follow them later.  I look forward to the day when I can be like them and have some one roll their eyes at me while they help me out!  

  • Right now, the only other person living with me is my wife. Do I get plenty of IT questions from her? Yup. Phone not working? Cannot find a printer? WiFi down? Laptop keyboard has a key or two not working? I get the "call." There was one fellow who used to ask people in my peer group to install and upgrade things on his computers. Several of us would do it occasionally, even though we figured he (the fellow had a chemistry degree and I think multiple graduate degrees) could do it on his own. When he tried to be too demanding, we cut him off. We later found out he could at least use USB media to transfer photos and videos, but that story could lead to discussing some illegal activity for which he went to jail, so we'll just stop here.

  • For me it is not just the holidays, I always get the random text messages.   I still get them from former employers even.   I love to talk tech.   I have helped and offer to help people with issues, in and out of work.  Little did I know that meant a life sentence, but when it's something you love, it's no big deal.  most recently it was how do i read a HD that was in a Windows ME machine.   First I have to admit, I was surprised it had lasted this long, then amazed anyone would still admit to having one.   Then my helpful side came out and I explained the better part of removing the HD and using a USB reader to pull files from it.   and all was right in the world.   

Thwack - Symbolize TM, R, and C

SolarWinds solutions are rooted in our deep connection to our user base in the THWACK® online community. More than 195,000 members are here to solve problems, share technology and best practices, and directly contribute to our product development process.

SolarWinds Customer Success Center Certification Media Vault Link Accounts
About THWACK Blogs For Government Edit Settings Free Tools & Trials
Legal Documents Terms of Use Privacy California Privacy Rights Security Information
©2024 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All Rights Reserved.