[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: [Computerbank] solving the conundrum of the bush

 

Terry Collins wrote:

Da Moose wrote:
>
> Yes your right we have looked at support and it's a difficult and costly
> area.
>
> Some days we spend most of the day on the phone answering suppoert calls.

Unless this is a support line, then this is bad. I closed the office of
a national association becasue of this - staff spent all time answering
general problems instead of doing the work they were paid for - then
they wondered why they had no jobs.

In my experience at the Vic office over the last years or so, the 4 biggest  support issues are
  1. Corrupted file system: this is covered quite well in the new documnetation requiring only a possible quick call to get the root password. And there has also been lots of talk about changing to riser-fs which will end the need for this ever happening.
  2. Connection to the internet: This is mostly handled at install/setup time, with the occational bring back to add a modem and setup their internet scripts.
  3. Printers: Again mostly handled at setup time, and we now have a fairly detailed list of Linux compatible printers. We also have a good howto file that the average person can do it on their own.
  4. Games: This will always be on the cards, I personaly dont know how good the windows emulation is in linux (only because I have never played with it).  What I normally tell ppl looking for games is go to www.everythinglinux.com.au, they have a good range all thing for linux (games,books,distributions, etc)
Terry the thing you seem to forget is, Computer Bank run by volunteers so no-ones job is on the line.  What I think is that we should be looking for some more volunteers to better fill a support role, either by recruitment or training.
 
On the day I mentioned a group that was encouraging organisations to
install Linux, but they had all become millstones around their neck
because it was ongoing (years of support) and this prevented them from
taking on new clients.
It looks like the group you speak of should have done a little more homework before speaking, if you are going to recomend something as critical as an OS you had better also aid with some training in it's admin, and/or look at having the support in place for recomendations made.
 

--
   Terry Collins {:-)}}} Ph(02) 4627 2186 Fax(02) 4628 7861
   email: terryc@woa.com.au  www: http://www.woa.com.au
   Wombat Outdoor Adventures <Bicycles, Books, Computers, GIS>

 "People without trees are like fish without clean water"
_______________________________________________
computerbank mailing list
computerbank@lists.linux.org.au
http://lists.linux.org.au/listinfo/computerbank

Just my $2 worth
John Clark
Vic