As a CS major, do I have an obligation to be an expert tech support?

[TommyVercetti]

CS = Computer Science, not Counter-Strike.

I have just had it with people throwing computer questions at me and expecting me to know the answer right there and then. I can't know everything, so I often hear "Aren't you like a CS major"! Come on, being a computer science major does not equal an expert in computer tech support. Sure I have a general interest in computers, but solving complex tech support problems without consulting the web is beyond me. I am sure there are some people who can do that, but not me. I can't even fix my own computer. My computer has been randomly rebooting for some reason

 

[her209]

Only if they pay you.

 

[Koing]

To answer your question no.

Your suppose to know how to programe, know programming structures, theory of computers, understanding of how the computer works and more.

But tech support no. Some guys do and I bet a lot of guys here do.

 

[Soybomb]

If you tell everyone you're a doctor expect them to ask you about their medical oddities. If you tell them you're a CS major expect computer questions. Silence is the best solution.

 

[Storm]

Tech Support no... You better know how to create efficient programs...

 

[GermyBoy]

No. Help them if they give you food, money or sexual favors (if they are chicks).

I've resorted to stacking 4 of my machines up in a corner in my room and hide it behind the supplied bed, which I don't use, because if people see them all, they instantly want to know what they are there for, if I have warez, why I have 5 computers total, etc.

WTF. Some people are so stupid.

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: GermyBoy
No. Help them if they give you food, money or sexual favors (if they are chicks).

I've resorted to stacking 4 of my machines up in a corner in my room and hide it behind the supplied bed, which I don't use, because if people see them all, they instantly want to know what they are there for, if I have warez, why I have 5 computers total, etc.

WTF. Some people are so stupid.

So why do you have 5 computers?

 

[Marshallj]

Originally posted by: TommyVercetti
CS = Computer Science, not Counter-Strike.

I have just had it with people throwing computer questions at me and expecting me to know the answer right there and then. I can't know everything, so I often hear "Aren't you like a CS major"! Come on, being a computer science major does not equal an expert in computer tech support. Sure I have a general interest in computers, but solving complex tech support problems without consulting the web is beyond me. I am sure there are some people who can do that, but not me. I can't even fix my own computer. My computer has been randomly rebooting for some reason

No offense, but it sounds like you are yet another member of the "me too!" flood of computer science wannabe's. You can't even fix your own PC?

I've been fixing my own PC's for the last 15 years, and provide tech support to my friends and family. That's what a real computer guy does.

 

[Storm]

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: GermyBoy
No. Help them if they give you food, money or sexual favors (if they are chicks).

I've resorted to stacking 4 of my machines up in a corner in my room and hide it behind the supplied bed, which I don't use, because if people see them all, they instantly want to know what they are there for, if I have warez, why I have 5 computers total, etc.

WTF. Some people are so stupid.

So why do you have 5 computers?

1 real comp... 4 "other" comps named: Jenna, Silvia, Devon, and Asia.

 

[GermyBoy]

Originally posted by: Marshallj

Originally posted by: TommyVercetti CS = Computer Science, not Counter-Strike. I have just had it with people throwing computer questions at me and expecting me to know the answer right there and then. I can't know everything, so I often hear "Aren't you like a CS major"! Come on, being a computer science major does not equal an expert in computer tech support. Sure I have a general interest in computers, but solving complex tech support problems without consulting the web is beyond me. I am sure there are some people who can do that, but not me. I can't even fix my own computer. My computer has been randomly rebooting for some reason

No offense, but it sounds like you are yet another member of the "me too!" flood of computer science wannabe's. You can't even fix your own PC? I've been fixing my own PC's for the last 15 years, and provide tech support to my friends and family.

Boy aren't you special. You called someone a wannabe.

 

[Marshallj]

Originally posted by: GermyBoy
.

Boy aren't you special. You called someone a wannabe.[/quote]


Special? No. Real? Yes.

Yes, I take pride in the fact that I'm not a bandwagon hopper.

 

[GermyBoy]

Originally posted by: Storm

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: GermyBoy No. Help them if they give you food, money or sexual favors (if they are chicks). I've resorted to stacking 4 of my machines up in a corner in my room and hide it behind the supplied bed, which I don't use, because if people see them all, they instantly want to know what they are there for, if I have warez, why I have 5 computers total, etc. WTF. Some people are so stupid.

So why do you have 5 computers?

1 real comp... 4 "other" comps named: Jenna, Silvia, Devon, and Asia.

Fine.

Main rig: Athlon 1800+ for gaming and doing things.
Main Server: P4 Xeon 2.0GHz for CS server, BF1942 server, video server for me/xbox.
Old Computer: K6-2 400, 448ram. Used mostly as my burning machine, network backups of the OS weekly. Yes, I'm paranoid.
Other people use this one, my computer is never touched: Dual P2 333. RH9/W2k dual boot. Brand new (to me).
Router: P133, 16MB RAM, rh71.

 

[Zugzwang152]

Originally posted by: Marshallj

Originally posted by: GermyBoy
.

Boy aren't you special. You called someone a wannabe.

Special? No. Real? Yes.

Yes, I take pride in the fact that I'm not a bandwagon hopper.[/quote]

We're impressed. Really. We are.

 

[cchen]

Originally posted by: Marshallj

Originally posted by: TommyVercetti
CS = Computer Science, not Counter-Strike.

I have just had it with people throwing computer questions at me and expecting me to know the answer right there and then. I can't know everything, so I often hear "Aren't you like a CS major"! Come on, being a computer science major does not equal an expert in computer tech support. Sure I have a general interest in computers, but solving complex tech support problems without consulting the web is beyond me. I am sure there are some people who can do that, but not me. I can't even fix my own computer. My computer has been randomly rebooting for some reason

No offense, but it sounds like you are yet another member of the "me too!" flood of computer science wannabe's. You can't even fix your own PC?

I've been fixing my own PC's for the last 15 years, and provide tech support to my friends and family. That's what a real computer guy does.

Uhm... Does majoring in CS mean that you're a real computer guy? Theoretical CS at its core doesn't even have to deal with computers... it's ALL math.

 

[TommyVercetti]

Originally posted by: Marshallj

Originally posted by: TommyVercetti CS = Computer Science, not Counter-Strike. I have just had it with people throwing computer questions at me and expecting me to know the answer right there and then. I can't know everything, so I often hear "Aren't you like a CS major"! Come on, being a computer science major does not equal an expert in computer tech support. Sure I have a general interest in computers, but solving complex tech support problems without consulting the web is beyond me. I am sure there are some people who can do that, but not me. I can't even fix my own computer. My computer has been randomly rebooting for some reason

No offense, but it sounds like you are yet another member of the "me too!" flood of computer science wannabe's. You can't even fix your own PC? I've been fixing my own PC's for the last 15 years, and provide tech support to my friends and family. That's what a real computer guy does.

Computer Science does not equal "Real computer guys".

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: TommyVercetti

Originally posted by: Marshallj

Originally posted by: TommyVercetti CS = Computer Science, not Counter-Strike. I have just had it with people throwing computer questions at me and expecting me to know the answer right there and then. I can't know everything, so I often hear "Aren't you like a CS major"! Come on, being a computer science major does not equal an expert in computer tech support. Sure I have a general interest in computers, but solving complex tech support problems without consulting the web is beyond me. I am sure there are some people who can do that, but not me. I can't even fix my own computer. My computer has been randomly rebooting for some reason

No offense, but it sounds like you are yet another member of the "me too!" flood of computer science wannabe's. You can't even fix your own PC? I've been fixing my own PC's for the last 15 years, and provide tech support to my friends and family. That's what a real computer guy does.

Computer Science does not equal "Real computer guys".

Exactly, you wanna do trouble shooting and repair, go into IT/IS or something like that. CS at its heart has very little to do with whether or not you know why Windows files suddenly became corrupt or why you're having driver conflicts with the video card you just installed.

 

[yoda291]

Originally posted by: GermyBoy

Originally posted by: Storm

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: GermyBoy No. Help them if they give you food, money or sexual favors (if they are chicks). I've resorted to stacking 4 of my machines up in a corner in my room and hide it behind the supplied bed, which I don't use, because if people see them all, they instantly want to know what they are there for, if I have warez, why I have 5 computers total, etc. WTF. Some people are so stupid.

So why do you have 5 computers?

1 real comp... 4 "other" comps named: Jenna, Silvia, Devon, and Asia.

Fine.

Main rig: Athlon 1800+ for gaming and doing things.
Main Server: P4 Xeon 2.0GHz for CS server, BF1942 server, video server for me/xbox.
Old Computer: K6-2 400, 448ram. Used mostly as my burning machine, network backups of the OS weekly. Yes, I'm paranoid.
Other people use this one, my computer is never touched: Dual P2 333. RH9/W2k dual boot. Brand new (to me).
Router: P133, 16MB RAM, rh71.

I think he means 1 actual work computer and 4 machines named after the porn collections they serve out.

 

[GermyBoy]

Originally posted by: yoda291

Originally posted by: GermyBoy

Originally posted by: Storm

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: GermyBoy No. Help them if they give you food, money or sexual favors (if they are chicks). I've resorted to stacking 4 of my machines up in a corner in my room and hide it behind the supplied bed, which I don't use, because if people see them all, they instantly want to know what they are there for, if I have warez, why I have 5 computers total, etc. WTF. Some people are so stupid.

So why do you have 5 computers?

1 real comp... 4 "other" comps named: Jenna, Silvia, Devon, and Asia.

Fine. Main rig: Athlon 1800+ for gaming and doing things. Main Server: P4 Xeon 2.0GHz for CS server, BF1942 server, video server for me/xbox. Old Computer: K6-2 400, 448ram. Used mostly as my burning machine, network backups of the OS weekly. Yes, I'm paranoid. Other people use this one, my computer is never touched: Dual P2 333. RH9/W2k dual boot. Brand new (to me). Router: P133, 16MB RAM, rh71.

I think he means 1 actual work computer and 4 machines named after the porn collections they serve out.

Didn't catch that. Now we know my porn vocabulary is lacking.

 

[Storm]

Given the slump IT is in, it certainly helps to know more...

 

[Spamela]

Originally posted by: TommyVercetti
CS = Computer Science, not Counter-Strike.

I have just had it with people throwing computer questions at me and expecting me to know the answer right there and then. I can't know everything, so I often hear "Aren't you like a CS major"! Come on, being a computer science major does not equal an expert in computer tech support. Sure I have a general interest in computers, but solving complex tech support problems without consulting the web is beyond me. I am sure there are some people who can do that, but not me. I can't even fix my own computer. My computer has been randomly rebooting for some reason

you'd better learn tech support, 'cause your family will expect to get something for their tuition money.
(and no, you can't charge them for it, based on my experience).

 

[Marshallj]

Sorry, maybe I was too hard on the guy.

 

[Koing]

Router: P133, 16MB RAM, rh71.

wtf? Don't we have a poster called rh71? Didn't know he was part of a Router!

 

[amnesiac]

I know three CS majors who couldn't troubleshoot their own ass, much less a PC.

Just because one knows how to code doesn't make them a computer whiz.

 

[apoppin]

Let's get to the meat of your question:

do I have an obligation to be an expert tech support?

The answer is NO, no obligation whatsoever.

If you feel unconfortable fielding questions, just reply "I am training to be a specialist, not a repair man."

EDIT: HOWEVER, you may find it to your ADVANTAGE to learn tech support as a way to make "extra" bucks from those tech questioners while you are still in school.

(not to mention downtime while waiting for someone else to fix YOUR computer)

 

[Spamela]

Originally posted by: amnesiac
I know three CS majors who couldn't troubleshoot their own ass, much less a PC.

Just because one knows how to code doesn't make them a computer whiz.

true, but, as bad as this sounds, it's an inefficient use of their time (family obligations excepted).