Quote:
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Originally Posted by Kati Compton
I ask mchang and Janak when I need help.  |
ops: The perils of being a sysadmin -- you're at the "top" of the food-chain, and if you can't figure it out, it's a long night ahead. :P
(Of course, Kati only asks good questions... ones I frequently don't know answers to, so it's not exactly support per se.
)
On a more serious note: even though it's frustrating sometimes, I don't mind helping my (extended) family and friends for a few minutes if I'm visiting them. It makes for good relations.
If it's a bigger problem, there are two options: for family, I'll tell them "I really can't do this now, if you want to get it fixed immediately find someone, otherwise I'll fix it as soon as I can get to it". For friends, I'll point out that I typically consult for this stuff, and I have very limited time, so if this is urgent for them they might want to treat this as a consulting call. It's
really hard to pull that off, but I've been consulting for many years, so it's something I've actually done without damaging friendships. As long as you're clear with them, most people are pretty respectful of your time. The real challenge is extricating yourself from a preexisting "free support situation". I avoid getting into those in the first place, but if you're stuck in one, good luck -- it'll take some careful tact.
Also... I'm fortunate that my immediate family generally listens to my advice, and I feel sorry for those of you whose immediate family doesn't, as it's hard to back out of support for them. For the rest, once Firefox 1.0 comes out, I'll be installing that on their machines. :P
--janak