[Computerbank] solving the conundrum of the bush

[John Clark]

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 at 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"
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Just my $2 worth
John Clark
Vic
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