I’m sick of being my friends and parents tech support

Hi Steemit,
I’m @zmark, and this is my first Steemit post!

This topic came to me this weekend after helping some friends with a computer issue, and then having a lengthy discussion about crypto currencies with them after the fact (my personal favorites are Ethereum, Monero, and Pascalcoin). Now to preface, I am not a computer science guy, my knowledge of computers in general is high enough that I know how to build a computer, and I know how to program macros in excel to a very minimum level with help of online guides. But it blew my mind how they could grasp crypto as I explained it, but not know how to find solutions to computer problems.

Now typically, when there is a tech problem, I do the following, even when it’s someone else’s tech problem:

1. Understand the problem? What is going on with their computer or software?
2. Type the exact problem into google.
3. Click the first non ad link, and follow it’s instructions.
4. If #3 fails, click next link. Repeat for 3 more links.
5. If #4 fails, reword question and rinse repeat.
6. If this still fails, which it doesn’t, go to reddit, find the appropriate sub and ask for help.

Obviously I’m preaching to the choir here, I’m assuming the average steemit user probably followes something pretty comparable to this any time they have a tech issue. But it’s frustrating to be constantly begged for tech support help. It’s one thing if its a grandparent that doesn’t even understand the internet, but another entirely if its someone that has social media accounts and uses email on a daily basis.

I think we might be to blame though. We just do it for people, so they never learn. So I am going to try a new strategy the next time I get asked how to fix an issue or how to do something that I don’t know the answer to. Just like teaching a person a how to use a formula in excel, I’m going to teach that person how to get tech support help using my steps above. Here’s hoping that I can buy myself and everyone else some free time, and maybe even empower people to learn how to solve their own problems.