Top 5 Help Desk Calls or App Training Tips... 3

[mmorancbt]

A partner and I are creating some free videos aimed at the non-technical user. These are short micro-training, free videos, for a blog aimed at small or mid-sized businesses and their employees.

Most will be between 30 seconds to 5 minutes in length.

My question to you:
What are the top 5 application (MS Office, Web Browsing, Email, Basic Computing, etc.) concepts or specific tasks you believe would greatly help the general user population.

Again, the audience is non-technical. I'm thinking of "how to do a mail merge in word" or "how to best perform yahoo and google searches and work with the results" or ??? whatever.

If you work the help desk or provide support to people, what things would stop most of the "noise" if it were understood?

Thanks.

Matthew Moran (career blog and podcast below)
Career Advice with Attitude for the IT Pro

http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/pm/career

 

[AlexCuse]

the one I get a lot would be:

"how to check if you've got caps lock on when entering your password"

Priceless!

CajunCenturion - I agree, but I suppose my problem is with people thinking that generating reports from a relational database is as simple as copy and pasting from an excel file. A little knowledge of how much work can be involved would be good for them to know, IMO.

Another big problem I have is account managers letting vendors who supply us data send it in any old form that they want. This many times ends up in us receiving some garbled mess of data with no unique identifier (for either people or transactions). Then they wonder why it is so painful trying to get reports out of it. This is probably a bigger problem at my company than most places though, I imagine.

Ignorance of certain subjects is a great part of wisdom

 

[harebrain]

How not to give out your personal info when a dummy Papal company contacts you...

Dear Glen,

Please visit

http://www.vatican.org

and update your personal information. Otherwise, great personal misfortune could befall you, such as eternal d@mnation.

Peace be with you,
Pope Benedict

 

[burtsbees]

I like the idea of security, especially passwords. No kid names, pet names, phone numbers, etc. My FTP server at home gets attacked with brute forcers (from China!!!) at least 4 times a week---it was worse, until I started making acl's blocking the entire address block for the University of Beijing. Then I use TCP Intercept (Cisco router). My point---passwords should be changed at least once every 2 or 3 months, and should have a good mix of caps, small letters, characters and numbers, like t1mbuCK2$!!!

Burt

 

[jsteph]

Matt,
I will second Liliabeth's suggestion--Get people to understand where Windows (or any OS) puts files. So many non-technical types will download things--for example photos from their camera, email attachements, etc.--then they have no idea where they are being saved to--often it's whicever folder was last used for open or save in any file-dialog box.

Then they use, for instance, their photo-editing program and can't find their photos. Learning the simple directory/file heierarchy may seem like too technical a subject, but my opinion is that the more 'easier' vendors try to make computers or software, the harder they become.

People simply must accept the fact that there is some inherent complexity in computers and it's best just to learn some of it rather than try to dumb it all down to the lowest common denominator. Windows' attempt at simplifying--having everything under the sun jammed into "My Documents"--is not the answer.
--Jim

 

[jsteph]

Burstbees,
While I fully agree that security is important, what I find too often is that the more requirements admins put on passwords, ie, mixed case, special characters, etc.--the more you'll see average users putting a post-it with their password on their monitor, which defeats the purpose, at least at the 'in-house' level.

I know that doesn't mean we should give up and let users keep easy passwords or not change them more often, but it really is a double-edged sword. Maybe some sort of bio-ID is the answer, since even the most complex passwords can still be shoulder-surfed or keylogged.
--Jim

 

[PCmad]

Jsteph I agree with you and the other problem with passwords and apps that require passwords is they all have different rules some have to be 6 characters, some 8 characters, some expire once a month, once every 60 or 90 days. Some have to have a number, its the same story with banking web sites. I have a couple of different banks and each one has different rules governing the length, using numbers is it any wonder people write them down.

Well average Joe bloggs who just uses apps on the computer has little to worry about, me as the Tech person has at least double the amount of passwords compared to the person who is phoning me and complaining they have forgotton the password. At work alone I reckon I have to remember at least 30 different passwords, if I add that to all the other things at home pin codes, mobile phone, bank sites, personal computers at home I am over the 50 mark already !!

 

[mmorancbt]

I appreciate everyone's feedback. We are also asking the question of quite a few business owners and their employees. It is interesting - information management shows up as a top concern.

This ties into the idea of passwords and security but goes beyond to - how can you safely store your key information on your PC and in some accessible form - in a way that is secure but still easy to get to.

For instance: Your computer is stolen, how can you quickly stop debit, credit card, online access to various vendors, etc.

Additionally - things like mailmerge and personal databases - things they want to track (whether in Excel, Access, or Word seem popular) - and then simple - how to format columns in Word (tables are often misunderstood - and using spaces to layout columns - ouch!).


Matthew Moran (career blog and podcast below)
Career Advice with Attitude for the IT Pro

http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/pm/career

 

[LadySlinger]

Much of the stuff I was going to suggest has already been posted.

Another idea is using Outlook for Contact Management. I often receive support calls from Sales people on how they can use Outlook more effectively.

Also the theory behind firewalls. We have many people locked down here from certain sites of the internet or using the Internet in general. The ones that have access to the INternet, but cannot obtain certain sites (errr...the poker sites for example) often call me asking why they're having this problem.

also the notion that just because something doesn't "work" doesn't mean its broken. I often get the "My mouse isn't working any longer. It's broken, can I get a new one?" Ummm..how steps did you take that lead you to the mouse is broken?

 

[pinkgecko]

I think password security is a very important issue, and is a great one for video. The numbers behind it have the "wow!' effect. I remember doing a school project one time where we demonstrated how long it would take to crack a password. Write a macro to get some accurate timeframes, then show the difference between a word in the dictionary, a six digit alphanumeric, a six digit alphanumeric/special character, then an eight digit a/n/s. The numbers will speak for themselves. If you don't have time to make a macro, you can just do the math - x words in dictionary, 36^6 for six character alphanumerics (case INsensitive), 62^6 six character case sensitive, etc.

[blue]Never listen to your customers. They were dumb enough to buy your product, so they have no credibility. - Dogbert[/blue]

 

[thefourthwall]

Why keeping security information (passwords, memorable information for password reminders or resets etc) confidential is good.

But my information [!]is[/!] confidential! Nobody else looks at the post-it note with names & passwords in the desk drawer when I'm at work

 

[mrdenny]

My favorite one along those lines.

I guy I know was doing some consulting for the US Army. He was speaking to the base commander (a General) about network security. He then noticed the post-it on the generals computer monitor.

He told the General that having his password on his monitor was not a good idea as that would give anyone in the room access to his account to send email as him, access all his resources, such as his nice confidential things that are eyes only.

The General promptly told him that no one got in his office, as he had two guards in front of his office door at all times.

The consultants only response to this was "General, who empties your trash can?"

The general promptly took down the post-it note and put it in the burn bag.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000)
MCTS (SQL 2005 / Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0: Configuration / Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007: Configuration)
MCITP Database Administrator (SQL 2005) / Database Developer (SQL 2005)

--Anything is possible. All it takes is a little research. (Me)

http://www.mrdenny.com

 

[Glenn9999]

How about security aspects of passwords in terms of policy?

Person calls "computer official", asks for password. Computer official gives password over phone to person.

(How many things are wrong with this picture?)

 

[harebrain]

As Glenn9999 starts to point out, cover aspects of "social engineering." (Didn't Mitnick just get out of jail?)

How many times can we tell people, "Just don't be stupid. Yes, they're out to get YOU!

 

[burtsbees]

You can also check out antionline.com---that is a GREAT site for security.

Burt

 

[Glenn9999]

As Glenn9999 starts to point out, cover aspects of "social engineering." (Didn't Mitnick just get out of jail?)

Or as I was rather getting at, common sense security protocols. In this (real) example I gave, this password accessed what definitely could be called a "mission-critical" system.

The problems in that scenario as I saw them:
1. Computer person had access to caller's specific account name and password. Which means anyone with access to that data has access to that, and likely everyone in the organization.
2. System connected to this password holds what could be deemed as "sensitive data" on the individuals in question. Which could be extended to say that likely computer folks have access to the data itself as well as the account data.
3. Computer person was contacted over the phone by the person in question and readily was able to give out the password data. No way to know if the person calling was the person involved (the only social engineering bit out of all of this).

I'm sure there's more I haven't thought about, but needless to say, this is nasty all the way around.

 

[harebrain]

The original request asked for training suggestions for the non-technical user. Social engineering is the only part that is relevant to the OP. Everything else about your scenario should be of concern to those responsible for the system, i.e., the IT professionals. And that is not the target audience.

Which is not to say that the issues raised aren't valid, they're just not responsive to the OP.

 

[Glenn9999]

Everything else about your scenario should be of concern to those responsible for the system, i.e., the IT professionals. And that is not the target audience.

I say it is of concern to the end-user, if the "IT professionals" have such a clue deficit. An end-user needs to have enough sense to know those first two things, and either complain loudly or vote with their feet. Chances are, within this organization, either no one is the wiser or people are just not saying a word.

An end-user may not have concern with the mechanices behind enacting such policies (what you are getting at), but definitely needs to have enough sense to know what should be common sense right and wrong in an IT system they encounter.

 

[stefanwagner]

Don't you think this is completly off topic?
Is this the trashbin of tek-tips?

don't visit my homepage:

http://home.arcor.de/hirnstrom/bewerbung

 

[mmorancbt]

I tried posting this yesterday but had an "issue".

I just wanted to thank everyone for ideas and input. I would have been more involved with the conversation but...things got complicated....

You can read about it here and see video of the news stories...

http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/pm/career/archives/all-press-is-good-pressright-18093

Pictures - yep, got those too...

http://www.matthewmoranonline.com/2007/08/06/mud-house-fire-flood-and-mud-images-of-our-former-home/

My hope/desire was to go live last week but we just got life semi-stabalized so probably by the end of this week.

Security/basic PC support will make it into the videos at some point. My first set of videos will cover blogging and RSS. Then, I believe an overview of some Google apps. Then, we will see...

Thanks again.

Matthew Moran (career blog and podcast below)
Career Advice with Attitude for the IT Pro

http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/pm/career

 

[Welshbird]

Matthew - thoughts with you right now.

Fee

The question should be [red]Is it worth trying to do?[/red] not [blue] Can it be done?[/blue]