My mother was trying to install Firefox on her Mac. She asked me to do it for her, but I replied that she should try to do it first and I'd do it if she couldn't manage it.

She's been using Macs for years, but always in offices where someone else would install programmes and sort out problems for her. Don't know how something works? Call the I.T. guy. Can't figure out which button to press? Call the I.T. guy.

It seems to me that companies, big and small, are doing themselves a disservice by having the I.T. guy (or woman or department) be the first port of call for any computer related problem, no matter how small it turns out to be.

Instead, perhaps I.T. people should be used to do things that staff are unable to because of access issues (i.e. they don't have permission to do something) or that they've been unable to do once they've searched for an answer online.
 
Surely staff should be empowered when it comes to technology? Teach them about the computers they use; give them cribsheets for common issues. Make sure that they keep their computers running in good condition. Would we expect car drivers to go to a garage ever time they needed their tyre pressure checking? Of course not.

Companies have to balance the need to have a system that runs as intended, versus having a workforce who are techno-illiterate and drain time and money by requesting help on issues that they should have been able to resolve themselves.

I could be wrong about all this – no doubt some people here at Euroffice would disagree with me – but what do you think? Should we make sure staff are knowledgeable enough to look after themselves for most issues, or should we make sure they can't do anything without help?

(By the way, my mother managed to install Firefox herself. Even though she defaulted to asking for help without thinking.)