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Getting Jay back was the best thing you could have possibly done for this space.
One of the articles referenced was from 2002, the other from 2008. Are these really the most popular articles from 2011? If so, measured how? I saw no recent comments on either. But then, I got bored and skipped a lot because I have heard all these stories - or variations on them - many times before.
Pretty much all the anecdotes are of the "clever me, stoopid you" variety, and certainly there are a lot of stupid users - e.g. a person with 3 PhD degrees but not enough common sense not to fold a floppy disk - but there are still many that highlight lack of basic training. Sure, as one writer pointed out, when you have a car smash you don't blame your driving instructor - but this analogy neglects one important difference between driving a car and driving a computer: licencing. No permit required to operate a PC, and w-a-a-a-a-y too many employers assume when someone tells them on a resume that they "know computers" that it's true. Duh, everyone lies on their resume, how can you take something like that at face value? And anyway, one man's "knows computers" can differ hugely from the next.
Every emplower, irrespective of size, should have formal basic computer training for all new employees - or, if the person akes offence, then some form of evaluation of computer skills and knowledge. Not administered by the company themselves, unless they have a formal, separate, HR division, but by a third party, preferably a professional computer training school of some sort. Needn't be a 3-day advanced Excel course, but almost every user I've ever come across could benefit from a half-day general orientation course.
Most important skill when doing end-user support: not problem-solving, not Windows (or any other OS) knowledge, not dexterity with screwdriver or keyboard, but PATIENCE.
Pretty much all the anecdotes are of the "clever me, stoopid you" variety, and certainly there are a lot of stupid users - e.g. a person with 3 PhD degrees but not enough common sense not to fold a floppy disk - but there are still many that highlight lack of basic training. Sure, as one writer pointed out, when you have a car smash you don't blame your driving instructor - but this analogy neglects one important difference between driving a car and driving a computer: licencing. No permit required to operate a PC, and w-a-a-a-a-y too many employers assume when someone tells them on a resume that they "know computers" that it's true. Duh, everyone lies on their resume, how can you take something like that at face value? And anyway, one man's "knows computers" can differ hugely from the next.
Every emplower, irrespective of size, should have formal basic computer training for all new employees - or, if the person akes offence, then some form of evaluation of computer skills and knowledge. Not administered by the company themselves, unless they have a formal, separate, HR division, but by a third party, preferably a professional computer training school of some sort. Needn't be a 3-day advanced Excel course, but almost every user I've ever come across could benefit from a half-day general orientation course.
Most important skill when doing end-user support: not problem-solving, not Windows (or any other OS) knowledge, not dexterity with screwdriver or keyboard, but PATIENCE.
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