A tiny little request

Hello out there, computer-savvy people.

If you're going to take it upon yourselves to hook up Mom/Grandma/Grandpa up with an email account and a Facebook account and every other thing under the sun that you think they should be using, could you do me a big favor?

Could you please:

1) Make sure they have the computer skills to actually navigate said programs. Walk them through things several times right after they sign up so that they don't try to log in on their own 6 months later because they know there are baby pictures waiting for them in the computer but they don't remember a thing about what you told them to do.

2) Not sign them up with a Yahoo mail account because, hi, gross.

If you ignore #1 and #2, then you should be prepared to move into their home with them. This way, when they run into difficulties and start looking around with the Bambi eyes, wanting someone to magically be able to fix it all for them and tell them why they can't get their messages and what is their username and why is Facebook is asking for a mobile phone number when they don't even have a mobile phone, they will be looking at YOU. They will not be in the library looking at me.

I may not have a satisfactory answer for them (sorry, I really don't know what your Yahoo ID is), and like I want to spend any more time dealing with stupid Facebook than I absolutely have to. My response to people, when I'm feeling brutally honest, usually goes something like this.

"You're having problems because Yahoo sucks bricks. Get Gmail instead. You're welcome."

"I'd just quit Facebook if I were you. You don't know how to use it and you're just going to get your email hacked and your identity stolen. Especially since your email is through Yahoo, which, see above."

Thank you for your kind attention in this matter.

Posted in: on my crap list