Episode 48: Just Google It!

November 19, 2007

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If you own a computer, you’ve had problems…or shall I say challenges…from time to time. If you’re not a tekkie, you probably don’t have a clue how to overcome the situation. Well, I’m here to tell you to…Just Google It!

Many of the problems you encounter, whether it’s Windows, Mac or Linux, initiate pop-up boxes containing error messages. Honestly, most of them don’t really help. Who really understands what they mean? Maybe you don’t understand what the error messages mean and you just get frustrated and close the error message dialog box. I know I’ve done it. The next time you get an error message, copy it before you close the dialog box. Paste the message into your favorite search engine (whether that’s Google, Yahoo, AOL, etc) and you’ll be surprised how many possible solutions you’ll find.

By using online search engines to help you find solutions to your tech problems, you’ll reduce your troubleshooting time considerably. You may find solutions on a website, blog, forum or even a podcast like Views from the Coop. Once you start using search as a troubleshooting tool, remember to:

Bookmark the URL of the website, blog, forum, etc where you found your solution
Leave a comment on the blog where you found your solution to let the person know they helped you out. Nothing thrills me more than to find a comment on one of my posts from someone who was searching for a solution and found it here
Post a solution if you find one to help out others with the same problem
Check back if you don’t find a solution right away. If someone else has the same problem, there’s bound to be somebody who finds a solution.
Look at more than one solution. Make sure the source of the solution is legitimate by finding other sources that offer the same solution.
Take advantage of the search feature on manufacturer’s websites

During my search efforts to find solutions, I’ve found many sites that I use regularly when I have problems.

www.annoyances.org
www.fixyourownprinter.com
www.experts-exchange.com (requires a paid subscription)
www.microsoft.com

Once you’ve started using the online search feature to solve problems on your own, share the information you find. If you’ve had a problem and found your solution using search, tell us about it. What was your problem? What was the solution you found? Where did you find it?

Has this information been valuable? Let us know! Kim and I do our best to offer topics that benefit our consumer and business audience. Is there a topic that holds particular interest for you but we haven’t covered it? Just let us know! Interested in being a guest on the podcast? We’d love to hear from you! Hey, we’re all in this wonderful world of technology together, so let’s take advantage of our collective knowledge and experiences. We’re looking forward to hearing from you soon!

Intro and Exit music for our podcast is supplied by IODA Promonet.

Peter Karp
“Shadows And Cracks” (mp3)
from “Shadows And Cracks”
(Blind Pig Records)