2001-08-12
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2001-12-31
Actually, I'm not. I'm a computer programmer/hacker/web person. However, today, I helped a couple who was having trouble with their computer. It turns out that they were trying to install a scanner, and the customer service was giving them faulty instructions. They ended up setting their computer to much higher resolution than their monitor is capable of handling, and they get stuck.
After I fixed their display, I installed their scanner for them. It turns out the installation program is buggy. So, I had to do it the hard way. The instructions are terrible! Basically, in their effort to be user friendly, HP made a mistake somewhere and hide too much information. The result is that the couple was ready to return their scanner back for refund. Bad marketing move on HP part.
Anyway, after lots of grieve, I managed to install the scanner. It turns out that once the drivers are installed, it was no problem. I don't even need instruction at this point. I guess Dilbert principle is at work here.
They asked me whether or not knowing computer technical issues are part of programmer's life. Well, it's part of my life, and quite a lot of others, too, I imagine. But not everyone's. I still remember a computer professional who couldn't hack into TRS-80 properly, being stuck on date entry.
It's too bad that computers changes so much, so quickly, that these kind of knowledge isn't organized properly, so you can't really learn it at school. College needs to be more practical these days.