A question for non-tech/computer types

[sbj405]

Do you find the use of email difficult? I am genuinely asking. I have a co-worker (office environment) who can not use email. I get really frustrated because I am constantly interrupted to help attach a file, find an email address, etc. I guess I'm curious as to whether I'm being unreasonable to think that one who works in an office that lives and dies by email should know how to use it, but also how can I help her learn. Thanks.

[Benfea]

1. Some users are just like that

Is the user older? Older or not, some users just take longer to learn things. Do your best to explain everything thoroughly each time you go over there. Do not do things for the user, but talk them through each step. They do get it eventually, even if some literally take years to grasp the most basic concepts.

I have in the past let myself get frustrated with users, and I regret that very much.

[sbj405]

3. She's older.

I just have a hard time grasping how after 10 years email is still a mystery. I do make her do things herself (walk her through them), but it just doesn't sink in. It would be fine if it wasn't impeding my work.

[henslee]

4. If you make a guide -- full sized color screen grabs of each page

with appropriate items highlighted and step by step instructions... I think you can teach anyone. I think a lot of it has to do with a user freezing up and not understanding how to navigate.

[Benfea]

10. That certainly helps.

I've done that more than a few times and passed them out to problem users. Of course, putting it on a corporate intranet is easier and cheaper, but that creates a catch-22 problem.

[Benfea]

8. Yeah, my biggest problem users tend to be...

…older executives and older secretaries of executives. Dunno why that is.

Have you been working with her for 10 years? Or has she been using email for 10 years?

I've had users take 4 or 5 years for really basic concepts, but never 10. I had one secretary who literally made me hold her hand through double-clicking on files all day long, but she was able to open files on her own after about three years of hand-holding. Of course, then I had to go through the difficulty of explaining "folders" to her ("What do you mean 'where is it?' It's in WordPerfect! I already told you that!") which took years more.

[Dave Reynolds]

2. My father is like that,

I walk him through things over the phone every now and then. For really complicated things I will just write the steps down for him so he has a cheat-sheet.

[alarimer]

5. If my 88 year old grandmother can figure out email

I am sure anyone can. But then she has always been pretty sharp. Some people are completely out of it when it comes to technology. Worse are people who THINK they are good at computers but are really not- instead they just fuck things up.

[graywarrior]

6. She knows she doesn't have to learn it on her own because

she can get you to do it, or walk her through it. Maybe you just have to be too busy to help sometime so she has to figure it out herself.

[sbj405]

7. Yeah, I've been taking the "tough love" route lately

Results in a lot of whining. Did I mention that this person is vaguely supposed to be my supervisor.

[graywarrior]

9. Why are we tortured so much at work?

Taken hostage by incompetents who got where they are due to the Peter Principle.

[Whoa_Nelly]

11. Have that person WRITE IT DOWN on a pad at their desk

Every time you help.

Seems to work for a lot of tech-challenged people.

[Nevernose]

12. Yes, I find it difficult, and I'm a nerd

I don't like it, first off. It's easier and takes the same amount of time to get up off of my fat lazy ass and walk to the room or office of 95% of the people I email. It also makes it a lot harder to turn down a request or put it off until later.

More importantly, my employer's chosen email client (I work for a large, urban school district) is such an amazingly NON-intutive, bulky, piece of utter crap that it takes even the technologically proficient people hours and hours of learning-curve time. Even the help files and FAQS are so remarkably obtuse that they're virtually useless.

Also, IMO, this lady needs to be shown how to do the things she needs done, slowly, patiently, and calmly, and probably more than once; she needs written instructions provided by you; and she needs to take her own notes. Mostly, though, she needs confidence.

Try spending a few minutes every day trading knock-knock jokes and cartoons. Yes, you may consider it a waste of your time, but it will eventually help a co-worker out and improve your reputation to boot. Besides, it would beat the hell out of actually working, wouldn't it?

[sendero]

13. My brother and I ..

... have been trying to teach our parents for years. We've given up.

There is a certain amount of prerequisite understanding of technology that one must attain in order to use it. It isn't that much, but some folks just cannot get to first base.