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Clearing Up the Confusion E-Zine Vol 02 Issue 19
------- Clearing Up the Confusion E-Zine -------
Vol 2, Issue 19
The evening air has had a hint of chill lately. When Kaylie and
I go out for our walks, the trees are starting to get that blush
of color and the first few leaves are crunching underfoot. Yes,
Autumn is officially here.
I love this time of year. The holidays are just around the
corner. The frenzied vacations of Summer are now pleasant
memories. Soon it will be time to relax with friends and family
in front of a roaring fire or around the dinner table. Having
people in your life makes the season a whole lot more fun.
Of course, if you happen to be the techie in the family, a lot of
times these same folks will call you in despair because their
computer isn't working the way it's supposed to. Unfortunately,
the resulting call can be a source of frustration for both
people. I just recently started using a piece of software called
CrossLoop which can make those frustrations a thing of the past.
Whether you are the caller or the callee, you might just want to
check this out.
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In This Issue...
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1. Article: See What I See
2. Shameless Self-Promotion
3. The Fine Print
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1. Article: See What I See
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Imagine that this phone call has been going on for a while:
"OK, Aunt Sally, I want you to select the 'Options...' item under
the 'Tools' menu."
"Where's that?"
"Look at the top of the screen. Tell me what you see."
"Just a second... I see a picture of a computer. Under it it
says 'My Computer'."
"Sorry. What I meant was to look at the top of the *window*."
"Which window?"
"The one that says 'My Poorly Designed User Interface' at the
top."
"I don't see that."
"What do you mean you don't see it? We just started it up. It
should be right in front of you!"
"Oh, that! I clicked on the little 'X' so I could see the top of
the screen."
"(Whimper). OK, let's start over from the beginning..."
If you've been on either end of this conversation, you know how
difficult it is to accurately describe either a problem or a
solution using only the spoken word. In this case, a picture is
probably worth more than just a thousand words. It might be the
difference between making a relationship stronger and being cut
out of the will and any future family gatherings. If only you
could see the other person's computer screen through the phone!
I've got a recommendation for you. It's called CrossLoop.
CrossLoop is an example of remote access software. It allows the
expert on one end of the conversation to actually take control of
the other person's computer. I've used it a couple of times now
and it makes helping other people a heck of a lot easier to do.
Setting up the software is pretty straightforward. Just download
the package from the CrossLoop site (http://crossloop.com/).
Save it to your computer and double-click. The package will
install and take you through the steps to get everything set up
properly.
If you need help from someone, you just start up the CrossLoop
program and click on the "Share" tab. The window will show a
twelve-digit number that you give to the person from whom you
want help. After they enter it, CrossLoop will ask you if you
want to grant them access. Assuming you grant it, your savior
will now be able to control your computer, including moving the
mouse around the screen.
Trust me. This makes everything easier for all involved.
Of course, no piece of software is perfect. This one does pretty
well though. I think my only warnings would be that you do have
to have broadband Internet access (you can't use your phone to
dial up for your connection) and the software only runs on
Windows. If you have a Mac or something else then you'll have to
find your own solution. Oh, and when you are connected, the two
of you should have some sort of agreement as to who is currently
in control of the mouse. We don't want to remove one source of
friction only to add another.
In addition to the software itself, CrossLoop also provides an
online location where you can seek people who can meet your
immediate technical needs. This is a little bit of a mixed bag
for me. After all you *are* giving someone complete access to
your electronic life. I'm sure 99.99% of the people on CrossLoop
are friendly, helpful folks. It's that one bad apple who could
really ruin your day.
Of course, if you are one of the techie set, you can make
yourself available through CrossLoop to help other people. There
was also some mention of being paid for your services, but I
didn't delve into that too far.
Ignoring all of that, though, at its simplest, CrossLoop just
makes it easy for people to give and receive technical support.
If you are the techie in the family (or if you are always calling
that person) I highly recommend you get the CrossLoop
application. After all, we don't want any uncomfortable silences
around the Thanksgiving table this year, do we?
Copyright 2008, Greg Peters
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2. Shameless Self-Promotion
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The "Clearing Up the Confusion" E-Zine is a production of Greg
Peters, owner, chief cook, and bottlewasher of Cyber Data
Solutions. CDS has been helping website designers develop better
web presence for their clients for more than a decade. Visit us
on the Web at www.cyberdatasolns.com to see how we can help your
webmaster.
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3. The Fine Print
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