Where is it written that people should naturally or instinctively know things? Often, though most people drive cars, many will state they know almost nothing about them, except how to drive them. This is true for several things we own and use. We know how to operate said item but we really do not know or understand its inner workings or how to look after it. Where is it written that we should? We take things to garages, service depots, repair shops. We give them to experts or call somebody in to deal with the item when it needs attention. We would not think of troubling ourselves, interrupting our daily schedules over the thing or presuming to try figuring out how to deal with it or that we have a clue what is required. The point here is that computer techs are needed. You may say that is commenting on the obvious yet consider the following. Although computers permeate our daily lives on a grand scale there is nothing that says just because a person uses one they should innately know what they require to keep them in sound working order. This is true be it in a commercial or residential application. Certainly there are differences in these two settings but there is one common denominator… people are using them. People that have certain demands on their time, jobs, families, what have you and they do not need the distraction of trying to deal with the machine aside from the normal, superficial functioning of it. The reference here is to knowing and addressing issues the average user should not be expected to know. Nor should they be condemned or feel insulted because they did not. Still we hear it asked how did that happen?, why is it slow?, how did that get in there? why should I do that, where did you find that?, why did you do that?, how did I catch that?, etc, etc. Where is it written that people should know things before they learn them? Point is they should not even have to take the time or the trouble. This is why technicians are indeed very needed. Whether you are trying to run a home or a business it is invaluable to be able to rely on someone to know what you should not be expected to know. This allows you to carry out your day without it being a problem that something is not your area of expertise. Techs are supposed to know how to tune up your machine, keep it or make it fast as possible, find and remove ‘bugs’, rid it of 3^rd Party ‘nasties’, see that it is protected and updated. Techs know sites, tools and such that can help them with these tasks, what ‘bugs’ are real or hoaxes, what and where to look for things, what damage can be done and how to rectify a situation. Techs know what can bog down a system, what is maliciously, ignorantly being propagated injuring systems, undermining performance. Where is it written that users should know all this? It’s not! Therefore, fair enough, obviously there is a need for techs still sometimes I feel sorry for the common user/owner. They often sit at computers thinking they can just plug them in like a toaster. They reasonably set out to just go day by day doing whatever from day one forever without knowing more than the superficial operation. How wrong that is but who tells them that? Really, nobody does. Then comes a day when they are calling someone or taking it to someone since it crashed or something does not seem quite right. Owners, even company bosses, managers should have no qualms about seeking technical advice or support. People should not think they should know all about the machines in depth but they should know techs are needed from time to time. In conclusion, much as techs have a definite, important role offering convenience, skill, providing smooth, optimum conditions ignorance is not bliss. Whereas it is not written that operators should possess some awareness inherent with the mere use of a computer part of giving good and respectable service is discerning at least some information and education. Teach clients appropriate bits such as to make their life with their machine better and to lessen the reoccurrence or severity of the past or present scenarios that brought you to them. You can also offer suggestions for future improvement or beneficial upgrades. Albeit this must be done with discretion according to need to know, desire to know and it must be expressed in terms the listener can understand. Judge the situation and the audience well. Where is it written that owners, users should how all about computer issues beyond operating them?… it’s not. We have come to need computers and it is quite proper that those computers, be they in homes or businesses, need technicians. This should come without hesitation, surprise or insult on the part of users. Drew Drew MS Partner / MS Beta Tester / Pres. Computer Issues Pres. Computer Issues www.drewsci.com