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[RedKing]

Good, relevant advice from The Oatmeal.

[Vector]

Hurm... I get this sometimes, but the worst thing for me is being mocked if I can't do something.  Like I'll make a computational error and it will always be "Oh, I thought you were supposed to be good at math!" or I'll be struggling with a music stand and they'll say "What made you think you could become an engineer?"

And then, if I end up coming up with a skillful solution, they just look at me funny >_>

[eerr]

That means they're jealous of you.

Gotta ask why they think, they can't do it.

-if necessary, tell them they are absurd.

[Eagleon]

It's not restricted to families. We have a customer at our cafe that keeps asking me for help with his laptop, even during weekends when we have lines back to the newsstand. All because I helped him figure out that one of his USB ports was shoddy. Honestly, if you can't figure out how to set up a screensaver, you probably don't know safe places to download them from.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

I generally go with the classic response of "No." in these types of situations, followed by the far more enjoyable respose of "No, now fuck off." in the event they persist. If that doesn't work I generally just go somewhere else/force them to leave my room through application of force (depends on where I am, obviously).

[ed boy]

Good, relevant advice from The Oatmeal.

Obligatory link

[Blargityblarg]

I get this from my dad; the man's had a computer longer than he's had me, and he only recently learned (i.e. I told him) that the Task Manager exists. It's terrifying how he's incapable of even navigating a webpage (Halp I can't get to my eBay items can you give me a step by step guide?); even facebook (It's all jargon!)

Of course, it's not just computers I get asked about; he also asks me to proofread his writing, which goes from fairly lucid to rambling; this is his site.

Thankfully, he hired a professional to set that up, though I have been called in to help him navigate wordpress (Halp how do I make pictures?)

Also he does offer me money for my help, though I haven't actually taken him up on it as yet.

[Makbeth]

They assume you're just lazy when you say you don't know about a topic?

1) That makes me a lot more grateful for my own family/friends

2) I think you should point out their own laziness in not doing it themselves, learning about it, or paying for it.

My family knows I do graphics, and that I can build a computer and sometimes fix them.  While I'm happy to spend an hour or so on some little thing, they know that multiple things in rapid succession, or a big thing, will cost them.  I think you have to act right at the outset to make sure they understand that this stuff is time-consuming, is rarely cheap, and that you are too busy to do a lot of work for free.  Of course, they have to respect you and your time first, and though I'm sorry to say it, your description makes it sound like they don't.  I don't think you should worry too much about how they feel.  From the sound of your post, they don't worry too much about how you feel.

[Moogie]

They assume you're just lazy when you say you don't know about a topic?

It's more that they know so little about the subject that they automatically assume I must know, because "I do computer stuff". Have you tried explaining to someone who can barely use a web browser the intricacies of building a website, hosting it, setting up nameservers, etc? They just give you this blank, empty stare... So you fall back to "Look, it's just... really complicated and hard, okay?" and at that point the cogs in their brain start moving again, but all they've heard you say is "Blah blah blah, I'm too busy to do this really easy thing for you".

That Oatmeal comic sums it up perfectly.

Another topic that comes up quite frequently is why old games tend to crash more often, or simply don't work on newer OSs. Dad's trail of thought is that all this fancy shmancy new technology should be far better at doing everything, but things like 64x/86x architecture, hardware compatability and drivers are completely alien concepts to him. His self-assured conclusion is that computers these days are just unreliable and overly complicated. It also shocks him that he can't sell 10-year old hardware and old CRT monitors for more than a few £.

[Siquo]

I even got it from my GF once:
"Which button do I press to do somethingsomething X in applicationyouneverused Y?"
Me: "Dunno."
She, clearly irritated: "Look, if you don't want to help me just say so, ok?", As if I was merely pretending not to know. 

Then I gave her the XKCD Tech Support Cheat Sheet. That helped a bit.
http://xkcd.com/627/

[Mindmaker]

Yeah I know that feeling 
Just because I went to a 'Higher Technical School', I'm supposed to know everything.
Too bad I pretty much failed at all technical subjects 

[Phmcw]

Meh, I don't understand your stance guys. when someone need My help I'm all

"I'm the computer WIZARD and I saved your computer from the virus OF DOOM.
Now your first-born son is mine and you're my slave for all eternity."

Sadly, no one ask me for tech support anymore  .

Seriously, even if I don't ask to get paid, I will ask for a favour in return.
 

[DJ]

I just give them the old "I don't have the time right now, I'll get back to you in a couple of days". They usually give up within a week.

[Ancre]

Then I gave her the XKCD Tech Support Cheat Sheet. That helped a bit.
http://xkcd.com/627/

Hahaha I searched all over for this thing ! This is exactly the way I became the local tech wizard even if I barely know a thing about computers.

[Korbac]

Hurm... I get this sometimes, but the worst thing for me is being mocked if I can't do something.  Like I'll make a computational error and it will always be "Oh, I thought you were supposed to be good at math!" or I'll be struggling with a music stand and they'll say "What made you think you could become an engineer?"

And then, if I end up coming up with a skillful solution, they just look at me funny >_>

Well, those people must expect you to be God Incarnate. Either that or they're just trying to cover up their own lack of abilities by targetting yours