Pulaski

I have an assistant now, well two actually, who can handle most day to day stuff when I am away, plus they have my phone number, but I had no backup when I went to the UK for Christmas 2018. At that time I managed using only my laptop, but it was very quiet - no more than 1-2 two files a day, and with it being the holidays, most of my colleagues were away (the ones upstream from me), and customer activity was low too, so no complex questions to deal with either, thankfully. I just sat with my laptop on my lap in an easy chair, with a suitably seasonal tipple to ease the process.

scrubbedexpat091

Not sure. Never thought about IT, in part due to the lack if personal interest in it. I tend to not do well learning things I have no interest in, which doesn't help me in school. Suppose it could be something worth trying, but never thought about it really.

Danny B

Trust me, to fix minor IT problems, all you need to know is 'how to Google' to find the answer

scrubbedexpat091

Or ask is it plugged it, yes its plugged in ffs. I understand some people must call tech support before plugging in their modem or something as its like the first question shaw asks when there is a modem issue.....

I never actually had to call tech support for personal computer issues, usually by the time the computer stops working its out of warranty by a couple years and its simply time to buy a new one.

When I worked at the airport, under the terminal air side all the racks of what appeared to be computer wires connecting everything upstairs, must have been miles on miles of wires and bundles, always wonder how those who fix/install know which wire goes where and all that, just looked like an organized mess to me..

Pulaski

My employer's tech support mostly just ask if you've rebooted, so now I never call tech support until I have rebooted. Rebooting fixes at least 80% of my computer issues, and if it does not then tech support either [1] needs to send to someone to my desk (or now I WFH full time, I need to take it to a a tech support location), or [2] they have to "install a patch".

On the rare occasions that there is a problem that doesn't need a patch or a desk visit, then I spend 5-15 minutes on hold while the person I am speaking to researches the problem and/or asks someone else in tech support for advice.

scrubbedexpat091

I always reboot whatever device so I can skip that part with the phone person.

At most of my jobs though, tech support was just call them, give them the computer number, they would go in remotely do what they needed to do to fix it, and call me back saying it was fixed or they can't fix it and send someone out to fix it. Luckily with employers I didn't have to do anything really on my end except make a phone call to tell them.

dbd33

Nah, worked there already. Needs to be in one of the six States needed to complete the set. What you got in North Dakota? Something short, ideally.

Gozit

...this. If you wanted to just stick to the lower level, IT customer service positions, there isn't much to learn. Most problems are laughably simple, and while I have a great interest in IT so I get bored and frustrated by the simple stuff that people can't seem to figure out, I have had plenty of coworkers who have been in the tier 1 customer service positions their whole career and enjoy the low-stress, low level troubleshooting and social interaction they get out of the job. Plus as I said, it is still a skilled position so you could make $30-35 an hour reasonably once you've got some experience.

Pulaski

Agreed 100%.

I have never considered myself particularly tech-savvy, and haven't done any programming since I was at uni, but in the several companies and various departments where I have worked, I usually seem to become the "person to go to" to solve minor tech issues.

Danny B

I realize I am extremely lucky to have a job that enables me to work from home, but my God do I miss the office. This is week four and no end in sight....

scrubbedexpat091

I saw a few posts on reddit last night people saying they miss the office, some finding they are less productive because they are on a laptop and only one screen, more disturbances from kids, spouses, pets etc.

The socialization aspect of being at work is good, seems hard to replace that working from home.

dbd33

I expect that is true for some people but in general, I think the people I work with are much more productive. An immediate benefit is that methodologies are suspended so people avoid 30, 60, 90 minutes of scrums per day and don't lose one day a fortnight to sprint planning. People seem to be working more hours. In normal times I'd get to the office at 7 and have half an hour's peace before people started arriving with questions. Now lots of people are working at 6. People always worked into the evenings and that hasn't changed. The purges have jolted people to attention. No one wants to be in the next of cuts so people are competitive in delivering better presentations/plans/materials than before. No one is late for a meeting now.

I would not be at all sympathetic to someone complaining about lack of hardware. Costco is open. Go and buy the bits you want.

Danny B

This is my life now

Jingsamichty

My project is finishing at the end of this month, so with little chance of joining a new project any time soon, looks like I'll be having a summer of leisure for the first time ever. Fingers crossed the weather is nice.

Pulaski

I couldn't, in any meaningful sense, work using just my laptop screen; neither could my wife, so we both have two auxiliary screens in our WFH set-ups, and actually larger ones than provided by our employers.