Dumb things people do because of the Net

john · March 10, 2006, 01:16:23 PM

These are things I have seen people do....

-Quit their job to work at home because of email offers promising $1000/wk for date entry ect...
-Quit their job because they believed an email offering a lucerative net business
-Click on the "You have spyware" popup and pay somebody $50 to "clean" it -thus getting a ton of spyware on the sys
-Respond to an email claiming their bank account was compromised -gave some joker al their info and then asked how to stop the balance in their account from shrinking at an alarming rate -duh!
-give out credit card info to assorted ebay/paypal/bank scam emails.

I have personally seen all these things on my travels as a tech. The questions of "what do I do?" are sad and annoying because they don't want to pay for the advice/help. Now I just shrug my shoulders and say "I don't know."

Is this social darwinism? I think so. humanity is doomed.

RVertigo · March 10, 2006, 01:19:59 PM

I used to always help people with their computers... No matter who it was or what the problem, I was already ready and willing to lend a hand...

Then people started relying on ME for EVERYTHING with their computer...

I stopped helping anyone. Now I just shrug and say, "Call Tech Support."

neilson · March 10, 2006, 01:35:01 PM

I work ini tech support also, the ignorance runs deep.

Jeppy · March 10, 2006, 01:41:01 PM

I just tell people all the time I don't know anything about computers. Even though I do and work with pretty much all aspects of networking and computers every single day. They just get pissed at me because they know that I do and I'm not willing to help them. I got tired of being the person everyone goes to when the have a problem they caused and want me to fix the same problem for the 100th time.

RVertigo · March 10, 2006, 02:02:44 PM

Quote from: neilson on March 10, 2006, 01:35:01 PMI work ini tech support also, the ignorance runs deep.

I used to do Tech Support for Sierra On-Line games...

Oh man!!!

No fun.

Jake D · March 10, 2006, 02:24:48 PM

Well, I have a computer question: where is the "any" key? It always says "press any key" and I can't find it. I usually just unplug the computer at that point.

manofthefield · March 10, 2006, 02:37:52 PM

You didn't see it? Maybe you should look again

Jake D · March 10, 2006, 02:50:24 PM

Sweet! Hey, wait a second. . .

My keyboard is broken!

Alphamazing · March 10, 2006, 02:56:22 PM

Quote from: Jake D on March 10, 2006, 02:50:24 PM
Sweet! Hey, wait a second. . .

My keyboard is broken!

Oh noes!

moditup · March 10, 2006, 03:08:04 PM

The problem is that a lot of people don't really 'understand' the fundamentals of computing and take what the computer says for granted. If a pop comes up, it must be coming from the computer right? And the computer knows whats going on with itself more than I do, so it must be true. This is more prevalent in ::cough:: older (don't shoot me) groups of individuals. As those in their 20s, 30s who grew up with computers knows more about them. It kinda goes to show that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. I constantly hear people (mostly my elders (but I'm just 21)) how they are scared to purchase online because of giving out information. That might have been a viable fear 5 years ago, but as long as you know what you are doing and where the information is going, then there isn't a problem. When all those people die off there will be less dumb questions and maybe tech support will become obsolete?!?!?!.

Jake D · March 10, 2006, 03:15:37 PM

Wait for them to die?
That reminds me of my idea to rid the planet of all STD's. Here's how you do it: you forbid anyone that is born today, March 10th, 2006, from ever having sex with anyone older than them.
Viola! After one generation, no more STDs!

moditup · March 10, 2006, 03:18:44 PM

but.. but.. some STDs are transfered from parent to child too.....

RVertigo · March 10, 2006, 03:23:43 PM

I have a cure too...

Have sex with condoms until you're married... Then never cheat.

Worked for me... I don't even have HPV like 80% (Something high like that) of the sexually active people in the world.

Cure for stupid people? Birth control in the water! You have to put away enough cash to send your kid to college, then take intellegence, phisical fitness, and parenting tests to get a permit to buy prescription non-birth-control water...

Dumb people would all go away in about 80 years. Or maybe Birth-Control in the food supply.

Jake D · March 10, 2006, 03:30:38 PM

Quote from: moditup on March 10, 2006, 03:18:44 PM
but.. but.. some STDs are transfered from parent to child too.....

Why muddy the waters with facts?

Jake D · March 10, 2006, 03:36:08 PM

Quote from: RVertigo on March 10, 2006, 03:23:43 PM
I have a cure too...

Have sex with condoms until you're married... Then never cheat. Worked for me... I don't even have HPV like 80% (Something high like that) of the sexually active people in the world.

Cure for stupid people? Birth control in the water! You have to put away enough cash to send your kid to college, then take intellegence, phisical fitness, and parenting tests to get a permit to buy prescription non-birth-control water... Dumb people would all go away in about 80 years. Or maybe Birth-Control in the food supply.

What about Catholics? Some people are opposed to birth control for religious reasons. At least that was the counter arguement to my theory that people should be forced to take a depo shot if they want welfare money.

RVertigo · March 10, 2006, 04:07:40 PM

Quote from: Jake D on March 10, 2006, 03:36:08 PMWhat about Catholics? Some people are opposed to birth control for religious reasons.

What about 'em?

What's more important... [edited for PCness]

pandy · March 10, 2006, 04:23:05 PM

Just boggles my mind how easily folks get into p*ssing contests over ANYTHING and EVERYTHING here!

RVertigo · March 10, 2006, 04:50:10 PM

Yeah... I should prolly edit my comments for PCness...

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Dumb things people do because of the Net