The “citizen help desk”

Four random conversations this weekend make me think if  as individuals we are getting these calls, wonder how wide a range of queries are hitting our IT help desks

• Converse with Mike Krigsman about trying to tether a iPod Touch to a Blackberry. He wants the iPod to do some Bluetooth dances its designers never in their dreams would have thought off.
• I see a Tweet from Pat Phelan “just had an email asking "I would prefer to update twitterfone by text rather than voice, can you do that" WTF”
• I talk to Charlie Bess and he has set up remote diagnostics for his family spread around the country. Would not expect anything less from a HP father - hate to think what help desk issues he has to resolve, though.
• I help my daughter uncover why she could not use dial-up from her grandparent's place in Longford, Ireland. Try doing that when the line is the only one - alternatively used to talk to her and for her to dial out!

Then the sneaking suspicion hit me – may be our IT help desks are not doing much, and we are just relying on each other – the citizen help desk!

Comments

[Charlie Bess]

Yes, Vinnie collaboration takes all forms. We still get calls from the side of the road on the infromation highway. Fortunitely, we have more tools available to help out the stranded motorist (a few years back I could have said modemist -- but now everyone I know is on broadband).

[Kim Diamond]

I have been testing various ID and Passport scanning solutions from a company called CSSN and they seem to do a great job