“Hey, can you help me with … (insert description of computer problem here)”

I regularly get asked technical questions, usually computer related, whether amongst friends or by my family. I’ve become the “go-to-guy” when it comes to answering things about hard drives, how much RAM a computer should have, or if a particular brand of video camera is a good buy. I don’t mind the questions so much, but what does annoy me (slightly) is the time that answering such questions takes. Every time I think there’s a short answer to something, explaining the gizmo, what kind of alternatives there are to the gizmo, and how the gizmo works, the better part of an hour usually passes. After an exhausting day at work or a busy weekend day with the kids, sometimes the last thing I want to do is be the guy answering the “tech hot line”.

My dad in particular takes up a lot of my time in answering computer questions, but I realize that his is a generation where computers haven’t really been part of daily life. On the other hand, my two young children will not know a world without computers and modern technology, and I guess it’s fair to say, they’ll know this stuff like riding a bicycle.

I guess being the tech go-to-guy amongst friends and family should be cherished, with the realization that if I ever become unemployed, I’d at least have something to fall back on. Although I may come home tired and or I’m busy with my kids when I’m home, I’m usually more than happy to help my friends and family out with their problems. I know that my wife isn’t too happy with me manning the computer hot line, but the inner geek in me sometimes can’t resist.