My computer is broken.
Ok....what seems to be wrong?
It is not working like it should.
How is it not working? How is it broken? What does it do or not do? What happens when you try to do whatever it is you are trying to do?
The most difficult thing to do, is fix a problem that is not known, a problem that cannot be explained.
If you have ever had to deal with the IT department or phoned for support, the most common response is: 'Can you send me a screenshot?' Knowing what the error message says, is the first step towards finding a solution.
A response like: 'I don't know, I clicked OK', or 'How do you take a screen shot?' is cringe-inducing to even the most hardened IT Guy.
If we have to explain one of the most basic things we ever learned, we tend to get a little frustrated, especially if there is a dedicated key on the keyboard to do so, all you have to do is paste it in an email.
Just clicking OK is a good way to make error messages disappear, but if you don't read them how will we know what is wrong? How will we know what you tried to do?
It may be considered reasonable to tell the mechanic that your car is making a bang when you drive fast over potholes and then expect him to investigate and fix it, but the same does not always count for the IT Guy.
You have to help him out a little bit as most of his day is spent telling people they need to ensure the printer is switched on, that the funny noise their computer makes every time an email arrives is normal and sometimes things just breaks for no reason, especially when you drop them.
So be kind and help the IT Guy out a bit, read before you click and learn your way around the keyboard, he will smile when you send him the problem without having to be coached how to press a button.
If I can teach one person this per day, I know that I am making a difference and the collective knowledge will hopefully be improved and far fewer murders will be committed.
(I will not tell you where to find the button, follow the link.)
