IT Help Desk, how can I help you?

For years now, I have provided IT help for my parents. It's a part of our relationship that I don't mind, but mostly because they are teachable and eager to figure it out themselves.

Even when they lived in Argentina and being on the phone cost a dollar a minute, I remember helping my mom working through some sort of "icons mysteriously disappearing in Word" problem. (eventually needing a word reinstall). I kept encouraging her to find some kid in the neighborhood to help her out, but she liked dealing with me.

I'll also never forget the time I came over to my parents to visit to be met by cursing and yelling in the computer room. The printer had malfunctioned and my dad needed a document to be printed. He had asked for it to be printed 97 (!) times! Here's a lesson in "just because it doesn't look like it's listening, it's still remembers. But if it's not doing it, don't ask it 100 times". This is exactly the opposite tactic in raising kids, so I guess it's not a surprise he just kept asking over and over again.

Most recently I was on the phone for about 3 hours with my mom walking her through installing iTunes, installing an external hard drive, the ripping of her cds and the synching of her new iPod. The call would have been shorter if I hadn't spent an hour trying to install some sort of remote desktop management software so I could run her computer from mine (this was eventually unsuccessful as we figured out her dial up wasn't sufficient). She was on top of everything, I was just having trouble seeing what she was seeing. In retrospect, it was better that she had to work through it herself without me grabbing the handles and doing it for her.

Providing my parents this service is a good deal for both of us. I like to be able to help them out and they are good at learning and trying new things. I know my mom actually took my advice when I explained that I have a few philosophies when it comes to computers:
1) Look around, it's probably there somewhere
2) It's always worth trying to learn something new as it will save you time later
3) it isn't a malicious entity trying to ruin your life, it just follows directions you give it, give it dumb directions, get dumb actions.

Obviously my Mom gets it because I see her hunting around for new ways to do things on the computer. The fact that she was willing to get an external hard drive, iTunes, and an iPod without that much consternation means that she's gets it. And that's one reason it's fun to help her find the answers to the problems she is having.

It does make me wonder what kind of techno-boob I will be in the eyes of my kids. Obviously I will resist something, I am just not sure what it is yet.
Implanted cell phone? Probably will stick to my cell phone in my purse. It's just me, but I like to "forget it" sometimes. And I know everyone enjoys getting a purse call from me on occasion when I forget to lock it.