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The problem with IT

It occurs to me that the number one issue facing most people at the moment (apart from insomnia, cirrhosis of the liver, pending divorce blah blah insert joke here) is IT hassle. 

From networking to forgotten passwords and just plain old computer gremlins, IT is the real issue. Get it? Many people are blessed to be good with computers, or to live with or know someone who is good with computers, but if you are barely tech literate then it’s a right nightmare and causes a barnyard full of rows if you’re living in a houseful of analogues.

The worst is if you live with someone who knows how to do tech but they’re all huffy when you say something like: “What’s this flashing vertical line called again?”

My amazing IT guy, Andrew, does this incredible thing where he accesses my computer via an app called AnyDesk. He literally takes control of my laptop from his laptop and deals with the bastard directly, which I find intensely soothing. I watch the cursor whizzing about efficiently, opening tabs and scrolling through drop-down menus and think – ha ha ha, laptop old boy: you’ve met your match. Andrew has all my passwords. He could clean out my bank account today and then vanish into thin air. I trust him with my life. 

Andrew is located in north London and his website is here. 

Do you have a wonderful IT whizz local to you, whose details you are prepared to share? If so please leave a comment in the handy box below. 

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Comments

  1. Yasmin says

    January 12, 2021 at 10:07 am

    Omg. You have hit the nail on the head. I struggle with IT the most and it’s what I dread. I can do everything else but if there’s an IT issue I just simply shut down and panic. Btw I am loving your insta feed. I am such a tech loser that I don’t even know how to comment on your live feed but everything you say about kids and home schooling is spot on. I am a key worker as is my husband and we have sent our kids to school for their sake and for ours. It’s been a godsend.

    Reply
    • esthermcoren says

      January 12, 2021 at 10:18 am

      Hi Yasmin! You can’t comment on my Insta because I have turned replies off – if my Story replies are on then I get 500 messages, most just saying “yes!” which is nice but they’re a pain to wade through. This way I only get messages from people who need and want to speak to me! you can still message me any time using the message function, but also reach me here! Great to hear from you x

      Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    January 12, 2021 at 10:32 am

    We all need an Andrew. Instead I have a teenager who thinks I’m from the Roman times and a husband who does computers all day long and finds my “Where has the Zoom gone now?” questioning a little wearing.

    Reply
    • esthermcoren says

      January 12, 2021 at 10:45 am

      yeah… even actual IT people don’t want to be sorting out someone else’s IT on their own time

      Reply
      • emily says

        January 12, 2021 at 11:27 am

        My husband is a programmer. and the level of exasperated eye rolling is just not worth it! Hence my recommendation of Kozan, below.

        Reply
  3. emily says

    January 12, 2021 at 11:25 am

    amusingly, I lost this comment when I typed it up on my phone :-/

    For anyone in south east London, I use the lovely Kozan at Savoirman. He works with small businesses and freelancers like me. Loads of neighbours use him too, so highly recommended.

    https://savoirman.com/about-sts

    Reply
  4. Lisa says

    January 12, 2021 at 1:25 pm

    Everyone assumes I am lucky because my husband is an IT Manager. But he works in government IT so, you know, unless I need help with a system that everyone else was using 5 years ago, or a lecture on cyber security, he’s no use.

    Reply
    • esthermcoren says

      January 12, 2021 at 3:21 pm

      this is fabulously bitchy

      Reply
  5. Zoe says

    January 12, 2021 at 1:56 pm

    Yes. Last night I sat down to watch Don’t Fuck With Cats with my headphones in and my husband said, oh, can you not use headphones, I want to listen to while I work (in bedroom also) and I agreeably went to disconnect headphones from iPad only to realise I had never actually connected them and would sat through the entire show with them in my ears regardless. I feel sad for people even less technically competent than me.

    Reply
    • esthermcoren says

      January 12, 2021 at 3:22 pm

      brilliant

      Reply
  6. Joanna says

    January 12, 2021 at 6:48 pm

    The worst is when your child ( maybe over 18 but still a child) says “oh mum, you just do..” The word ‘just’ absolutely sends me into a raging frenzy every time. You are so right, Esther.

    Reply
    • esthermcoren says

      January 13, 2021 at 9:41 am

      “just”… second only to the phrase “you ALWAYS” as a fire-starter

      Reply
      • Joanna says

        January 14, 2021 at 6:22 pm

        Oh golly yes; thankfully they grow out of “you always” but it’s replaced by ” do you remember …. the time when you forgot to pick me up from school?” or other heinous crimes of tired motherhood

        Reply
  7. frances says

    January 14, 2021 at 12:40 am

    Also children sighing/shaking their head wearily and hastily disappearing to their rooms to use their own perfectly well-calibrated tech stuff. They do not want to help and won’t be seen again until supper time.

    Reply
  8. desperatemummy says

    January 14, 2021 at 2:44 pm

    Amazing thanks! Contacting Andrew forthwith x

    Reply

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