On 27/05/2010 19:12, Matthew Daubney wrote: <snippery>
> > That's quite a long list! Here's an interesting side question, what > would help motivate you to improve the way you support people? How do > you think it could be improved? > I used to do paid support, mainly windows but also os x and sometimes ubuntu, for non-technical people. Often for mozilla products (getting away from Outlook/IE is the first step in minimising trouble). What was interesting about the work was seeing how non-geeks use and interact with their computers. How difficult many things are, even though they may seem obvious to me; what people want from their computers; how to explain things in clear, precise language, using as little jargon as possible. Most importantly, it showed me that people do 'stupid' things for a reason; there's a method in the madness, and the root cause can often be found in the design and interface. This got me very interested in accessibility and usability issues, and makes the occasional support work I do rewarding, as a way of testing and checking my knowledge, styles of teaching/talking about computers, and stuff I've read in books. (Quick plug: Raskin's The Humane Interface is an eye-opener.) I know the original question was about free, volunteer support, but I think there is a lesson about motivation: if you're interested in something, then helping others can be pleasurable and educative, and for some things the best way of learning about them. This is also motivation to do a better job of supporting people. Following on from this, I think it's important to help with stuff you're really interested in, rather than spread oneself too thin. Hope this is of interest, John -- John Levin http://www.anterotesis.com http://twitter.com/anterotesis -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
