I started with just the family computer, then more computers came under my jurisdiction. Some of the time I did the work for free, sometimes for food and sometimes I have been paid. I started doing basic fixes for people (usually my parents friends) on their computers. Nothing in depth but just making their life easier and more pleasant.

Those types of jobs I would do if paid, I did not relish or enjoy them and it was almost always a one time thing. However I do love opening up a freshly purchased computer: the neatly organized cables, the fresh styrofoam smell and the chance to set up a workstation with cleanly organized cables.

Whenever I suggest that someone upgrades to a new computer I am in charge of migrating files and making it all work. It is like spelunking into the depths of a persons life, going through caves of organizations and into side-tunnels misplaced folders. Some computers I have seen were nicely organized with all the files actually in the document folders, others have been scattered by the wind to depths of the operating system.

I have used computers and electronics for the majority of my life. The internet has always been a staple for me. While helping those of older generations I notice that there is a mentality that if the wrong button is pressed or an incorrect keystroke is applied then everything will catch on fire and the toaster will stop working.

I am asked how I know what to do, the truthful answer I never give is that I actually have no idea what I doing. I mean yes I know how computers work on a basic level, I know how they work on the very top level. The actual code eludes me. What the hardware does I know quite well, how it does what it does is also beyond the scope of my knowledge. But I know physics, I know what can and cannot break a given part. So when asked to fix something, software or hardware I just start poking around, check the internet (something that has almost always been there in my life) and just keep at it until it works.

Even away at school I am still doing tech support. Now it is by e-mail which really simplifies things on my side. Instead of sitting by the computer and trying all the possible fixes I am able to just e-mail instructions (which I believe I have improved inwritingover the last few years) and hope it works.

Except I am going home in three weeks and I can imagine that there is a long list waiting for me. There is always a list.