Problem Solving - Discussion Or Observation?

[paigetheoracle]

We've just sorted out a problem with accessing an account on our computer, after at least two days of getting nowhere with it. What it taught me is that verbal help is the blind leading the blind (over the phone, on forums, on Twitter, via emails - all are the same in this respect). What sorted the problem was remote access, by Richard who solves our computer problems in the flesh usually but was out of the country, so couldn't at the time.

 

As I say this disclosed that you need someone actually here, to see what you see and that can act on your behalf if need be, not someone who can talk until the cows come home, without resolving anything because words always fall short (A picture is worth a thousand words for this reason). Ghost in the machine? That will be remote viewing then and not a mischievous poltergeist, messing things up because it doesn't know what it is doing or is blind to the reality of the situation ('Eyes first' Sir Lancelot Spratt in 'Doctor in the House,'when discussing what senses to use when examining a patient: Sound in the sense of talk / listening is not a sense but an intellectual exercise in such a situation that rapidly turns into an emotional one, when the answer isn't forthcoming. :(

[LaurieAG]

We've just sorted out a problem with accessing an account on our computer, after at least two days of getting nowhere with it. What it taught me is that verbal help is the blind leading the blind (over the phone, on forums, on Twitter, via emails - all are the same in this respect). What sorted the problem was remote access, by Richard who solves our computer problems in the flesh usually but was out of the country, so couldn't at the time.

 

Hi paigetheoracle,

 

There are other ways to do support by remote control apart from remote access as that's what the hackers aim for, to gain high level access to major systems these days, by compromising an administrators pc that has remote server admin access one way or another.

 

The hardest thing about using someone at the end of a phone line to correct a problem is getting accurate and honest feedback. If you can get this, have a good understanding of the software and can conceptualise the cause and effects it doesn't take long to solve the users problems. Sometimes you have to be very direct and tell the person at the end several times 'to not do anything until you are told to do it' because when things don't go right according to your conceptualisation, and there are no error messages, it is most likely something they are doing and not telling you about.

 

I used this method over 25 years ago before remote access was available and also less than 1 year ago with complete success. You can even program via remote control if the person on the other end can follow instructions and give you reliable feedback.