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The Family Tech Support Game
One thing that always happens when a nerd like myself comes home to visit the family for the holidays is that you have to play the family tech support game. I suppose it is a bit like whenever doctors go to a party and everyone takes them aside and runs by all the various medical ailments they have by them in an attempt to get a cheap fix under the guise of normal conversation.
My lovely girlfriend Kymberly has a variant of this. She is an expert at medical claims and insurance coverage and I have witnessed my family members solicit her for professional advice about a half a dozen times over the the trip home.
On this and past trips I have diagnosed the following tech ailments and questions from family members
Audio not working on a DVD player (really old bad AV wires)
How to copy pictures off a digital cameras.
How to download and install the Flash Player for Mozilla
How to Manage bookmarks in Mozilla.
How to burn pictures and files to a CD.
How to move lots of files from one computer to another.
How to install a networking card and router on a second computer.
How to copy CDs to MP3 files.
Notebook and digital camera shopping.
Ecetra ecetra..
I bet you that this post will generate lots of search engine hits of people looking for free tech support for their personal electronic ailments.
Jake at December 29, 2003 
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Comments
It is a symptom of NERD WHO KNOW TOO MUCH about computers disease. You will always be plagued by this as long as you work in the tech industry. My brother has a much worse time at this then I do because he is a network administrator and therefore much more qualified than I (heh). Good for me!
Posted by: pete at December 29, 2003 10:12 PM
God do I know about this. Luckily I've worked out a system with my family whereby they get tech support and I get something in return. With my parents, I go over to their house twice a month to do laundry (Saving me about $30 a month). While I'm there, my mother also makes sure to feed me at least one home-cooked meal, so for that I'm willing to be their 24/7 tech support.
With my friends it's usually not an issue because 90% of them are guys I was in the CS program with. I have a few friends who are UNIX admins at Harvard, so I sometimes go to them for advice :).
Posted by: Bob at December 30, 2003 5:33 AM
Pete's right, I think this is a universal thing among anyone in the tech industry. Mom gave me a break at Christmas since I was only back for a couple of days.
Posted by: Jeff at December 30, 2003 8:18 AM
Yup, I'm hit up for that kind of stuff all the time -- especially from in-laws. Here's the thing though: it's nice to have knowledge that can help other people. They're legitimate concerns and helping them helps improve their lives.
I don't do tech support as a job or anything but it's nice to help someone out.
Besides, what's the flip side? You join everyone at family gatherings and no one has anything to talk to you about? ;)
Posted by: Eric at December 30, 2003 9:09 AM
Jake, I went throught his same problem wherever I go. Heck, when I'm at home my neibors pester me with computer/electronic help. So I made a t-shirt that says 'NO I WILL NOT FIX YOUR COMPUTER' with a computer with a dead face drawn on it in ms paint. ^_^ Tryit. it might help
Posted by: Henry at December 30, 2003 12:00 PM
I don't have so much of a problem since the only one that I regularly visit in my family and has a computer. The only objection i have is that she wants a new computer for the soul purpose of removing all the crap that my cousins put on the poor thing and she will not listen to my suggestion of reinstalling, o whell I guess it is really her money in the end.
Posted by: shawn at December 30, 2003 4:08 PM
Well I can really identify with this Jake. I am an excellent seamstress and cook, and I also possess information about banking, investing, taxes and credit (since that's what I teach in high school). Everyone always wants me to repair or sew something or cook something for them, but what the heck, I'm a mom, so that's what I love to do. It's really great to have sons who are talented in different areas than I am though, who are willing to share their knowledge (without regret?)
Posted by: Jake's mom at December 30, 2003 10:51 PM
Well you just know that I love share what I know with others. It was due to repeated viewing of Mr. Wizard, The Electric Company and School House Rock as a wee child.
Posted by: Jake at December 30, 2003 11:31 PM
I got this when I went home for the holidays as well. Since I didn't cook, clean, or do much of anything productive while my parents raised me, I'm happy to teach them how to burn CDs.
Posted by: Trapp at January 5, 2004 11:08 AM
