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May. 2nd, 2005 10:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
plonqI spent more than a few hours yesterday helping some folks to set up a network in their basement. Part of the process involved scanning both machines for malware and updating their various scanners for the same. I found about 300 things on the computer that I was handling, but the vast majority was cookies, and the rest was just residue from some nasty software I had removed about 18 months ago. While I was at it I also installed Firefox and showed him how to set it up and use it. He was pretty pleased with what he saw, and I suspect it may become his browser of preference.
I don't mind spending a bit of extra time helping out people like this couple. They're some of those rare people who, when asking for computer advice, will actually listen to it and act on it.
Here's a scenario that I hear WAY too often.
"Plonq, help! Whenever I fire up my computer the monitor begins to spin around and spew out black vomit!"
"Hm, that sounds like it's picked up some malware. Odd. I had it locked down pretty good. Have you been keeping the virus scanner up to date?"
"I removed the firewall and virus scanner because another friend said that it caused my mouse pointer to slow down."
"Ack!"
I've started becoming a bit anal with repeat customers. Usually they have to come back for help again because they've ignored some, or all of the advice that I've given them and have found themselves with a machine that boots to a blue screen (or worse). After the second time I've had to bail them out, I'll start playing dumb. "Sorry, I have no idea what's wrong this time. You're going to have to take it to the shop."
And then later when they get indignant and say something like, "I took it in and they charged me $100 and all it needed was to be scanned for viruses and have the virus scanner updated! You could have done that!" I'll reply, "Well, I figured it must be something else, because that's what I did the first two times you brought it to me and it didn't seem to fix the problem."
I don't mind spending a bit of extra time helping out people like this couple. They're some of those rare people who, when asking for computer advice, will actually listen to it and act on it.
Here's a scenario that I hear WAY too often.
"Plonq, help! Whenever I fire up my computer the monitor begins to spin around and spew out black vomit!"
"Hm, that sounds like it's picked up some malware. Odd. I had it locked down pretty good. Have you been keeping the virus scanner up to date?"
"I removed the firewall and virus scanner because another friend said that it caused my mouse pointer to slow down."
"Ack!"
I've started becoming a bit anal with repeat customers. Usually they have to come back for help again because they've ignored some, or all of the advice that I've given them and have found themselves with a machine that boots to a blue screen (or worse). After the second time I've had to bail them out, I'll start playing dumb. "Sorry, I have no idea what's wrong this time. You're going to have to take it to the shop."
And then later when they get indignant and say something like, "I took it in and they charged me $100 and all it needed was to be scanned for viruses and have the virus scanner updated! You could have done that!" I'll reply, "Well, I figured it must be something else, because that's what I did the first two times you brought it to me and it didn't seem to fix the problem."
