ThaMp3Doctor Will Now See You

One of FixYa’s most focused experts, ThaMp3Doctor is a self proclaimed “geek” with 5515 solutions to his credit. He’s also one of FixYa’s most altruistic experts, answering the free questions almost exclusively.

Q: Tell us about yourself:
A: I was born in Wichita, Kansas and am now living in Tampa, Florida. I have been either in the technical support or telecommunications industry for several years now.

Q: What are your areas of expertise and how did you come to be involved with them?
A: I remember the first day my stepfather brought home an IBM PC Jr, somewhere around 1984. We had the “enhanced version” that packed twice the memory of a normal PC Jr- a whopping 128 kb. The PC Jr came with an extensive manual in a hard binder, and there were several programming guides available at the time that catered to all age groups. I was seven at the time and I decided to tackle a book on programming games in BASIC. I enjoyed programming immensely, but the old PC Jr just couldn’t compete with the original Nintendo Entertainment System. Computing took a back seat to other interests over the next several years.
After suffering a devastating job loss at the age of 27, I was presented with an opportunity to work in the radio industry. By this time, PCs were capable of more amazing feats than ever and there were these new things out called “iPods.” From radio, I graduated to telecommunications and DSL support.
All of these jobs had their moments, but the workplace culture was not “geeky” enough for me. I finally settled in on consumer electronics and other technical support services for a software/IT firm. I am the go-to-guy for Mp3 player questions at my place of employment. Technical support is very fun for me, and I learn immensely from my fellow geeks.

Q: What are your hobbies?
A: I am an avid reader, and I especially enjoy learning about how hardware, software, and technology in general can benefit humanity when it is used for good purposes. I am definitely an audio and video fan, and I have been most amazed at our increased capability to acquire digital video and music. I am never bored– on the contrary, I find that every spare minute is a minute when I can be learning, playing, and soaking in life.

Q: What first brought you to FixYa? When?
A: As a technical support representative for multiple companies, I always felt frustrated when I knew how to help a customer find their solution, and yet was prevented from doing so because it involved supporting another company’s product. Lo and behold, I read a news article on a company called Fixya.com. Seeing that Fixya.com was founded to serve the very principles of interoperability and multi-platform support, I signed up shortly thereafter in February 2008. Even though I am a technical support representative by profession, I find that I just can’t resist assisting people in my off-time as well. Posting on Fixya.com has been fun, and I hope that I have helped a few people along the way. I have learned much that is relevant to my own job by reading the solutions offered by other experts.

Q. What is the FixYa answer you are most proud of?
A: I believe that my solutions for Sansa players are generally good. Each Sansa player has a different “recovery” button, and I list very detailed instructions on how to enter recovery mode, how to reformat the player, and how to run the Sansa Recovery Tool. Recovery Mode is not covered on most Mp3 manufacturers’ websites. If someone tries ALL of my suggestions, and not just some of them, they should have great success.

Q: What advice do you have for those asking questions?
A: Mp3 players and other devices tend to have 5 to 10 common problems per device. Most posts to technical websites are merely reposts of already-reported problems. Take the time to read solutions that others have offered, as the same problems tend to get reposted over and over again.

Q. What new features would you like to see FixYa roll out?
A: I have been impressed with the layout/format changes made to the website in the last week. I think that more extensive task bars would be welcome. Under an expert’s profile, the category “Requests from other users” should be available. There should be a link to “Tips & Tricks” on the main Fixya.com page. Also, I have found it difficult to find the experts’ lounge lately.

Q: Why do you choose to answer free questions as opposed to the premiums?
A: Every once in a while, someone is willing to pay for a solution that I know I have the answer for. But I am more interested in helping people than financial gain. The average consumer receives inadequate or inconsistent help from their product manufacturers, so I like to nudge them in the right direction.