Not Too Smart
This is a phone call I received this morning at the library.
Little Old Lady: I’m computer illiterate, and I’m at a library where the people aren’t too smart. What I want to know is, the picture on the desktop, how do you make it larger or smaller?
Me: I’m sorry, ma’am, but that’s not something I can really explain over the phone [especially not to someone who is computer illiterate].
LOL: You can’t just tell me how to do it?
Me: I’m sorry, not over the phone. That’s something you’re going to need to get someone to show you in person.
LOL: No hints or anything?
Me: I’m sorry. Is there something else I can help you with?
*click*
Like
January 17th, 2010 at 2:12 am
Right click the desktop, properties, Desktop, Position: Stretch (rather than Center)?
Even if she actually wanted it resized, it’s not very many steps in mspaint.
January 17th, 2010 at 2:19 am
I didn’t say it was hard to do. I just said I wasn’t going to try to explain it to her over the phone. There is nothing more futile than trying to describe right-click context menus to a computer-illiterate person via telephone.
I don’t really give computer help over the phone anyway, unless it relates to the library catalog or databases.
January 25th, 2010 at 3:01 am
Well-intentioned children of the residents in my retirement home will often buy their parents computers and other technological devices they think will make life easier for their parents. I wish they wouldn’t. It just makes my life harder.
January 25th, 2010 at 11:43 am
I wonder what new technology my parents won’t be able to handle when they’re 70+? Hmm.
January 25th, 2010 at 11:41 pm
I’m with you. My grandmother, for some cruel, rude, reverse [grand]matricidal-type reason, added a DVR-device to her cable package, and it has served no purpose other than to make almost all of our current interaction completely hellish for me.
It’s like she is not capable of synthesizing any of the information presented to her, or of picking up on cues regarding the way the device might operate based on the instructions I’ve written out time and again—but only in this one, very specific respect; otherwise she’s quite bright. Harumph.
January 26th, 2010 at 11:45 am
Wow. Poor lady. I couldn’t live without a DVR—I can’t even imagine the frustration of having one and not being able to use it.
Also, of course, poor you. I can imagine your frustration all too well. :P