My confession

One of my client's this week caught me in the act...of searching my own web site. They then responded by saying, "Oh, you just found that on your web site?, I didn't know you could do that?"

I said, "Sure. Our web site is a gold mine of information for most everyday computer questions or problems."

More and more, we respond to questions on our radio show by referring the caller to our web site. When we don't have an answer on the site, we find the answer, then post it to the web site. On any given week, we post 8-14 new items on the site...usually relevant to every day computer users.

The second part of my confession is that I use Google a ton to help sleuth out problems on the show and in my business. The more I do it, the better I get it at it. Searching for computer answers can be exasperating if you aren't quite sure how to search. I always start out by typing in the exact error message that I am receiving or exactly what it is I'm trying to do, then tweak the search terms from there. I used to think that I could teach someone else how to use the web to troubleshoot their own computer problems. IF the search yields some good information, the user would then have to decide if the methodology would work for their particular situation. and then determine how to best go about attacking the problem via the instructions.

That's where the expertise comes in handy again. Often, these answers are written in 'geek speak' or not thoroughly written because the writer assumes that the reader has a certain skill level. That's why, if we think it will be a skill that many computer users would like to know or might need to know in the future, we tweak the instructions, write it out in step-by-step format and post it here at HelpMeRick.com. Or, if the original answer we found is written well, we link directly to it.

Bottom line in my confession is this: 1) Use our web site first and foremost when you have a problem you need to solve. 2) If you don't feel comfortable looking for the information, send your kid or neighbor or neighbor's kid to our site to find the answer for you, 3) My brain is unable to hold every speck of computer knowledge I've acquired, but I can find it quickly on our site or using Google, and 4) Yes, anyone can use Google to try and find a solution to a problem, but how long will it take and will they understand it when they find it?

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