The worst thing in my experience (besides f*cking up the person's computer), is having to tell them:

"You cannot do this, you need a new computer"

You know, this doesn't bother me at all. I love telling people this because it effectivly ends my involvment. Sure they try to get me in on the purchase, but I just tell them to go down to Best Buy and pick up whatever looks good. The truth is that when a new computer is needed it's better for everyone. And PCs are getting so cheap these days, the last time I "upgraded" I just bought one off the shelf (and popped in a great video card, of course), which is the first time I've ever done that.

it effectivly ends my involvment

not for me. Like I said, I get hassled about why they have to buy a new computer. Then in most cases, when they ask for and get my suggestions, they never like what I offer them. They're like "I want a brand new full computer for $150. I want a CD burner, I don't want any of that Celeron business, and I want it from a reliable company." They never want that Wal-Mart computer or any other really low end machines.

You can't win. Tell them there's a reason it's called a _personal_ computer. That and they can pedal themselves over to Borders & pick up the latest copy of PC World & read for themselves. My personal exception to this rule is nuclear family & grandparents.

-Zeke

Most definitely. I fixed my old computer to give to my mother, and stripped it of and confusing hardware or software, gave her a barebones Win98 OS, and put a long FAQ file on the desktop telling her how to do simple tasks that she needed.

She never uses it

Thank you sir, you have just answered my prayers.

Here is the sum of all computer grief.

Oh, by the way, I reckon you should just tell him to "Piss Off".

"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." -- Charles Babbage (1791-1871)

Best. Quote. Ever.

"reckon"

Reckon? Now there's some southern slang I learned in high school in the North Georgia Mountains in my high school years. It's hard to believe you use the same slang in the Netherlands.

I suppose a good response to that would be "I'm fixin' to" or "I done did that".

Beaver Cleaver used to say ``reckon'' all the time, and he was hardly a Southern figure.

"Beaver Cleaver used to say ``reckon'' all the time, and he was hardly a Southern figure."


"Well, sh*t far and slap the dog!"

Irregardless, Beaver Cleaver was a bit before my time but Southern Slang was the first thought that entered my head. I guess it's obvious that I don't read the dictionary on a regular basis because in fact I reckon it's a real word, but yes that was my first thought when I heard the word; kinda brought me back a few years. Ahh yes high school.... I'll never forget phrases like "Dem taters is GOOD!" or "Ya'll had enuff sure enuff?"

"reckon"

Reckon? Now there's some southern slang...

It's not slang. http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=reckon ;
Main Entry: reck·on
Pronunciation: 're-k&n
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): reck·oned; reck·on·ing /'re-k&-ni[ng], 'rek-ni[ng]/
Etymology: Middle English rekenen, from Old English -recenian (as in gerecenian to narrate); akin to Old English reccan
Date: 13th century
transitive senses
1 a : COUNT <reckon the days till Christmas> b : ESTIMATE, COMPUTE <reckon the height of a building> c : to determine by reference to a fixed basis <the existence of the U.S. is reckoned from the Declaration of Independence>
2 : to regard or think of as : CONSIDER
3 chiefly dialect : THINK, SUPPOSE <I reckon I've outlived my time -- Ellen Glasgow>
intransitive senses
1 : to settle accounts
2 : to make a calculation
3 a : JUDGE b chiefly dialect : SUPPOSE, THINK
4 : to accept something as certain : place reliance <I reckon on your promise to help>
- reckon with : to take into consideration
- reckon without : to fail to consider : IGNORE

It's hard to believe you use the same slang in the Netherlands

Well, "reckon" is Shakesperean English, and in pretty typical use by English Northerners - hence, as an ex-pat Brit living in NL it's not too unusual...

pretty typical use by English Northerners

Thus explaining its prevalence in the Southern US.

Ahhh yes, who needs school when you learn so much here.

It was a hard lesson to learn, but PIBKAC's just can't be fixed. Best to just avoid.

Ahhh yes, who needs school when you learn so much here.

how true, how true...

although.. now that I think of it... I never went to school all that much.. and when I did... I spent about half of it with my head on my folded arms on the dest... (asleep)
lol

dest

excuse me... I meant desk