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Jess K.
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As a computer scientist myself, here are the avenues I have taken:

When asked to fix a Bluray player at a holiday gathering...

"I can look, but your guess is as good as mine. I know how to write software, not fix hardware."

When asked opinions on software I know nothing about...

"Yeah... I know nothing about this. I would try looking for reviews on CNet (or another source you can provide for them)."

When asked to fix the "thing that the computer is doing"...

"I can barely fix my own computer. I can look at it and see if it's something I've seen before, but you might have to take it to a professional."

What all of these answers have in common is that you admit you probably aren't going to have an answer for them, but you provide them with somewhere to go next to find help.

As a computer scientist, you've probably noticed that we Google things... a lot (and usually end up on StackOverflow, for that matter). We generally have a good idea of where we can find answers on the internet - because we do it so often!

Providing your friends and family with information of where they should be looking maintains your ability to still sound helpful and supportive, while training them to be sufficient in finding this info for themselves, without depending on you.

Alternatively, not teaching them how to find the info themselves (saying "I can't help, sorry") will likely leave them feeling like you DO know the answer and just don't want to help (because in their minds you know it all)! This is why walking through the exercise just a few times with them is worth the taken time, even if it's still a but frustrating.

If they keep asking you, remind them:

"Remember what we did last time you had a question like this? I'd try that."

Plus, in the words of good ole Einstein:

"Intelligence is not the ability to store information, but to know where to find it."

As a computer scientist myself, here are the avenues I have taken:

When asked to fix a Bluray player at a holiday gathering...

"I can look, but your guess is as good as mine. I know how to write software, not fix hardware."

When asked opinions on software I know nothing about...

"Yeah... I know nothing about this. I would try looking for reviews on CNet (or another source you can provide for them)."

When asked to fix the "thing that the computer is doing"...

"I can barely fix my own computer. I can look at it and see if it's something I've seen before, but you might have to take it to a professional."

What all of these answers have in common is that you admit you probably aren't going to have an answer for them, but you provide them with somewhere to go next to find help.

As a computer scientist, you've probably noticed that we Google things... a lot (and usually end up on StackOverflow, for that matter). We generally have a good idea of where we can find answers on the internet - because we do it so often!

Providing your friends and family with information of where they should be looking maintains your ability to still sound helpful and supportive, while training them to be sufficient in finding this info for themselves, without depending on you.

Plus, in the words of good ole Einstein:

"Intelligence is not the ability to store information, but to know where to find it."

As a computer scientist myself, here are the avenues I have taken:

When asked to fix a Bluray player at a holiday gathering...

"I can look, but your guess is as good as mine. I know how to write software, not fix hardware."

When asked opinions on software I know nothing about...

"Yeah... I know nothing about this. I would try looking for reviews on CNet (or another source you can provide for them)."

When asked to fix the "thing that the computer is doing"...

"I can barely fix my own computer. I can look at it and see if it's something I've seen before, but you might have to take it to a professional."

What all of these answers have in common is that you admit you probably aren't going to have an answer for them, but you provide them with somewhere to go next to find help.

As a computer scientist, you've probably noticed that we Google things... a lot (and usually end up on StackOverflow, for that matter). We generally have a good idea of where we can find answers on the internet - because we do it so often!

Providing your friends and family with information of where they should be looking maintains your ability to still sound helpful and supportive, while training them to be sufficient in finding this info for themselves, without depending on you.

Alternatively, not teaching them how to find the info themselves (saying "I can't help, sorry") will likely leave them feeling like you DO know the answer and just don't want to help (because in their minds you know it all)! This is why walking through the exercise just a few times with them is worth the taken time, even if it's still a but frustrating.

If they keep asking you, remind them:

"Remember what we did last time you had a question like this? I'd try that."

Plus, in the words of good ole Einstein:

"Intelligence is not the ability to store information, but to know where to find it."

Source Link
Jess K.
  • 22.7k
  • 17
  • 73
  • 96

As a computer scientist myself, here are the avenues I have taken:

When asked to fix a Bluray player at a holiday gathering...

"I can look, but your guess is as good as mine. I know how to write software, not fix hardware."

When asked opinions on software I know nothing about...

"Yeah... I know nothing about this. I would try looking for reviews on CNet (or another source you can provide for them)."

When asked to fix the "thing that the computer is doing"...

"I can barely fix my own computer. I can look at it and see if it's something I've seen before, but you might have to take it to a professional."

What all of these answers have in common is that you admit you probably aren't going to have an answer for them, but you provide them with somewhere to go next to find help.

As a computer scientist, you've probably noticed that we Google things... a lot (and usually end up on StackOverflow, for that matter). We generally have a good idea of where we can find answers on the internet - because we do it so often!

Providing your friends and family with information of where they should be looking maintains your ability to still sound helpful and supportive, while training them to be sufficient in finding this info for themselves, without depending on you.

Plus, in the words of good ole Einstein:

"Intelligence is not the ability to store information, but to know where to find it."