Being the "Company Computer Guy"...

I have lost count of how many programs I've had to install for people here at the COP... From antivirus, antispyware, antieverything, you name it, they've probably asked me to install it...

Alternately, they come to me to help tweak this, speed up that, fix a fudge-up (NO, you should NEVER re-format your entire hard drive unless you've backed up all your personal files, AND have the re-installation disk(s) handy, MORON!!!) and to get general hardware advice that basically glasses their eyes over, even after I dumb it down to where my 5-year-old could make sense of it...

There are times when I wish had never heard of computers, because just about anything and everything that can go wrong with one has gone wrong with one here... And guess who they come to for a fix... Yep, you guessed it, the resident "Company Computer Guy."

I know that just about everyone here at PCA knows what I'm talking about, and some are probably saying to themselves, "Jeez, man, suck it up, that's the cool part of being a geek!"

Well, for those of us who sometimes feel the load of the thankless hours spent fixing other people's computer fudge-ups, I stumbled across this little gem, and I use it every now and again to cheer myself up... That and a slideshow of the PCApex Booth Babes Galleries images...

Enjoy!

Attached Files

Company Computer Guy.zip (707.5 KB, 78 views)

I definitely know what you're talking about. I have no problem helping people but on occassion I have to give help to someone who has absolutely no idea what I'm trying to explain, then gets frustrated because they don't understand and it gets ... difficult.

My brother comes to me for every problem he has with a computer, even down to a silly little thing he could easily fix himself if he just just tried.

BUT ALAS, THIS IS THE LIFE WE CHOSE!

...so to speak...

LOL - luckily where I work I'm known for the following.

1) Keeping the company of a lot of fire poi spinners.
2) Regularly at fetish night at a local bar
3) WAY to happy to be at work everyday...

....

4) Ohh yah he does stuff with computers.

Easy way to keep them offa you:

Start charging

Quote: Originally Posted by Master Yunk Easy way to keep them offa you: Start charging

You know, saving my own money was one of the big driving forces for me to start figuring out how to fix/upgrade/build my own machines, hardware and software-wise...

Problem is, the majority of the guys coming to me are junior to me, so it creates an ethical dilemma, about putting myself in a position to take from the men...

Quote: Originally Posted by Master Yunk Easy way to keep them offa you: Start charging

lol that's a great idea. Since the attorney's here at the firm charge clients per call/email we should be able to charge them per help desk ticket. Doubt that would go over well with admin

Well, if you haven't started up your own IT branch ...

setup a server that pushes out the builds for anti-virus, patches, firewalls, common apps, etceteras. All your men need to do is login to the server and accept the pushes.

Might minimize your time suck for handling other folks' problems.

-J

It is the 'charge them' way of thinking that lead me to start my own business doing repairs and upgrades. It's a good business to go into because people will come to you with some simple-ass problem or just want a reinstall and you can charge like £30 for a reinstall and it takes about an hour whilst I play games on my PC at the same time, reaching over occasionally to tap a few buttons. Throw in the 'healtcheck' and put it up to £40. People are silly.

I've never been able to get into the habit of charging people upfront for computer help. I don't know why it'd be pretty easy....

BTW the zip file won't download without getting corrupted for me.

Quote: Originally Posted by eascarface BTW the zip file won't download without getting corrupted for me.

It's one of the Bud Light Presents: Real Men of Genius commercials/funnies

"Today we salute you, Mr. Company Computer Guy..."

I'll see if I can get a DL link for ya that won't feck up, ea...

I started charging, they kept coming, it's all good.

Here ya go, for anyone who's interested... The entire collection, plus a couple of new ones:

HERE

Funny stuff...

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to GrandpaNoob72 again.

Quote: Originally Posted by godling Well, if you haven't started up your own IT branch ... setup a server that pushes out the builds for anti-virus, patches, firewalls, common apps, etceteras. All your men need to do is login to the server and accept the pushes. Might minimize your time suck for handling other folks' problems. -J

This is where theory crashes and burns against the wall of reality. More specifically, corporate life compared to Army life. In the corporate world, you seem to have executives, administrative personnel, etc who have computers. You also have custodians, facility repair personnel, etc who do not. In the Army, we have equivalents of executives, admin folks, janitors, hammer swingers, etc etc and THEY ALL GET A DANG COMPUTER. Welcome to our world...

I'm fortunate enough to be in a unit who has three other guys who are at least as geeky - er, versed - as I am when it comes to computers. They have been formed into our IT cell, and they field all of the "how do you save something from Outlook again?" type questions. However, I share Grandpa's pain. Not only do we have to deal with it, it's technically illegal for us to charge for services rendered in the interest of the Army. We're already paid by the Army, and they don't pay soldiers twice.

By the way, HOWDY GRANDPA! LONG TIME NO SEE!

Good to see ya too, brother!!!

How's the Chem life treating ya?

A little R&R for me, until the end of the month, and then another 6 months of "fun in the sun"...

Quote: Originally Posted by GrandpaNoob72 Good to see ya too, brother!!! How's the Chem life treating ya? A little R&R for me, until the end of the month, and then another 6 months of "fun in the sun"...

Chem life is treating me, ummm...well it's not. I'm the S3 Ops NCOIC right now. Training up that new STRYKER Bde to join the big beach party. Just getting life reorganized and thinking about getting back into the PC modding stuff for the kids. Every kid deserves a modded PC, you know.

Quote: It is the 'charge them' way of thinking that lead me to start my own business doing repairs and upgrades. It's a good business to go into because people will come to you with some simple-ass problem or just want a reinstall and you can charge like £30 for a reinstall and it takes about an hour whilst I play games on my PC at the same time, reaching over occasionally to tap a few buttons. Throw in the 'healtcheck' and put it up to £40. People are silly.

I'm such a lazy-ass spammer I can't even come up with my own coherent, positive contribution to this thread. I deserve to be stripped, shackled, and have the whole world know what a waste of genetic material I am...

A friend at work brought me his PC that had over 4,000 Spamware bugs and "Had the nerve to Ask me Why is my computer so slow"

I work in a support center where we log into our clients machines all the time and fix their screwups, problems, install that printer, whatever.. It's amazing to me how stupid some of these executives at these companies are. I mean, how hard is it to "save from outlook" to steal a line from another email here - we have people who 'forget' that daily.

What also gets my goat is explaining something simple to them, in a black & white way, then they ask about grey. Ma'am, you cannot use your local network when you're on your work VPN, its an extension of the work network for you to use temporarily. They always also think that it just needs to be thought through by them, so that it could be 'solved' when there isn't a problem in the first place.

Also, it bugs when they want us to allow their heinz57 mishmash of a computer within a secure Computing environment. "but I own my company.." they rant.. After a justified cool-off period I make some sales-type call them and re-explain that this is for their own good. I had one explain it using an analogy something like this.. When you go to a golfcourse, you don't expect to drive your truck up and down the fairways, it would hash the grass..instead you use their golfcart with the treadless tires and the 3mph batteries. This [personal] computer is the same way, it could be infected with viri or other nastiness that would comprimise the safety you pay us to ensure and maintain.

Lastly, it bugs the crap out of me when I'm off looking up some crucial information for a customer and they start typing things to me like "are you there?" after 2 minutes of lag. Get a clue, this stuff takes time & if we get things wrong, you'll be right where you are now - broken.

I'll stop, before I get trully upset. Take care, love those around you, and try to not fix up too many computers.. they will keep coming back over n again until you cut the cord with some of them.

WareWolf