A rhetorical question.

[reddragdiva]

Why on earth is it we tolerate gross incompetence with the working tools of one's supposed job when it's a computer that we would never tolerate if someone was still using paper?

(That's "we" as in "they.")

Comments

[siani-hedgehog.livejournal.com]

because computers are for spotty geeks and it's embarrassing that Normal People should have to use them at all, of course.

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

I mis-read that as "incontinence" the first time.

[haloj.livejournal.com]

When the problem moves to between the keyboard and the chair I threaten my users with pens and paper and sticky notes for emails. :)

[reddragdiva]

You didn't misread a thing.

[wechsler.livejournal.com]

Because those in charge of deciding which competences are important in most workplaces tend to be the ones who consider themselves "above" technology.

[reddragdiva]

And if you look closely can't work paper either.

[wechsler.livejournal.com]

Hence the use of secretaries.

tech support before computers

[siani-hedgehog.livejournal.com]

user: hello, helpdesk? i think that my pencil is broken. i'm moving it along the paper, but it's not making any marks!
helpdesk: okay, now the first thing i want you to try is making sure that you're holding the pencil pointy end down. can you try that please?
user: i don't see why. anyway it's broken.
helpdesk: could you just try, please?
user: *long silence*
helpdesk: are you there?
user: oh, i just thought of trying it pointy end down, and it's working now. why didn't you just tell me to do that?!
helpdesk: *headdesk*

Re: tech support before computers

[reddragdiva]

User: I can't pee!
Helpdesk: Please look down. Are your pants unzipped?
User: Look, I'm not a biologist, just help me solve the problem!

Re: tech support before computers

[siani-hedgehog.livejournal.com]

LOL!
literally. boss now staring at me.

[sinibar.livejournal.com]

We're still in the "sufficiently advanced technology" / "industinguishable from magic" realm for most people.

Computers is clever shit to Joe Public, they believe you have to be a genius to achieve competence, incompetence is therefore the norm. A pen and paper, any old fool can operate that. The fact that with a little training any old fool can become competent with a Mac and most people can handle a PC seems to elude them entirely.

Re: tech support before computers

[barakta]

My girlfriend did a computer science degree. When the students complained about being expected to write code by hand the lecturer said "This is a pen, you hold it pointy end down and move it like this"....

[loosechanj.livejournal.com]

Because computers have gotten so much more userfriendly of late. This means that they are much more vital, which in turn means they are much more to be feared, which gives Miss Moneypenny a perfectly good excuse not to really try to use them or learn anything about them for fear of hacking into NORAD and causing a nuclear holocaust.

[reddragdiva]

I really can't see why they can't just write a letter to NORAD. "To the Central Computer, NORAD. Please go batshit. Yours, J. Oldstyle HaXX0r."