This week, do something unique, speak to a geek…

Even after 6 years working as a “digital development officer” at the MDDA, friends, parents, you name it, have a real problem understanding what it is I do. My shorthand answer is that I advise organisations, companies and individuals about digital technology. All well and good, but there’s many a time I’ve been asked to fix someone’s PC, or get rid of a virus, or help connect various peripherals together. When I go, “ah, I don’t actually know how to do that,” you can tell that my position as a digital expert goes down a notch or two.
In fact, when most people ask about technology, they’re wanting a solution to an immediate problem and don’t know where to turn. Luckily, though I may not know how to do everything with computers, I do tend to know a man (or woman) who does. And the last few weeks my job has been made a lot easier – since there’s so many things going on in the city that I can suggest that people attend. So, although I won’t be there in person, I will be there in spirit for Friday’s inaugural “speak to a geek” event – where you should find the Mancunian Way’s Paul Robinson, alongside half a dozen other experts in the bits of computer wizardry that I profess to know very little about. The aim is to provide a bit of free advice for community groups and similar organisations. It was mentioned here a few weeks ago, but I thought it worthwhile to give it another mention – after all, how often is there a geek around when you really need one?
(And in case you’re idea of technology stops with the TV remote control don’t worry – one thing that geeks rarely admit to is that they actually quite like helping non-geeks out!)