to think every home now needs a professional IT manager?

[CorbynsTopButton]

Does anyone else feel like they're drowning in computer-based chaos? I'm relatively computer literate but feel like I can't keep up and just don't have the time to. Am I alone in this?

Our it manager is a bloody great sledgehammer and a kick out the back door

I'm already paying 17 yo to be my graphic designer.
50 Euros to design flyers, Facebook page and a "Corporate Image". Good experience for him and a cheap deal for me.

Any other consultancy is called " singing for your supper"!

17 yo DS.

Totally agree. My dh is a software engineer so manages all the tech in the house. I'm over dependent on him, it's easy to become lazy when there's an expert in the house, I really should get him to teach me some stuff.

It's all very well having 'computer' courses available that just teach you how to surf or use Office or something but are there any that teach you how to set up a home network, or what to do when the chromecast stops working??

Agree, agree, agree.
I still cannot get my printer to work with my new laptop. I hate the new version of windows and Microsoft Office 2013 is rubbish. I spend hours trying to get it all to work and then, when I have it all sorted out six months later there is another problem and I am back to square one!

StickyProblem Sun 20-Sep-15 13:09:27

You can uninstall Windows 10 within 30 days of installing it ... that's what I did. I think I'm quite computer literate but with Windows 10 my laptop wouldn't print anything, word 2010 kept freezing and the photos app wouldn't work. Back to Windows 7 and it's now all fine.

DH is an IT specialist. I work from home.

My iPhone won't load Twitter, my Macbook freezes constantly, strange messages on my iPad. DH can't put his gadgets down or tear himself away from TV sport to look at any of them. (Apart from briefly looking up to say "Have you tried switching off and on?" ) If anyone else asks - family, neighbour - he's onto it in seconds.

Cobbler's weans and all that.

I am a strong and capable woman in many respects, but with IT I get all little woman-y and hand it over to a passing male.
DH actually enjoys wrestling with various bits of kit and making them bend to his will. Thank God because DS has just buggered off to have a life at Uni, the selfish boy. He was the one for software and opening up the entire big computer box and delicately air-spraying it all.

It is getting daft, even the washing machine looks hi-techy-techy and offers to do far more than it needs to. I have to change my car soon, but ALL new cars are now full of computery bits and sockets and screens.

I am waiting for the day when things stop being more and more complex, and start to calm down again. Just doing what we want them to do and no "added features". That's the killer...added features.

Rant over

But the thing is you can set it up as complicated or as simple as you like. This is to those who says their DH has set up a very complicated systems. It may well be his hobby to do so. Like baking in gbbo style.

There are many who would help with home IT. Not for free though. It's a thriving business. FIL used to get help for things as simple as installing a printer. It's like your local handyman really. You can DIY, find a friend to help, or hire someone.

It's my parents and MIL that I feel for - suddenly thrust into the world of online banking when they haven't even mastered text messaging

shebird you don't need to use online banking either. MIL can't even use a simple Nokia type phone. She manages.

You can still visit a bank. Or go to a physical shop.

Am currently sat here trying to get my tablet to talk to the sound bar. I give up.

DP is an IT expert. He dreads having to call BT to report a broadband issue as they just don't get he's gone rather beyond the "is the green light flashing" stage in his own diagnostics. I reckon you should be able to send your CV in and get a call centre or direct to an engineer depending on your skill level :-D

Not at all - I love it! But I am a bit of a techy nerd, and will bore DH senseless telling him about a new bit of software that I have come across that does xyz, or an amazing article on Reddit about a new piece of software and how this startup in Portland has used it to...Zzzzzzzzz

That said, the fact that the Skype on my laptop sometimes has sound and sometimes doesn't is one of life's great mysteries.

In his defence, he can take a laptop/washing machine/bike to pieces, fix it, and put it back together again.

suddenly thrust into the world of online banking

Nobody has been suddenly thrust into the world of anything. We've had online banking 18 years in the UK (EIGHTEEN YEARS), and even my 70 year old father can text me (and use emojis, God bless him) because, well, we've had texting for about 22 years now. This is not new technology.

Fortunately I have my own in the form of DH. He started off his career by doing the IT donkey work, which means he's more than capable of dealing with my laptop when I accidentally spill gin on it again. Can calmly dismantle it, dry it out and put it back together.
Also useful for speaking to BT and leading those Windows hoax callers right down the garden path.
Unfortunately though, due to his security paranoia, he refuses point blank to do any form of online banking, which means when I urgently need him to transfer me over some money I have to go into town and physically put it in the bank.

It's called your one geeky relative. I know because DH and I are that geeky relative to most of our families :o

MamaLazarou - who are you installing this mod for? Because if it's a child not old enough to figure it out themselves, god, don't! It's really not a great thing to be doing if you don't know what you're doing. Modding and coding can be great fun, but let them figure it out for themselves. Then you can pretend it's educational

My DH is IT support for us, my fil, my sil, my dad... Our house is a complex place of networks, consoles, pcs and cables but I have got DH to fill me in as he goes so for the most part I am ok. I can build a pc from components and fix basic issues. If I get stuck I have my DB as backup (although I think he is worse than me at some stuff!)

notyournaanbread some of them have decided not to learn new technology though. You see it in younger people too. They will say, oh I don't understand this computer things. I have other mums (in their 30s) telling me they can't do eBay, or use google calendar.

MIL is not 70 and can't text, can't use sky+ (DVR), confused by auto phone answer system at the doctors surgery. I'm not joking when she tries talking to it!!

HeadDreamer

Absolutely - some people go in for a lazy culture of "oh it's all too complicated for little old me!" which is perverse and deeply irritating, when I bet that your MIL can probably manage to make a pavlova, yeast-based baking or worked in a job that required far more complex operations than online banking!

My MIL can manage highly complicated artforms (professional artist), is an accomplished baker and cook, and says that Paypal is too complicated. Drives me potty.

I dunno, I am the IT support in my house and I don't know that much - I just don't panic and am good at googling for help when I get stuck.

I downloaded the Windows 10 upgrade in a moment of madness. Bitterly regretted it 36 hrs later when the Start menu stopped working. Luckily I could still get online but it was a bloody pain in the arse.

All the tips online for sorting it out didn't work. I couldn't even get to the control panel to try what was recommended.

Luckily, DH has managed to get rid of it - he won't say how! But I don't really care, as long as it's back to normal again. When I worked, we were lucky enough to have a on-site IT manager who kept everything running smoothly.

I simply haven't got the patience for all that stuff and would rather pay someone (if I had to) rather than wrestle for hours...