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[methylatedspirit]

I've noticed that any time you mention that you know those kinds of things to people they automatically assume your the person to go to for that sort of thing, even if you have other stuff you need to be doing.

Tell me about it. My family asks me to fix this and that with their computers because they know I'm "good at computers". Fortunately, they're not incompetent, merely inexperienced, so I put up with it because I find the work challenging enough that it's rewarding, but not so much that I'm clueless. Sometimes it's a nebulous thing like "slow computer", but my standard advice there is "get an SSD".

I know I'm lucky, though. They listen when I say "I don't know that", and they try not to ask within that area again. I know most families aren't like that, and they assume people like me are just all-knowing technical wizards that know exactly what to do from vague descriptions of a problem (like "slow PC", as previously mentioned)

[voliol]

Didn’t you know humans automatically gain skills as they level up? In this case you clearly belong to a mech/tech-class, and thus should’ve gained those skills several levels ago.

[wierd]

Didn’t you know humans automatically gain skills as they level up? In this case you clearly belong to a mech/tech-class, and thus should’ve gained those skills several levels ago.

No, I am an inefficient multiclass build with levels in cleric, alchemist, and healer.  (In addition to mech and tech)

[Akura]

Same. Parents think I can help them do things with their phone. Except I've never used a smartphone, the phone I do use is a simple flip-phone that can make calls, text, take pictures/video, and (very slowly) load internet pages, because that's all I friggin' need.

Or when they hand me a password-protected laptop and expect me to help them bypass it when, given the previous owner of that laptop, it'd be safer to just wipe the hard drive.

[wierd]

Hilariously, I can actually satisfy BOTH of those modern circumstances, since I am a tech-head. (with inefficiently wasted skill levels spent on Mech, Cleric, Alchemist, and Healer)

My issue is that everyone wants me to fix their "Locked down tighter than a nun's panties" iPhone, which is 99% "Not possible without your password, which you have forgotten, so please dont ask me again-- No, this is because the enforcement is done at apple's servers, and NO, they do not have backdoors they can use to reset it. Dont bother asking them, the freaking FBI, CIA, NSA, and pals have been pestering them for that exact kind of service for nearly a decade now, and not gotten it."

But if it is Android, there are ways around it, and I know many of them-- and can successfully unlock a locked down phone about 50% of the time.

Windows passwords I can offline reset 100% of the time, since there is a handy tool for that. (Windows NT offlline password and registry editor.)  Just boot it, say "yes, blank the password", and that shit is yours.  Because this could be used for nefarious enterprises, I always demand that they prove to me that they are the rightful owner before I do that service though.  "My kids think they are so damn clever" I am totally down with-- but "I got this laptop through means I wont disclose, and it was locked, can you get me in? PRETTY PLZ!?" I am prone to say "no" to.

[Caz]

Yeah being the designated tech support is always 'fun'. I thought at least with the lockdown I'd be able to avoid it but I've still had a couple of phonecalls which are 100x more painful.

"It's still not working."
"Did you turn the pc on?"
"I think so."
"...Are the lights on? The blue ones."
"...No. Wait, yes."
"... Is the monitor on?"
"What?"
"The screen. Press the button."
"The screen just flashes. It's off again now."
"@_@"

Then I got her a new monitor and we had a similar fun conversation trying to get her to change the resolution since it automatically went to some weeeird ratio.

[methylatedspirit]

(Windows NT offlline password and registry editor.)

...and that's another thing to my multiboot USB/bootable diagnostics thumbdrive... (not that I've ever used this thing much, mind you, but it helps to be prepared)

[Caz]

Found that the smallest chicken has been entering the house via cat flap and laying eggs in a box I keep the chopped straw in >_> Home delivery service.

[Loud Whispers]

Found that the smallest chicken has been entering the house via cat flap and laying eggs in a box I keep the chopped straw in >_> Home delivery service.

[ a billion tech unicorns start breathing heavily ]

[wierd]

Found that the smallest chicken has been entering the house via cat flap and laying eggs in a box I keep the chopped straw in >_> Home delivery service.

[ a billion tech unicorns start breathing heavily ]

Coup-Loop, the in-home, 100% organic, and cruelty-free egg system!

[martinuzz]

I am NOT a mechanic!!  My brother? He is the motor-head, I am the tech-head.  I have just assisted and been a spare pair of hands for a lot of bullshit my parents did to their vehicles, since one of their boys was a motor-head, and they could abuse that fact.  As such, I have seen a lot of common engine problems, and what their symptoms are.

I am not qualified to actually fix these kinds of things, but I can direct a reasonable course of action with a proper mechanic. 


I just had that conversation with her, that there are limits to human cognition and ability to acquire and sustain skills.  She felt I was smart enough to gain being a mechanic as well. 


Jeebus H Christ on a pogostick.  Why me?

It's not a bad skill to gain though in a motorized world

[LordBaal]

Its insane people thinking you must know everything and how everything with a plug or a computer works just because you are in IT. Oh and every single program.

[Kagus]

Its insane people thinking you must know everything and how everything with a plug or a computer works just because you are in IT. Oh and every single program.

That, and the fact that you obviously must be able to fix it, remotely, when they are absolutely refusing to do any of the things you request of them in order to fix it.

[Lord Shonus]

Years ago, I was asked to remove a virus from my aunt's computer. Said "virus" was major ransomware on a computer she wouldn't allow me to format. This was early days, so there were ways to bypass it and get to Windows, but removing it wasn't trivial. Had to manually edit the registry, find and delete files buried in the Windows folder, stuff like that.


She was insistent on watching me "so I know how to do this next time" - and my response of "hell no, I ain't teaching you to break it worse" was not well received.

[LordBaal]

Still remember the tears of a mild importan user on the pasta factory over a rasomware. It went something like this:

I told her not to take the laptop home. She did.

Do not let your kids play with it. She did.

Told her to make back ups. She did not.

No, I wont pay some bitcoins to some random guy with vague promises of maybe restoring the files or handing over the decrypting key. Nor will I recomend the company to do so, no matter you are the glorified secretary of a higher manager.

Your files are gone. No, I wont be fired over this, I have writen proof of all the above and how this is all your responsability.

In the end, by pure luck her windowd had the file history thingey and some files were recovered with it.