Your parents and technical stuff

[Astranomical]

So last night my main PC farted and shat itself and died. Anyway, I was having a look at it, and my parents were going on about me electrocuting myself. I'm a university student, studying IT, and I've been working with computer hardware for just on 10 years. For most of those 10 years my parents have gone on about me electrocuting myself, since they think that *every* part in a computer runs at 240VAC. I explain to them, "Thats why you have a power supply, to convert the big bad 240VAC to the 3.3/5/12 VDC required to run the computer", which goes in one ear and out the other.

For some reason when it comes to just about anything technical not working properly, my parents always act like a bunch of retarded special school students...I remember a few years back when the Traumatic in the WB shat itself, I said something to someone about it, and Mum tried to explain to me that it was the gearbox that was blown, not the transmission. I tried to explain that they're the same thing, just with a different name, which didn't work.

Anyone else have these sort of experiences?

[MasterOfReality]

No.

Maybe time for some new parents?

[Tom_1569]

There is a thread already on this, and I thought you started it lol. Ill find it later.

[pow3rslave]

There is a thread already on this, and I thought you started it lol. Ill find it later.

lol, i think i started that, but it died. if mods want to merge these i'm sure goVZ won't mind

my parents and their difficulties with computer hardware are well documented on these forums. the most recent case was in the heatwave, the modem shat itself repeatedly. it's lived without a case on it since the last heatwave when i took it off to try to cool it better.
since it seemed to make no difference this time round i put the case back on it. next day cue a call from my mum
mum "we have no internet or email"
me "have you tried resetting the modem?"
mum "just a second... it's not there."
me "well that will be your problem then."

after a second or so i clued into the fact that she couldn't identify the modem anymore because it had its top on. it was in the same place, with the same cables that she was always familiar with, it just had a roof and front on it this time.

also a mates mums pc just shat itself. the psu popped in the heat so we switched it out. the entire time she was hassling about whether she'd lose any of her photos. i told her computers these days store very little data in the power supply but she was unconvinced. i thought about comparing it to a car where you can change the battery but the engine works just the same, but then i'd have TWO things to explain, not one.

[jules]

my favourite was a mate's mum who once insisted he be sure to get the stuff he was copying for me onto disk back when i was finished with it.

[Eliminator]

My parent s and granparents think the internet is ''baloney'' ...usueless info and all.... when really its quite an informative way to research things on the cheap with views from many different people (which most of its accurate)

[Tom_1569]

lol, i think i started that, but it died. if mods want to merge these i'm sure goVZ won't mind

Yeah, just found it, it was your thread, not goVZ's my bad. Anyways LINKY JINKY

[gopher]

plug it in and give them a demo on what you can and can't touch

[ClairBear]

You know what? One day you will all be your parents age and technology over taken you, and you will be asking your kids questions, they will roll their eyes at you.. and history will be repeated.

[soop]

You've got kiddies, and you know how to work computermaboberiseras.

So, your very existance contradicts your last statement.

Oh dear, i've gone cross eyed...

[gopher]

You know what? One day you will all be your parents age and technology over taken you, and you will be asking your kids questions, they will roll their eyes at you.. and history will be repeated.

i never admit defeat to my kids

[NORTI]

You've got kiddies, and you know how to work computermaboberiseras.

So, your very existance contradicts your last statement.

Oh dear, i've gone cross eyed...

me too lols, Im still at the point where I know more than the kids..... oh except when it comes to Nintendo DS + the mod chip, Im over my head there these days lols

what shits me is my mum could install dos back in the day on our 386, yet she cant install windows xp.....

arg!!

[andyman]

meh, mum knows im right with techincal stuff, she asks, i tell, she says whatever that is, and says as long as you know, you can fix it for me, and walks off

[BootifuL]

I rekon ill be like that! Our eldest is 4 and a half and thinks he knows everything about anything, its hard debating with a 4 year old as when they have their mind set they are right no matter what you say!!!

I rekon when i am 40yrs old there will be all these new gadgets that i have no clue what so ever about but pretend i know what im doing!

[ClairBear]

You've got kiddies, and you know how to work computermaboberiseras.

So, your very existance contradicts your last statement.

Oh dear, i've gone cross eyed...

Yes there are always going to be exceptions to the rule, like myself, but only because it is an interest and I keep up to date with technology. But most people around my age can only start their computers and navigate to email and a browser.

[NORTI]

Yes there are always going to be exceptions to the rule, like myself, but only because it is an interest and I keep up to date with technology. But most people around my age can only start their computers and navigate to email and a browser.

Yes once you get to the ripe old age of 80, these things happen dear.....

lol Sash, why do you sound so old in your posts these days?

[DannyboyDS]

dude you can still kill yourself with 12v DC 3.3v and 5V too, its the current that kills you, and I know, I know everybody says it, but I just said it again WAHHHHH!

if you puncture yourself ona contact that is charged or live across a digit AKA a finger and a finger on your other hand is the closest path to earth it will go straight across your heart and stop it.

ina ll honesty i know allot more then my parents about most things technical, but dad just showed me how to use the DVD recorder on TV I was so lost, yet on the other hand I was brought up on computers and can do anything with them, even have a diploma somewhere that was a big waste of time :P

[And_ROOS]

You know what? One day you will all be your parents age and technology over taken you, and you will be asking your kids questions, they will roll their eyes at you.. and history will be repeated.

Nah, it wont. Most people these days are raised around technology and ready to welcome new technology in.

The elderly people i know refuse to learn.


Thats the difference.

[Calaber]

If I can use myself as an example of the "older generation", our household isn't one where the parents are totally mystified by the computer or modern electronic doo-dads.

I have had a strong interest in technology and technical progress for many years and can show my kids a thing or two about what makes motor vehicles work. (Fact is, they know zip about cars). I also repair most of the appliances around the house when they cark it. I do rely on my son (23) for advice re access to on-line programs which he becomes aware of because he is a greater user of the pc than me, but I know more about things like Excel and Word, which were bread and butter to me in my former employment.

Ultimately, he will increase his knowledge of computer programs whereas I will not want to keep up to date as I age. In ten years, he will probably be showing me how to turn his brand new, latest tech computer on because they will have deleted the power key and I won't have a clue what to look for.

[GoodKarma]

Hey goVZ, next time you have a fist full of PC and the parents give you the "watch you don't zap yourself" thing tell them it's okay as you have had a few and the body builds up it's immune system to counter these episodes. So you have, in fact, immunities to electrocution on a small scale. That should keep them thinking for a while.
BTW Calaber my dad is 85 and got me to build him a PC, is on the internet, keeps in touch with the family members in Tassie via Messenger (whole webcam thing), is proficient in burning discs and loves it! So we are never too old! (I think??!!)

[ClairBear]

Nah, it wont. Most people these days are raised around technology and ready to welcome new technology in.

The elderly people i know refuse to learn.


Thats the difference.

They refuse to learn because they are not interested, and that is my point entirely. As people grow older they no longer feel the need to get their head around how the latest gadgets etc. work, so happily rely on the younger generation. I recall when VCR's were introduced and most parents had no idea how to program them to record a TV show. Not that they were stupid or incapable of learning, some simply cannot be bothered with all the different functions.

As as I said, history will repeat. As Calaber pointed out, he himself knows his son will probably surpass him at some point with his knowledge, and I am sure my boys may be the same.

[Calaber]

What younger people need to appreciate is that, as we age, we don't all want to maintain the complexities of modern life. We want things to be simpler and, in most cases, our capacity to learn new things and retain the knowledge, diminishes. vqstatesman's dad is clearly in the minority and he's extremely lucky to be able to retain the mental faculties necessary to master "new" technologies.

I still get a buzz out of being able to do things with machinery and appliances that no-one else in the famly has the slightest idea about. I admit that computers frustate the sh1t out of me, because when something goes wrong, I can't fix them.

[DannyboyDS]

I admit that computers frustate the sh1t out of me, because when something goes wrong, I can't fix them.

Calaber meet Mr Hammer, now introduce your new friend to the computer, ive seent hat approach before.

Never laughed harder then when I read this article in APC about a mobile tech that went to this guys house, and the man was red faced, sweating and absolutly massive. when the tech sat down to fix the computer he noticed the front was all smashed in on the computer, rather then become the next victim he apparantly said nothing and went about the job, A wise choice at that :P

[Calaber]

Calaber meet Mr Hammer, now introduce your new friend to the computer, ive seent hat approach before.

Never laughed harder then when I read this article in APC about a mobile tech that went to this guys house, and the man was red faced, sweating and absolutly massive. when the tech sat down to fix the computer he noticed the front was all smashed in on the computer, rather then become the next victim he apparantly said nothing and went about the job, A wise choice at that :P

Ha Ha - love it! Don't need Mr. Hammer though, I have a decent right arm and our house is elevated.

"PC seen at 50 feet and climbing....."

[Dayvo]

You know what? One day you will all be your parents age and technology over taken you, and you will be asking your kids questions, they will roll their eyes at you.. and history will be repeated.

How right you are .I used to roll my eyes at my folks at some of the things they used to ask me . Now i have a 20 y.o and a 24 y.o and they roll their eyes at me . Especially when my wife asked my son " How do you rewind a DVD .