Re: [Computerbank] the support curse

[Bruce McCubbery <brucemcc@melbpc.org.au>]

So I've lanced this boil for a few of you?

Simple.

If you don't want to do it, then don't.

* But what about the clients?

They'll be better off. They'll get a warm hearted, very patient and
understanding person looking after them instead -- not a distracted
I-hate-doing-this one -- a people person.

* Where will these sort of helpers come from?

Through a four step process:

First, from recognising the type of person we need to do our support work.

Second, by publicly saying we need these sort of people, having recognised
this is truly horses for courses stuff.

Third, by recognising a simple fact: techies relate to machines and
systems, these other sorts of people we will now seek like person to person
interaction and helping others.

Fourth, by then sourcing people like that with some or all of the skills we
now are seeking and training them to be Computerbank support/help providers.

A totally different other type of Computerbank volunteer.

* While also having the proposed mailing list and website for those not
needing this one-on-one personal help.

.. Bruce

At 17:13 9/01/02 +1100, Julien Goodwin wrote:
>I totally agree, I am not a support person, I am a systems & networks admin.
>However give me an obscure problem and I'll sit there for three hours
>(days... weeks has happened) trying to figure it out.
>What we need is something like a support database, so support people can
>look in there when they get a call, and add the solution if it's not there.
>And then the real techs can go through these solutions and clean them up, or
>perhaps create scripts to manage issues if it's a major one.

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