He would rather play his freecell game.

[sld72382]

Bank Account numbers
Private Conversations
Journal Entries
Contact information for friends and family.
In some cases where people own their own business, you may even have access to payroll and contact information for those people's employees.

and that's not even mention "personal" files. (yes... I mean porn lol)

Do you really think I want to see that stuff? I just want to fix the issue, and get off the machine.

[Lingering Grin]

Do you really think I want to see that stuff? I just want to fix the issue, and get off the machine.

Yeah, but how do I know that? That's sorta my point, I only have your word when it comes down to it.

[the_std]

Dude, sld was only doing his job. He offered to remote in and help the guy, but if he didn't want to do that, he could take his computer in. He had options. Why are you guys ragging on him for just doing his job?

[Lingering Grin]

Dude, sld was only doing his job. He offered to remote in and help the guy, but if he didn't want to do that, he could take his computer in. He had options. Why are you guys ragging on him for just doing his job?

Actually, I'm ragging on the company policy, I think it's ridiculous.

[dianek93]

Do you really think I want to see that stuff? I just want to fix the issue, and get off the machine.

I think LG isn't trying to say *you* would want to see all that, but who says all tech support people that can and do use remote access are good people? Personally I'd at least clear off some of the personal and $$ type info and hope the person on the other end isn't a criminal and even if they are, hope that if they don't see any of that stuff right off the bat they won't look for it.

(The freecell guy was still a jerk though)

[Ironclad Alibi]

Actually, I'm ragging on the company policy, I think it's ridiculous.

Which policy is ridiculous?

The guy had three options:

1. Let the tech have remote access to fix the problem, which would interupt his Freecell game.

2. Take it into the store, which would also interupt his Freecell game.

3. Live with the problem until he won his bet.

He apparently opted for number three.

Apparent company policy in force here: Don't give out company passwords.

Also, I suspect the guy's $300 dollar bet was that he could play a certain number of Freecell games without losing. I have won up to 3000 Freecells games in a row before recording a lose.

Of course, all the guy had to do was finish the one game, close Freecell, and let the tech do his stuff. The guy was an SC.

[Lingering Grin]

I just think having the only two options for fixing a problem being either Remote Access, or bringing it to a store is dumb.


Both of those options require giving control of the computer over to a complete stranger.

There has to be some way for them to figure out how to be able to provide phone support, there is NO reason that someone should have to hand over their entire (private) computer to fix a SOFTWARE problem.


If these were company computers this sort of thing would make sense, but on a personal computer? That's absolutely ridiculous.

[Ironclad Alibi]

If these were company computers this sort of thing would make sense, but on a personal computer? That's absolutely ridiculous.

I going to have to agree with you on this. I know I wouldn't turn my computer over to someone else like that.

[Bandit]

Now in defense of the OP and the company policy, you have to remember the average user has the IQ of cauliflower and can't tell a left click from sending a fax by holding up the paper to the screen while putting the coffee in the cup holder.

We, by definition, are on the high side of the IQ curve and thus can usually figure things out on our own, or find the right people to ask, or work the google-fu to find out the answer to the IRQ conflict questions.

The average user can't read a screen, let alone describe the problem accurately enough to even start working a solution. Hell, I'm in telecom and just trying to get users to tell me the extension (4 digits) in an e-mail can be painful.

While I would never use the OP's company policy (too many boxes running lots of different OS), I do think it makes sense for retail support. One "Lemme remote in and see what's going on" is usually 1/20th of the time of "Tell me what you see".

Corporate PC users are bad enough - the general public would leave a trail of drool from the local big-box when they buy a computer.

Just my $0.02

B

[lordlundar]

Well more brutal than I would say myself (though pretty tame to what I would think on a bad day) Bandit has a point. Most users have a tendency to phone in saying "my computer's broke, fix it!" and repeat it on end.

Now the tech needs the info to fix the problem and it boils down to getting it from either the user or the computer. Now we have already determined the user isn't giving the information we need, so we need it from the computer. That means hands on, either by remote access or physical access. now if the user refuses on those counts, we can't fix the problem.

That covers diagnostics. Now for the issue the user had. This is a multi-part resolution, which takes a while in it's own right and often requires programs that the user doesn't have. As any tech will tell you, talking a customer through it is VERY long, often combative and offers no guarantee that the user did the procedure right, if at all, which will cause problems later on. (ie "You didn't fix my problem! I'm going to sue/complain to corporate/go to the media!") So it boils down to fixing the problem directly, once again by remote access or physical access to the machine.

Now a tech can be held liable for any damage from misuse, let alone losing their job and in a serious enough incident, their certification. So the situation boils down to as follows:

In your current state, you don't have the skills or resources to fix the problem yourself. So you can either find someone you trust to fix it, or you get the skills and resources to fix it yourself. If you phone me, that tells me you trust me.

[ta2ooed1]

I just think having the only two options for fixing a problem being either Remote Access, or bringing it to a store is dumb.


Both of those options require giving control of the computer over to a complete stranger.

There has to be some way for them to figure out how to be able to provide phone support, there is NO reason that someone should have to hand over their entire (private) computer to fix a SOFTWARE problem.


If these were company computers this sort of thing would make sense, but on a personal computer? That's absolutely ridiculous.

I'm curious about your idea of total control and an earlier post about allowing strangers into a home. Both seem to stem from the idea that the computer owner isn't sitting right in front of the screen watching everything that is being done, if the user see's something they don't like they can always just start moving the mouse to stop the person at the other end and of course there's always the option of simply breaking the connection if they want someone out. The analogy of allowing someone into your home is rather good but in the opposite way. I have been known to let strangers into my home, when I'm there of course so the possibility of someone getting into something I don't want them to see is remote. It also works with the idea of not wanting a stranger to see your personal items. I wouldn't leave my vibrator out in plan sight anymore than someone should leave personal files open on their pc when allowing someone to remote in

[Lingering Grin]

I'm curious about your idea of total control and an earlier post about allowing strangers into a home. Both seem to stem from the idea that the computer owner isn't sitting right in front of the screen watching everything that is being done, if the user see's something they don't like they can always just start moving the mouse to stop the person at the other end and of course there's always the option of simply breaking the connection if they want someone out. The analogy of allowing someone into your home is rather good but in the opposite way. I have been known to let strangers into my home, when I'm there of course so the possibility of someone getting into something I don't want them to see is remote. It also works with the idea of not wanting a stranger to see your personal items. I wouldn't leave my vibrator out in plan sight anymore than someone should leave personal files open on their pc when allowing someone to remote in

Yes, but you're not thinking of more malicious things.

You could put a Trojan on their computer without them ever knowing until it's too late. You could make copies of files or entire hard drives, without giving away so much as mouse click.

Or, or course, you could just accidentally stumble across something. I happen to have quite a few short cuts on my desktop that lead to different areas of my computer. I also use the Desktop as my default download location. (Makes it easier for finding and deleting downloads afterwords).


I'm approaching this from the position of what *I* could accomplish if I had remote access to a computer. It's dangerous.

[ta2ooed1]

Yes, but you're not thinking of more malicious things.

You could put a Trojan on their computer without them ever knowing until it's too late. You could make copies of files or entire hard drives, without giving away so much as mouse click.

Or, or course, you could just accidentally stumble across something. I happen to have quite a few short cuts on my desktop that lead to different areas of my computer. I also use the Desktop as my default download location. (Makes it easier for finding and deleting downloads afterwords).


I'm approaching this from the position of what *I* could accomplish if I had remote access to a computer. It's dangerous.

Paranoid much? Just kidding, but that's why you should only deal with reputable companies. It's analogous to not hiring the greasy handyman down the street to look at your furnace because you don't want him in your house and going with a company that established and has earned a good reputation. If we carry the analogy to your other point of stuff on your desktop, like I said don't leave personal items out where they can be seen easily when someone you don't know is going to be in your house/computer. If that still isn't good enough then it's time to learn how to fix your problem yourself because some issues can't be fixed without access to a computer just like a furnace isn't gonna get fixed if you don't let the repairman look at/touch the furnace.

[sld72382]

Now in defense of the OP and the company policy, you have to remember the average user has the IQ of cauliflower and can't tell a left click from sending a fax by holding up the paper to the screen while putting the coffee in the cup holder.

Exactly, which is why I try to use remote access all the time.

Plus, our remote access is not the type that puts me behind a curtain. The customer can see everything I'm doing, and if he/she sees that I'm doing something they don't like, their free to break the connection at any time.

[EricKei]

Plus, our remote access is not the type that puts me behind a curtain. The customer can see everything I'm doing, and if he/she sees that I'm doing something they don't like, their free to break the connection at any time.

Same with ours. It even cuts of my control if they so much as move the mouse (tho I can still see their screen). I've actually found that telling people that up front sets them at ease. Put simply, there's nothing I can do on their comps that they won't know about as it's happening.