.

[Ns1]

Try again. I never minimized anything... I said fixing a network takes a helluva lot longer than listening to a kid's chest. That's a fact. If you don't like it, conjure up a better analogy next time.

To be fair, I have fixed more than one wireless network in < 5 minutes.

 

[airdata]

Awesome post...

While I could never dream of charging family members money for computer help... There are those nagging co-workers who want to ask me about anything and everything while not knowing anything about what they're talking about... " Why is my computer running so slow?" gee... I have no idea what kind of computer you have or how old it is, or how much crapware you have installed on it...

I really should print out some business cards just for those special occasions when people approach me about fixing their stuff. Otherwise they can goto bestbuy or something and pay 300-500% more.

 

[bfdd]

While I do hate doing it too and try to avoid all situations like this, I do help people for free. They generally return the favor some how.

 

[God Mode]

Yep. Paying for computer help or repairs would seem ridiculous to a lot of people on tech forums but a very large amount of people out there are completely tech dumb. You can give them all of googles knowledge and books in the world that shows step by step instructions on how to fix it but they still won't/refuse to waste "their time" to understand it.

All the geeks kindly helping out for free has done nothing but make the common user look at computer related things as an "easy hobby thing" that should be done for free or a handful of peanuts.

 

[Turin39789]

meh. I've only been in the new neighborhood for a little less than a year so far. Only been able to help the guy across the street change a tire and helped the next door neighbor dig a hole and plant a tree. Guy two doors down sounds like he needs spyware removed from his computer, waiting for him to come and knock so I can help him.

 

[God Mode]

meh. I've only been in the new neighborhood for a little less than a year so far. Only been able to help the guy across the street change a tire and helped the next door neighbor dig a hole and plant a tree. Guy two doors down sounds like he needs spyware removed from his computer, waiting for him to come and knock so I can help him.

The problem is that often, those neighbors think anything that breaks or has problems down the line is your fault and you're obligated to fix it for free at their convenience. There is no logic and it doesn't matter to tech ignorant people if what you previously fixed is totally unrelated to whatever the new problem is. It's all connected to a giant tube.

 

[MotF Bane]

My Ford-owning friends soon learned not to ask..."My wrenches don't fit Fords."

When we bought the 2005 Expedition...I told my wife I had to buy new wrenches. :biggrin:

Yes, I finally had to crack down and start refusing to fix other peoples' cars. Some close friends...always available, but casual acquaintances...nope.

I still refuse to loan tools to anyone. Quality tools are too expensive.

:lol:

At least your Ford-owning friends were dumb as rocks.

 

[rasczak]

Heh, no offense to my friends daughter, but he's kind of fugly and she takes after him.

but still, you can't deny that you let her "mow your lawn" :biggrin:

 

[Wyndru]

"Yeah... that's what they tell me..."

Big mistake. Never admit you know anything about computers, unless the person has a skill you are interested in trading for.

 

[Wyndru]

To be fair, I have fixed more than one wireless network in < 5 minutes.

This. Last night I set one up for a friend and it took me 15 minutes to set up the router, set the security and get 3 laptops on it.

In exchange he gets to change my front brakes for just the cost of the parts this weekend. :awe:

 

[amdhunter]

How hot is his wife? You really missed an opportunity there brah.

 

[Juddog]

In general, the world doesn't reward honest/good people.

Oh and you aren't being nice either, a nice guy would have done it for free, after all it's your neighbor!

You're just being more political about it, looking nice while not actually being nice. But again, I think you're doing it the way society rewards people. In that sense, it's the "right" thing to do.

Most geeks are far too honest to understand this. Hell, I would have gone the route the OP took.

^^ This - pretending like you're helping when you're not, in order to be politically correct, is just wasting time IMHO.

 

[Squisher]

I definitely have had people try to take advantage of me regarding computers, but it is only when they do, that I tell them that they are. If you don't have time, you don't have time, but if you refuse to do someone a favor because they might take advantage of you later on then that is an admission to yourself that you don't have the cajones to tell people they have overstepped the line.

I've had plenty of neighbors help me out and I'd do the same for them.

 

[SR1729]

...

 

[SR1729]

...

 

[LtPage1]

The difference is this: mechanic, attorney, physician and carpenter are seen as professions by the general public.

Fixing home computer stuff is seen as a hobby.

So if someone has a neighbor who is a mechanic but is also into gardening, they feel comfortable asking him gardening questions even when they wouldn't expect him to fix their car for free. They don't see gardening, or fixing home computer stuff, as a job.

Bingo. OP, you did the right thing.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

wrong move new guy... there's better ways of turning someone down like that when you're the new guy in the 'hood.

 

[SR1729]

...

 

[holden j caufield]

So I've got a friend who makes a good living playing online poker, but if we're out and someone asks him what he does he used to tell the truth but got all these stupid questions about how much money he made, biggest wins/loses, is it rigged, tips, what hud/tracking program he uses, his usernames so they can look him up etc. Now he has this canned memorized response about being an analyst and managing risks etc. And it's not even a lie but it's great because he doesn't have to carry on a stupid convo.

What's the equivalent canned response for someone in the computer field that won't draw anymore questions. I've helped people for free before but they keep coming back and even 3 years later if something goes wrong they think what I did many moons ago is the cause.

I've tried to say I'm a programmer but have actually many who are and once they start talking more I've got to admit to them I was BSing them.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

You can give them all of googles knowledge and books in the world that shows step by step instructions on how to fix it but they still won't/refuse to waste "their time" to understand it.

That is the truth. I had a friend that I built a computer for, and it was actually a pretty painless experience and she never really bothered me with questions.

Fast forward a few years, and this friend mentions that she wants a web site. I know where this is going so I kind of ignore the request. Fast forward a year or two later, and she contacts me and says "Hey I signed up for this web provider but I'm confused on how to make a site and if you help me, I'll make you a free dinner." I HATE building web sites -- I like architecting the underlying infrastructure, but I hate making content and keeping it current.

Anyway, I generally ignored her or told her things like "Just get on your provider's site, as they have to have instructions." After more nagging, I finally said "OK, give me the name of the provider, the address, and the credentials and I will take a look." I logged in and they had documents with STEP BY STEP, ILLUSTRATED INSTRUCTIONS with ACTUAL SCREENSHOTS on how to connect and build a site with stuff like Frontpage (which she had). I downloaded the document, attached it to an email, and said "Here, follow these and you will have no trouble."

I got an email from her a couple months later. "I'm confused about these instructions and need your help." I deleted the email and ignored the request. Seriously, a 12 year-old kid could build a site with those instructions. It wasn't that she was dumb; she was just too lazy to read the damn thing and just wanted me to do it for her. That is the type of person I don't like to help -- the ones who make zero effort at finding a solution or reading documentation.

For that matter, I was also the same way with help desk associates. If they came to me with questions on how to fix something and couldn't outline the troubleshooting steps they had taken that yielded no results, I would tell them to pull up Google and not to bother me until they had thoroughly exhausted all possible solutions and I expected a list of actions they tried.

 

[irishScott]

The problem with their particular situation is that there's a work router and work VPN involved, along with two freaking iPhones. It's not your typical "we have a wireless router and a laptop that aren't talking to each other" situation... it's a bit of a cluster. The quickest approach to fixing it - ASSUMING I have documentation on VPN settings and acocunts (yeah right) - is to reset everything and rebuild from scratch. If everything goes smoothly you're still talking 2 hours or so. Realistically, we're probably talking 3 or 4 hours.

And then theres this:



The bloody fucking truth if I've ever heard it.

There's another downside to helping out, too: you're seen as the neighborhood "computer guy" rather than an equal/friend. Fuck that.

Then tell them how complicated/time consuming it is and that you have work/family obligations or something. Or hell from the sound of it just say you simply don't have the required documentation and can't fix the thing. It's the truth no?

As for the responsibility bit, I'd instruct them how to maintain it and make it clear that if they don't it's going to stop working and it won't be my fault. I've found changing a car's oil to be a good analogy for the technologically illiterate (usually when convincing them to defrag/run CCleaner once a month).

Not sure about the "Computer Guy" bit. If you can turn/mix the trips into a social call (especially if they offer you dinner or something) it could actually be a good way to ingratiate yourself with the community. People will like you. Usually not a bad thing. Hell I originally got on my GF's dad's good side by giving his computer a tune-up, now I'm pretty much welcome to stop by whenever I like.

Just my 2 cents. *shrug*

 

[RagingBITCH]

Well one thing's for sure - you're never getting invited over for poker and beer with the guys.

 

[Slew Foot]

Congrats, one day in and you're already the asshole neighbor.

 

[Wyndru]

Yeah, but toss in a work router + VPN and things can get sticky right quick... then when she can't work, guess who she calls...

Not that configuring and troubleshooting vpns are too difficult, but if it is a work vpn, why doesn't she call her IT? When I worked from home, every time there was an issue it was on my IT depts. end, something with the VPN server not responding, or some authentication errors, not my connection.

Not to mention, I don't know if I would want to start messing with her employer's property. That could get messy in a hurry.

[EDIT] Sorry, I misread your original post, I thought she had problems with the work VPN, when you actually stated that you are worried that she may come back to you after you work on her network if she does.

 

[BornStar]

I was in IT for a while and my wife is a doctor and only one of our neighbors knows what we do. Also, you're incorrect in your assertion that nobody bothers doctors or lawyers for free advice and you'll find that they both do a lot of work for no compensation. Now, when it comes to procedures friends won't bother doctors about doing it for free but I think that's more because it's personal, not because they think it's inappropriate.