

How to help someone use a computer - samueladam
http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/pagre/how-to-help.html

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demallien
Hmmm, I don't really know how well this actually works in the real world
(rather than on a University campus, where people are quite a bit smarter than
the average population).

For example, text messages. I can be sitting there with the person that I'm
trying to help - the computer spits up a dialog box. The user immediately,
reflexively, moves to click on 'yes' or 'OK' or whatever button seems most
likely to make the box go away (but is actually going to lead them straight
into the problem that they called me for in the first place). So I tell them
to stop, and read the dialog box. Then I ask them what they think the computer
is trying to tell them. They think about it, and most of the time come up with
the correct answer, and their problem is solved. You would have thought that
this would teach them the value of reading dialog box messages when trying to
resolve problems, but no... The next time they have a problem, you have to go
back through the whole thing again...

Another example: the other day I was helping a friend set up a home network.
It was a moderately complex setup, and he wanted me to explain how I had
identified the problem, and how I found the tight way to fix his problem. But
how do you explain the difference between a computer being able to ping a
network drive, and the drive icon appearing on the computer's desktop? How do
you explain to them that you just guessed that the ADSL modem's config page
was available at <http://192.168.1.1>. You can't, it's the result of years and
years of working in the field. The only way to learn that stuff is to play
with it yourself, instead of calling in the IT guru to fix it for you.

Anyway, this is an overly long post simply to say that to truly be able to
resolve computer problems, you need to be able to understand what is going on
underneath all of the UI abstractions presented to the user, and that these
things are complex, and difficult to learn.

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sidsavara
Thanks for posting this - it's an excellent reminder.

Funny enough, I actually have a long rant I wrote that I was about to publish
on my blog this morning.

It's completely finished, and sitting in my drafts. I read it over this
morning and considered that perhaps ranting about how people I know don't know
how to use computers isn't very productive. It won't help anyone else improve
their abilities, and it certainly won't make _me_ any more helpful as a
teacher.

And now, today I come across this - a nice coincidence and a reminder that
just because I'm good at something, that doesn't give me the right to be rude
to others who have come to me for help.

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SingAlong
Oh! very useful to me now.

I've to teach my mom how to use the computer after my exams are over. And
everytime I tried to teach her before, I failed.

 _"Don't take the keyboard"_

I noticed that I made a basic mistake. I try to use the keyboard and teach her
how to do things by telling her. And she used to freak out that I don't let
her use the computer and teach her vocally. But my point was to let her watch
me do it first and then let use the keyboard.

So this holidays, I think I'll be a better teacher :)

The last time she asked me for some information... I just told her to
_"double-click the 'orangy-blue' icon (firefox) and click in the empty white
box to the top-right-end of the screen, type whatever you want to find about
and press the Enter key. Then click on the blue underlined links on the page
to find your info"_

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RiderOfGiraffes
Don't say "no!" Never say "Don't do that!"

Always give a positive direction - say something like: "Put your hands in the
air!" Giving a positive instruction gives them something specific to do that
doesn't make things worse.

It's not always easy finding something to say, but if you can do it, it works
a treat.

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charlesju
Lol!

I used to work at BOL (UCLA Tech Support), awesome post, brings back good
memories.

