My mom: I have to ask you a computer question.
Me: Okay.
Mom: Your cousin was over the other night to help me and left this weird thing in my computer.
Me: Okaaaaayyyy…
Mom: Well what is it?
Me: Uh, I’m going to need a little more detail.
Mom: Well you know where your computer has those plug in thingies and then there is a cord, and you could also put other cords there, and one goes around the back but not all do, well there is this thing he put there and it’s still there. Do I need it? Do I want it? What does it do? What does it have in it? What is it?
Me: I have no idea what you just said.
Mom: Well I just don’t know what it is. I want to know what it is.
Me: Describe it better.
Mom: Well it kind of looks like a lighter. What goes in a computer that looks like a lighter?
Me: [head hurting... thinking of many punchlines... looks like a duck, walks like a duck...]
Mom: Hello?
Me: I think he was just loading something on your computer. That’s all it is… there’s software on it and he was putting it on the machine.
Mom: Well why didn’t you just say that?!
Danielle says:
Ah mom’s are funny. Mine called me to tell me her new printer didn’t have a connection for her printer cord…it has a USB port…heck, I didn’t know that was what they use now…although, yes, I should’ve as I have a printer at work that is new, but I connected it and didn’t think about it after that. But my mom calls me all the time with errors and problems and I half the time don’t know anymore. Explaining about jump drives and showing her one and then having her get one was a big thing!!
May 14th, 2008 at 5:48 am
swimlappy says:
USB can be sooooo complicated huh
May 14th, 2008 at 6:30 am
backofpack says:
Oh, you should hear my Dad cuss out the internet. For a long time, everytime he was on the computer - in Word, or to play solitaire - he thought he was on the internet. He hand writes lists of questions and as soon as we arrive, pulls my husband to the computer and whips out the list. It’s really kinda cute.
May 14th, 2008 at 8:04 am
sizzle says:
Oh dear. I have had many similar conversations with my Mom about this sort of thing. I will even write directions out for her about how to upload photos onto Flickr or what have you and inevitably she will admit she doesn’t understand them.
She once said to me, “I heard on the news that texting is the new emailing. Does this mean I have to learn to text? Because I just learned how to email!”
Help us!
May 14th, 2008 at 8:38 am
The Exception says:
Just think, in 30 years - that will be us!
May 14th, 2008 at 9:04 am
Mel Heth says:
That is hilarious.
Shortly after we taught my mom how to use email, we had to have a talk with her about typing in all caps…and how on the Internet, that’s considered yelling…
May 14th, 2008 at 10:25 am
alissa says:
That is so totally my mom. She calls me at work with her computer problems and kind of thinks I can see through the phone to her screen to help.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:49 am
anne says:
sometimes i feel that way about video games - i feel like they have passed me by already
May 14th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
brookem says:
Um, your mom and I seem to have a bit in common!
May 14th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Aaron says:
In 30 years, that won’t be us. Or, most of us, rather. Some of us Gen-Xers (who were supposed to be the laziest generation yet) have an innate ability to figure these things out.
Anyway, playing tech support for my fam was old. Now I’m supporting the girlfriend’s family. :/
May 15th, 2008 at 4:52 am