Yahoo is psychic!

[Zoe Hates You]

New job at the library, yay!

Many of the people who come to the library to use the public access computers have little prior experience with such technology, which is fine. I don’t assume someone is a moron just because they don’t know how to change the font size in Word. We do get some gems, though. Within the past couple of days I have helped two gentlemen set up free email accounts. Both returned today.


Idiot Library Patron #1

This guy was really lazy and wanted me to do all the work for him when he came in the other day. He whined about having to fill out the form to set up a Yahoo account. In the end it took him a half hour to fill out the form to sign up, which of course basically consists of typing your name, address, birthday, desired ID and password and secret questions. Today was similar.

SC: I need you to help me check my email and print something out.
Me: Okay, I’d be happy to do that.
SC: [staring blankly at the open internet window] What do I do first?
Me, knowing that he full well knows how to navigate to a web page: You click on that box at the top and type “yahoo.com.” Then press “Enter.”
SC: [looking at the “Username” and “Password” entry boxes on the sign-in page] Ugh, do I really have to type those again?? I did that yesterday!


Idiot Library Patron #2

This guy motions for me to come over. I remember him from his previous visit because he was generally being an epic idiot. I see he has an open email window with a bunch of text in the body that must have taken him forever to type because he is a hunt-and-peck-er on the keyboard. The “To:” line has something like www.fasttrackmoney.com typed in it and I’m thinking, great, he’s swept up in some scam or another.

SC: Is this an email address?
Me: No, that’s actually the address for a website.
SC: Oh, well, you see, I don’t have the person’s email address.
Me: Yeah, you’ll need the email address of the person you’re trying to reach in order to email them…

[dalesys]

Ugh, do I really have to type those again?? I did that yesterday!

We'll all be more than thrilled if, since you were breathing yesterday, you don't let yourself be bothered with breathing today.

[PepperElf]

bit like a customer i had the other day.
she wanted to use an amazon card for her kindle but when it came to actually registering the account it turns out she had SOME passwords printed out but i don't know what they were for.

turns out she only does facebook. i was sympathetic to her cos she said she'd been through a stroke ... but that still won't help me get her into her amazon account if she doesn't know the password to it or to her email to reset the password.

[camjuniper]

New job at the library, yay!

Congrats on the new job!

Ugh, do I really have to type those again?? I did that yesterday!

He should really be more worried if it saved them for him or kept him logged in. Tsk. I know he's a computer newb, but doesn't he get that other people use that computer and possibly even use yahoo mail?

[MoonCat]

SC: Is this an email address?
Me: No, that’s actually the address for a website.
SC: Oh, well, you see, I don’t have the person’s email address.
Me: Yeah, you’ll need the email address of the person you’re trying to reach in order to email them…

I deal with this type of thing almost every week. Someone calls and asks how they email an ad to us. I give them the email address and they call back saying it didn't work. Ask a few questions, find out they're typing the email address into the browser. Or, they ask for the website address and try to use it as an email address. Can't win.

[coasterchick]

SC: [looking at the “Username” and “Password” entry boxes on the sign-in page] Ugh, do I really have to type those again?? I did that yesterday!

You don't have to do anything. You will, however, continue to stare at the log-in screen if you don't.

[jedimaster91]

I used to have a job very similar to yours, OP. It's a pretty awesome feeling when someone you're helping finally "gets it." But be prepared to deal with a lot of morons. I cut them some slack if they don't know how to change the font size in Word. But I do start wondering after I've seen them in the Basic Word class ten times and I've shown them the same thing ten times besides.

And now, even though I've left that job (YAY!) I still end up helping my grandmother--who is determined to keep up with technology she has no idea how to use. I love her for trying new things, but it's so hard to explain things to her. Ah, well. At least she pays well for my services (I'd help just because I love her, but she insists on paying me for it. I learned a long time ago not to argue with her).

[BeenThereDoneThat]

I still end up helping my grandmother--who is determined to keep up with technology she has no idea how to use. I love her for trying new things, but it's so hard to explain things to her. Ah, well. At least she pays well for my services (I'd help just because I love her, but she insists on paying me for it. I learned a long time ago not to argue with her).

Sounds like my mom, who is 84. She doesn't pay me but that's ok, I kinda feel like I owe her at this point The big problem is she lives about 2 hours away and for some reason we're not having much luck doing remote desktop assistance right now, even though we've done it in the past. So I get to let her describe everything over the phone and then try to figure out what she's talking about. Sigh.