A General Observation upon the Nature of Technological Advice...

After working the holiday rush at the computer shop where I work, I've talked to numerous people who constantly think I'm lying to them when I give them advice that contradicts the advice of their "friend who is a computer expert". I'm going to get a shirt made. It's going to say:

"The Friend that gave you computer advice is an idiot."

I'm not kidding. If you have a friend who tells you that Athlons 64's are half as fast as Pentium IV's or who thinks that AGP is faster than PCI/E, and you get advice from him on what kind of computer to buy, you are in for a world of frustration because sadly enough, he's most certainly an imbecile.

I cannot believe how many people have friends who are idiots and take advice from them. If you have a friend who's rebuilt his computer 5 times, that doesn't mean that he's a computer expert; in fact that usually means the opposite. He's probably such a dinglenuts that he wrecked his system 5 times and had to wipe and re-install everything 5 times.

That's like saying "My friend Jim knows everything about cars; he's had to change his transmission like 5 times in the last three years." I don't know about you, but I'd have some serious questions about Jim. If his transmission is crapping out on him every 7 months or so, I'd guess he's either really hard on it (aka. doesn't know how to drive stick and grinds the living cajones outa it) or he does a really crappy job changing his transmission (does something bass ackwards when he installs it). I don't know anyone else who needs to do that, so I'd guess that Jim is a jello-head.

Yet, when people have a parallel situation with a friend and computers, they suspect he's a genius. Does that make any sense? No? Of course not.

Here's the bottom line. If your friend really was a computer expert and knew that you were an ubernewb, he'd tell you to buy a Mac. Then, you'd show that you were a total idiot by not buying one because they're more money.

Well, that's todays' little 'venting session'. Until next time,

The Armchair Theologian