The Computer Consumer's Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

I do a small amount of tech support for family and friends. I offer my services freely to those in need. I accept payment from those who can, and do it pro bono for those who need it. That doesn't exactly make me unique among geeks in any way.

I've been thinking about the idea of a Computer Consumer's Bill of Rights for some time. This is a work in progress, to be sure, but it's a starting point. As I told my boss this week on an unrelated matter, "It's not a complete work; it's something to bounce off of, to start from."

So here goes.

The Rights of the Computer Consumer

• You have the right to ask for an explanation of what I'm doing, and why I'm doing it, at any time. It's your computer, and you deserve to understand it.
• You have the right to ask me to stop the explanation if it gets too technical, boring, or irrelevant. I know not everyone finds this stuff as interesting as I do.
• You have the right to the confidentiality of your information. Any personal, sensitive, or private information that you have on your computer should be kept that way. I will only access said information if it is absolutely necessary.
• You have the right to ask me how or why something the way it is. In some cases, please understand that the why and wherefore of technology is far outside my control, but I'll try to put it in context as best as I can.
• If I am charging you for my services, you have the right to an itemized invoice, with an agreed-upon hourly/flat rate fee stated in advance. While I cannot always control how long something will take, I will make every effort to check in with you as we approach a new billing hour.

Your Responsibilities as a Computer User:

• You are responsible for backing up your data. If you do not have a data backup system in place, please be advised that I will probably tell you to take care of that problem before we try to address any other problems.
• You have the responsibility to give me as much information, as honestly as you can, about what you were doing right before the problem in question happened. I have a responsibility to listen without making judgment.
• You have a responsibility to figure out what you want to use your computer for. While I can advise you on what software is good for what purposes, the ultimate decision as to what you want your computer to do lies with you.
• You have a responsibility to keep copies of your software. If you downloaded the software from download.com or some other venue, I will make every effort to help you get a new copy, but no guarantees.
• You have a responsibility to treat me civilly and respectfully, including respecting the veracity of my professional opinion. While I welcome your questions and your input, please remember that you hired me for my professional expertise, and I ask you to please respect my professional conclusions based on my expertise and experience.

More than anything, I'm trying to make sure that consumers/civilians and geeks learn to understand each other. To my fellow geeks out there, remember that civilians don't spend as much time thinking about/caring about technology as we do. To all our "civilian" customers out there, remember, we're human, too. Act accordingly, and until we meet again, be well.