Don't clean tech in sink

Our computers and smart phones provide us with an unprecedented ability to communicate, share information and access resources, almost instantly from anywhere on the planet.

For better or for worse, information technology has augmented the human condition and has become an integral part of our lives. In fact, the degree that modern society relies on technology is often taken for granted, until, of course, it stops working.

When technology works, we feel empowered, connected and in control, but when it goes bad, and our patience wears thin, it can quickly leave us feeling frustrated, overwhelmed and helpless.

In situations like this, most people instinctively reach out to a friend, family member or professional for help, and are usually up and running again sooner rather than later.

Occasionally, there are those individuals who for whatever reason always feel compelled to take the road less travelled, in spite of being way out of their comfort zones.

While I'm all about rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty, the school of hard knocks is not a very forgiving teacher, and doesn't give an A for effort. And, in spite of their good intentions, these folks often end up out of the frying pan and into the fire.

And I have seen some fires. I pride myself on my professionalism, but I've encountered some situations where the measures taken to try to resolve a computer issue was so over the top that it was very difficult to not chuckle.

One such instance involved an older lady who contacted me regarding problems connecting to the internet with her new computer. She had been told by her internet provider that the problem was with her windows and that she needed to have her windows cleaned.

She went on to say that she had hired someone to clean the windows to no avail and that the problem had not gone away. Upon arriving, she walked me around the house to show me that all the windows had been professionally cleaned.

She was a wonderful lady with a great sense of humour and the moment I finished explaining what was meant by windows, she immediately looked at me and we both burst out laughing. And yes I fixed the issue and she still laughs about it to this day.

Another call came from a fellow who explained that his keyboard had mysteriously stopped working after cleaning it.

"How do you clean your keyboard?" I asked

"Why, in the sink, of course," he replied.

At some point, the technology you rely on is going to stop working. You have no control over that, and how you choose to react will determine if it gets fixed sooner or later and how stressful it is.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. If you do attempt to fix it yourself and make matters worse, don't be too hard on yourself.

We've all been there and done that, sometimes its better to just throw your hands up, have a laugh and call in the cavalry.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.