Why old people don't need a computer

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Geekbabe

Moderator Emeritus<br>Elite Member
Oct 16, 1999
32,229
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www.theshoppinqueen.com


<<

<< LISTEN when I tell them things instead of arguing with me because they read one article in PC magazine like some younger clients >>



I love it!!!
I cant wait until Bill Gates turns 60 or so and his brains turn into pig dung.
Bleep
>>




LOL,you're preaching to the choir here, give me an older person as a client instead of some hotheaded script kiddie wanna be with more money than common sense
 

Jfur

Diamond Member
Jul 9, 2001
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<<

So not everyone over 50 is a tech idiot :)
>>



It's a common and mistaken belief that older people cannot use computers as well as younger ones. I've met just as many younger people that don't know or care how to...
 

no0b

Diamond Member
Jul 23, 2001
3,804
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Bleep, no wonder you are a golden member ;)

yea a cheap shot but aren't they all.
 

C'DaleRider

Guest
Jan 13, 2000
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<< ....give me an older person as a client instead of some hotheaded script kiddie wanna be with more money than common sense... >>



Isn't that the truth baff..............seems the kids here abouts seem to forget they, too, will be the object of someone's scorn in a few decades. Strange how the kiddies around here preach tolerance except when such tolerance has to be practiced by themselves.

 

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
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<< Seems like kind of "narrow thinking".....................I've sold MANY systems to "Senior Citizens" through my business and I love it! They may need more "teaching" initially, but, they call as soon as something goes wrong instead of attempting to fix it themselves and never quibble about the charges! Send all of them in MO my way..........I'll gladly take care of them!:) >>




I don't think you guys understand...I work on a toll free help line, and am paid salary. I get paid the same if Joe can't configure his router as I do if granny calls up and can't get to www.yahoo.CORN (<---got that one last week). I'm a second level support router specialist, but sometime the que fills up and I get some of the first level calls. I'm always polite and make them feel like they're doing a good job, but it gets frustraiting as hell! Here's an example:

Geezer: "Why is it so hard to find web sites I want to go to?"
Me: "You can find places you want to go by going to a search engine, or if you know the address, you can just type that in and go directly to the site."
Geezer: "OK...let me try it. Where do I type it in?"
Me: "In the address window at the top of the screen."
Geezer: "OK...I moved the little arrow up there, and it turned into a line, but I still can't type."
Me: "you have to click inside the address window to put the cursor in there"
Geezer: "OK...I clicked and the whole thing disappeared."
Me: "Excuse me?"
G: "The whole address area is gone...so are all my buttons"
M: "OK...I think you dragged the toolbar off the screenm we'll have to drag it back down"
G: "How do you do that?"

The guy can't click and I have to explain how to put the cursor in just the right place and drag the toolbar down and so on. After 5 minutes of that, he explains that everytime he types in an address, it goes to Yahoo. I found that after typing the address, he clicked the Search button. I spent 20 minutes with this guy that had no idea what he was doing....he had no problems, he just needed training. Meanwhile, a T1 customer is having static route problems and had to wait on hold the whole time. AAARRGGGHHH!!!!!
 

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
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<< Hehe I love threads like this! Old people should not drive----->Old people should not have a computer-------Old people are just a dredge on society.
What age group is on this forum and many other's trying to get help with the simplest problems with there confusers. What age group work at places like CompUSA that dont know which end to wipe after they take a bathroom break. Or the Idiots that work for Radio Shack that could not change a battery in a flashlight.
How about the posts that claim that AOL users are losers or stupid. Move to a city where AOL is all there is and right away your brains turn to mush.
How about the post that the dad is in his 50's and actually knows something, my gawd I cant believe someone over 50 can actually know anything or learn anything for that matter.
I never had my own real computer until 6 years ago. Since then I have built over 30 machines, I have learned C ++. Built and configured several servers. Pretty good at networking, In the last 2 months I have became a little proficient with PHP. Just thought I would toss this in for good measure. I do all the tech support for my kids and my (gasp) grand kids.

Born in 1934
Bleep
>>



Again...I'm going to try to make this clear: I don't care if you're elderly and have a PC. If you know how to use it, fine. That's great! More power to you. If your elderly and have a problem setting your digital clock, PLEASE DO NOT LET YOUR KIDS GET YOU A COMPUTER AND EXPECT TECH SUPPORT TO TEACH YOU HOW TO USE IT.

All done :)
 

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
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<< Act like you cant hear them. Or tell them they are too loud. one of the two. >>



Ha! Or begin a sentance and hang up in the middle like you were disconnected...that works too heheheheheh
 

Evadman

Administrator Emeritus<br>Elite Member
Feb 18, 2001
30,990
5
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I must agree with Fritzo. Some people just should not be let near technology. Computers + morons = bad. I have many anecdotes, but I will not use them as there are enough here already, and some are too stupid to be believed.

But I agree. Some people ( not just old ones, but those tend to be the worst because they did not grow up with it ) should not be let near a coffie maker let alone a computer.
 

ultimatebob

Lifer
Jul 1, 2001
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The biggest problem with people over 70 is that they often forget the instructions that you tell them. I know that I have a grandfather that opens odd e-mail attachments from strangers all the time, no matter HOW many times we tell him not to. He's also easily fooled by those ad banners that look like Windows dialog boxes, which means that his computer is always filled with viruses and spyware every time I see him :(
 

Cyberian

Diamond Member
Jun 17, 2000
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<< I don't think you guys understand...I work on a toll free help line, and am paid salary. I get paid the same if Joe can't configure his router as I do if granny calls up and can't get to www.yahoo.CORN (<---got that one last week). I'm a second level support router specialist, but sometime the que fills up and I get some of the first level calls. >>

Who or what does the first level support?
I mean, do you work for an ISP, or like for Cisco or someone like that?
How are these calls even getting to a support line in the first place?
 

Aceman

Banned
Oct 9, 1999
3,159
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My 66yr old father was adding memory kilobyte by kilobyte to a motherboard before you were probably even born! I guarantee you he'll run circles around you on technical expertise. Not only is he a good with hardware, he's a guru with most software out there. Now think before you speak. You grew up with all of these computerized gadgets and computers in your home and you are very compfortable with working with them because of this. He was upgrading computers 20 years ago when there was no one right around the corner or a phone call away to get help.
 

Mem

Lifer
Apr 23, 2000
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I remember when I got my friends 85 year old Aunt playing on a Commodore 64 for the first time(yes I`m nearly old ;)) and she said " am I really blowing those tanks up?"...lol...I couldn`t keep a straight face.
As for old people and computers well my Aunt is in her 50s and is pretty good,not that good with hardware but ok on software,I guess the younger generation have the advantage of computers in schools,when I was at school pocket calculators were still new.

:)
 

Geekbabe

Moderator Emeritus<br>Elite Member
Oct 16, 1999
32,229
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www.theshoppinqueen.com
phone tech support can be a biatch and I didn't mean to imply that you don't have a right to vent after a bad day at work:)

I just can't think of a couple of my elderly clients without smiling because they love their computers and get so much enjoyment from them.I remember one gent I helped awhile back ,hehehe he
was so nervous at first, now he im's me and sends me jokes and funny links and I hear he totally rawks at hearts on yahoo ,helping bring some fun into othewise isolated people's lives is one of the more pleasurable aspects of this work,at least for me :)
 

jadinolf

Lifer
Oct 12, 1999
20,952
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I'll be 68 on Monday the 13th and have been in the electronics business since 1957.

I have 4 computers-- all working but I guess I'm so old that I'd better hang it up and retire to my walker.
 

Nefrodite

Banned
Feb 15, 2001
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actually old people should be one of the largest groups on the net.. eventually. retired people have all the time in the world to nef, make up weird net pages, chat like crzy, play multiplayer games until they rulez all the poor kiddies:) frankly its a great thing, as people get older they sometimes withdraw from society, with the power of the pc and stuff that should no longer happen. course having gramps pk'ing people on bnet is kind of a weird image;)
 

yakko

Lifer
Apr 18, 2000
25,455
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<< Those old people help to pay your salary, think about it next time you buy something you like :)

Pleasant
>>

Actually my salary is paid by fixing problems not training. I once saw it said that we spend close to $6,000,000 a year on issues not related to our tech support department.
 

amnesiac

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
15,781
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<< I'll be 68 on Monday the 13th and have been in the electronics business since 1957.

I have 4 computers-- all working but I guess I'm so old that I'd better hang it up and retire to my walker.
>>



LOL..good for you, keeping up with technology! But you're the exception to the rule.. :)
 

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
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Originally posted by: Cyberian
I don't think you guys understand...I work on a toll free help line, and am paid salary. I get paid the same if Joe can't configure his router as I do if granny calls up and can't get to www.yahoo.CORN (<---got that one last week). I'm a second level support router specialist, but sometime the que fills up and I get some of the first level calls.
Who or what does the first level support?
I mean, do you work for an ISP, or like for Cisco or someone like that?
How are these calls even getting to a support line in the first place?

I work for a nationwide ISP. People just call our 800 number and connect to tech support. If all the support lines are full, they're roll over to my phone (since my support calls are far less than level 1 support). All they have to do is call...it's not like a radio show where they screen calls :)