The new Digital Divide:  Geeks vs the un-savvy.

If you're reading this, you're probably a geek, or at least interested in technology and learning how to use it.  I just read an article in the NY Times (Geeks Put the Unsavvy on Alert: Learn or Log Off) about the new divide between tech savvy people and the people we support, who usually want the benefits of technology without actually learning how to use it.  I myself have worked for a couple of different companies where the C-Level people wanted to use all kinds of gadgets, but refused to take 10 minutes to RTFM. 

Personally, I am frequently called on to provide Tech Support for my family and friends, and I don't mind helping.  I think a big reason I don't mind is that I don't provide any helpdesk services in my current job.  When I was fourth-level support at a major (MAJOR) Bank or Systems Administrator at an appliance wholesaler, I was probably much less patient.  In fact, I specifically remember bitching to a good friend about someone at a family reunion (I don't even remember who it was) who wouldn't leave me alone, when I almost said, "Look, Cousin Jerry's a Gynecologist!  Why don't you whip your big muff out onto the table and bug him about THAT?!"

Glad I was able to hold that back at the reunion.  That would've been awkward.

So what's the problem?  The argument goes, "If everybody was a tech person, we wouldn't have jobs!"  That's true.  The problem is that we're not asking end users to configure DNS or Audit a firewall ruleset.  We're asking you to use Email.  What kills us is when someone who's been using the same system, the same applications, for years has to call us for the simplest of things.  If you spend 8 hrs a day x 5 days a week x 50 weeks  - 2000 hours a year using a software package, how long does it take before you "get it'? 

Another thing that is annoying to us techs is that these are not stupid people - they just live in a state of "Learned Helplessness".  How is someone going to be a Senior VP at a MAJOR Bank and not be smart enough to learn to use email or a Blackberry?  Why don't people read error messages rather than calling the HelpDesk and saying "It locked me out and said something about not working!"?  Who are these people who continue to open attachments from strangers?  And who the HELL buys anything from a SPAM message?  We all know that Spam only continues because somewhere, somebody is clicking on that message and trying to buy some cheap Viagra.  If it weren't profitable, we wouldn't be getting Spammed.  That irritates us tech people because we know that Spam and Viruses could be completely eliminated if non-tech people would stop being dumbasses and helping these things to propagate.  Instead, the average Tech Support guy spends his day trying to protect his users from themselves, which is like constantly chasing after a group of 2-year-olds running with scissors.  The reason Techs are frustrated is that if the people he supports (and reports to) would listen for ten minutes and stop doing the stupid things he's trying to protect them from, everyone's life would be easier, viruses and Spam would be stopped dead, and companies wouldn't have to spend Billions on Spam and A/V software. 

I used to do a lot of Executive Support for this Bank.  I also worked for a multi-millionaire head of an appliance wholesaler.  I ran into a LOT of incidents where someone in a position of power wanted to use a new application or gadget (especially Blackberrys and PDAs!), but since they didn't immediately, intuitively, instinctively know how it worked, they had to call Tech Support to come read the manual and explain it in Rich Dummy Terms.

Once I got comfortable with my positions (stopped worrying about being fired), I decided to take a stand and stop being an enabler.  I started to address it in a different manner than the techs I worked with OR the executives were used to.  I would ask (Calmly, and while smiling) "Are you at least as intelligent as someone who works in the mailroom here?"  Invariably, they would be taken somewhat aback, and say that they were.  I would then say that the folks in the mail room, customer service, and all sorts of lowly common people were currently using this technology, and if they could do it there's no reason you can't, too.  The usual response would be "I don't have time to learn all that!", to which I would reply "Then you don't need to use it!  Maybe you should stick with pen and paper.  If you can't take the time to learn it, how is it going to save you time when you try to use something you don't understand every day?"  One guy wanted a single-click to get his email - he thought Outlook was too complicated and wanted me to write some scripts to make it simpler.

  I explained to him that if Outlook could be made simpler to use, it would already be simpler to use.  The folks at M$ have put MILLIONS into the development of Outlook to make it as user-friendly as possible, and any shortcuts I create are simply going to add problems.  That's not what he wanted to hear, so he gave up all of the functionality of using Exchange and starting using Outlook Express inside the LAN.  <sigh>

What's the answer?  Licensing people to use computers?  Making people pass a test before allowing them to have broadband?  We all know that if the novices out there ran A/V and a firewall that everyone's Internet would be a better place, but how do we do that?  Do we use "WhiteHat" worms (like Welchia) which scan the net for vulnerable machines and fix them?  Other than the intent, we'd be doing the same thing as the BlackHats.  And if the worm had a flaw (again, like Welchia), it will cause problems of it's own.  That's not much of a solution, is it?

If you've got any ideas, let me know.  As for me, I've gotta go.  My Grandmother just opened an email patch from Microsoft.

Later,

Chuck