Hi. You can call me DiggerB.
Um I guess I should start at the beginning.
By the time I got my first computer (about 20 years ago), I was already a novice with AppleSoft BASIC, which made things easy when my parents bought a Coleco ADAM computer. I quickly developed a certain level of proficiency in programming in Coleco's proprietary SmartBASIC, which was based on AppleSoft, but not at all compatible.
ADAM was a piece of $#!%, and I kept trying to convince my parents to get an Apple][. But instead they got an IBM XT compatible. So I had to start all over again, and learn MS-DOS. Didn't take too long, although once I got a sound card, it became a little more challenging to install/configure games to work within the memory constraints of the time. So I was introduced to the world of troubleshooting.
Time passed, and never did I take my computers into shops for repairs. I always did my own work, and started helping other people out with theirs. This had gone on for a long time, but never did it actually occur to me that I could be making money doing this stuff.
But just recently I've decided I don't want to work Joe jobs anymore, and that I am skilled and experienced enough to work in the industry.
I am now a freelance Computer Service Technician, offering on-site repair/troubleshooting/training services at a discounted rate. I got this inspiration from a friend of mine, who, having no real prior computer experience went to school, and is doing quite well doing the same thing I am doing. Sadly, he's been getting on my case lately, feeling that because I didn't go to school to learn it, I am not skilled enough. But whatever. I'm doing quite well, although when it comes to setting up and troubleshooting networks, I'm a little weak. But life is a lifelong learning process, and I am definitely learning.
Right now, I'm preparing for the A+ certification tests, and I plan to go on towards Microsoft certification. This looks like a great forum for improving my knowledge base.
Cheers
Um I guess I should start at the beginning.
By the time I got my first computer (about 20 years ago), I was already a novice with AppleSoft BASIC, which made things easy when my parents bought a Coleco ADAM computer. I quickly developed a certain level of proficiency in programming in Coleco's proprietary SmartBASIC, which was based on AppleSoft, but not at all compatible.
ADAM was a piece of $#!%, and I kept trying to convince my parents to get an Apple][. But instead they got an IBM XT compatible. So I had to start all over again, and learn MS-DOS. Didn't take too long, although once I got a sound card, it became a little more challenging to install/configure games to work within the memory constraints of the time. So I was introduced to the world of troubleshooting.
Time passed, and never did I take my computers into shops for repairs. I always did my own work, and started helping other people out with theirs. This had gone on for a long time, but never did it actually occur to me that I could be making money doing this stuff.
But just recently I've decided I don't want to work Joe jobs anymore, and that I am skilled and experienced enough to work in the industry.
I am now a freelance Computer Service Technician, offering on-site repair/troubleshooting/training services at a discounted rate. I got this inspiration from a friend of mine, who, having no real prior computer experience went to school, and is doing quite well doing the same thing I am doing. Sadly, he's been getting on my case lately, feeling that because I didn't go to school to learn it, I am not skilled enough. But whatever. I'm doing quite well, although when it comes to setting up and troubleshooting networks, I'm a little weak. But life is a lifelong learning process, and I am definitely learning.
Right now, I'm preparing for the A+ certification tests, and I plan to go on towards Microsoft certification. This looks like a great forum for improving my knowledge base.
Cheers