Glad to be of assistance

As you might imagine, I have answered a LOT of computer questions over the years as a result of my chosen path as demagogy-free radio talk show host and newspaper techno-pundit.

The questions come via e-mail, IM, the phone, in person and via third parties, friends and relatives. Everything from consumer advice to complex network troubleshooting. Sometimes I know the answer and sometimes I am quick with a well executed Google search and on certain occasions I just grunt my displeasure at being used in this manner and go back to what I was doing before I was so rudely interrupted.

Since all my Q&A’s I write for the Chronicle are archived in the Helpline Blog they are turning up in the search engines when people are looking for an answer to a problem. This means that I am answering questions now without actually interacting with the person experiencing the problem.

There’s no way to track this. I simply have no idea how much assistance (or damage) I am perpetrating. I do, however, have an inkling based on the steady stream of replies to one particular posting I made back on Sept. 9, 2005.

My screen is sideways

It was a Q&A I put together based on a real live helpdesk issue that I solved with one of my users in the course of my workday. In terms of publishing it was kind of a “throw down” posting in that I did not see this as something that affected very many people and would possibly be more filler than anything or perhaps just demonstrate a quirky computer factoid.

I was wrong.

This week I have received three comments thanking me for that one single answer and I have received around 28 since it was posted. And since I rarely hear from people I have successfully helped the true number of people this has helped may never be fully known.

I can only imagine how many people have been suffering with a monitor turned on it’s side looking for a solution.

I’m glad I could help.