I’m reading Donald A. Norman’s The Design of Future Things and in the first 30 pages I’ve already found a literary gem:
“As technology became more powerful and complex, we became less able to understand how it worked, less able to predict its actions…Now our machines are taking over. They act as if they have intelligence and volition, even though they don’t. “

The author came to this conclusion after his friend retold a story about forgetting to turn off cruise control and speeding up on a highway exit ramp. Naturally, as we become used to trusting in machines, we are more likely to fail to give direction. And here’s the problem…why is it our failure to give the direction?

After waiting on hold for 40 min, why does a condescending kid on the other end of the line get to make me feel like a moron for a “mistake” that hundreds of thousands of other people have also made?

If FixYa’s company camera ever breaks, we know exactly who we’re turning to for advice- FixYa’s own camera Guru, welcomejee. Welcomejee is closing out his first year on the site, but his ever-expanding portfolio of over 3400 solutions makes him a seasoned pro. Not to mention the fact that he’s a Sony-authorized repair specialist with training in TV, camera, CD, LD and DVD players, and Hi-Fi audio systems. He’s also experienced with transistor radios and tape recorders, but his favorites remain camcorder, digital camera, and television repair, and he focuses closely on those categories.

The story of how this Expert came to be would sound familiar to the parents of many of those who frequent FixYa. It was welcomejee’s childhood hobby to tear apart the home electronics to see what was inside. Of course, he destroyed many possessions during such “inspections” as he calls them. But these destructive forays led to the formation of a top-notch Expert who has chalked up an amazing 432 FixYas during his time here.

At the Twiistup5 event on Feb 12, 2009, the Sun Startup Essentials team videotaped 15 start ups giving their best ‘elevator pitch’. The contest works like this:

• View the videos above
• Pick your favorite. (Pick us!)
• Vote by texting the word ‘startup’ plus the name of the company in your favorite video to 41411.
• The start up with the most votes as of March 13, 2009 wins a Flip Ultra camcorder and some serious bragging rights. I’d like to give the camcorder to one of you, so consider it a vote for you.

Ok, it’s crunch time! There’s one day left to vote for tech support site FixYa at Santa Monica’s TwiistUp event. I just got the media list and if FixYa won TwiistUp, we’d be in Forbes, LA Weekly and LA Times to name a few. Show us the love, tell your friends and make us a media darling.

VOTE FOR FIXYA HERE: http://tu5.twiistup.com/entries#1165

Every veteran Expert on FixYa is familiar with the frustration of not getting feedback on their solutions. Users are sometimes so absorbed by whatever issue they are having with their products that they neglect to express their appreciation to the Experts who help them. But every so often, a user makes a point of conveying their gratitude for the assistance and information that they received, and the result is heartwarming. Motor1258 has been around FixYa since August 2008. He’s contributed 1185 solutions, but the one that sticks with him is this interaction with a man who inherited a car from his grandmother. The car had a gas leak and over several days of back-and-forth, motor1258 diagnosed the problem and gave great advice that helped the user repair his vehicle. The user was thrilled with the (free!) assistance he received, saying “This is unbelievable. I don’t know who you are but I am so thankful for your help here… What a blessing.”

While users aren’t always so effusive, you can bet that the 115 people who voted motor1258’s solutions a perfect “FixYa!” were similarly happy to receive such amazing support. It’s all part of what motor1258 does. He’s been involved with cars and mechanics since he was 13 and has worked as a mechanic, a parts manager, service manager, and purchasing agent, among other things. He’s also been self-employed with a service station and mechanic shop. Motor1258 currently works in the RV industry as a subcontractor. He would love to pursue this focus on FixYa, and would like to see some RV questions on the site in the future.