Stop the Computer Geek Mafia!

It is amazing to me that some companies pay top dollar for horrible IT support.  I have had customer tell me that they were mocked by their IT consultant.  I have seen situations where a whole business could be lost at any moment because their system was so badly supported.  I have had clients who were amazed that they wouldn’t have to wait a few days for a call back. 

Why do legitimate companies put up with this?  Is your computer consultant part of a secret Geek Mafia?

Well together with your help lets stamp out the Geek Mafia, lets free companies from having their computer systems held hostage!  Yes, you can help rid the world of this threat.  Here is how we are going to do it.  We are going to turn on the screen saver of enlightenment!

IT stands for Information Technology.  That means pretty much everything related to computers.  In a larger company the IT department manages all the computers, all the software and all the connections between them.

Microsoft has pretty much taken over the entire software world, so large companies and small companies use the same products.  Dell and other major vendors provide the same PC’s and servers to large and small businesses also.  The one positive is that everything is very standard.  It is easier for a small business to simply act like a large business and use the same hardware, software and business processes. 

IT has become a critical part of every company.  Imagine a company that does not use computers?  Can’t think of one?  Neither can I.  Many companies completely shut down when their computers go off-line.  This is where the Geek Mafia has them by the throat.

Large companies might have an IT staff, small companies only need a part time IT staff.  The Geek Mafia can still strike at any size company.

Now you might say all this is mind boggling and there is really no hope for us non-techies.  Well knowledge is power and what you don’t know will kill you and don’t just click anything.

Here is the first place to stop the Geek Mafia, knowing how much time a IT staff should take maintaining a business.  A small company of 10 computers should only need about 4-5 hours a month at most to maintain their network.  Over the years the computers will need to be replaces, changes will be made, systems will have problems.  That should only add another 2 hours a month at most.  When the Geek Mafia show up every week claiming they need to spend hours and hours fixing the same problem, you know you are being scammed.  It works with larger companies also.  A larger company of 100 computers can get by with 70 hours a month of consulting.  The hours may increase as larger companies have other overhead such as a consultant does not charge for research, training and ordering where inside staff will use their working hours.

Is one Internal IT guy watching your 100 computers or is the Geek Mafia holding you hostage with 2, 3 or more acting busy and playing World of Warcraft when you are not looking?

There are two breads of Geek Mafia, the Over Chargers and the No Shows!

One nice office manager was saying how sick they were having to stay until 8 or 9 at night because the IT person had a full time job and only could help them after hours!  Another said they had an IT consultant who spent 3 days trying to get their computer system back on-line after a crash, she brought him breakfast in the morning.  Yes, you heard me right; he stayed at their office for 3 days and nights trying to get the system back   He held them hostage rather then calling an experience IT professional to fix the problem. 

That brings us to incompetence.  Systems can go down, but they shouldn’t.  A company should have no unexpected downtime.  If you have been down for a day in the last year that is bad, if you are down a few times in a year, you are a victim of the Geek Mafia.

The Mafia also tends to put things off so you are trapped waiting for them.

There is also a Linux Geek Mafia.  These are a strange breed, they use non-standard software and hardware companies you have never heard of.  Your data is locked in a system them is totally unknown to normal society, under their lock and key.   

Protect yourself and the world from the Geek Mafia.  Answer these simple non-technical questions and you will be safe. 

Does your IT staff spend too much time maintaining your systems?

It your IT staff there when you need them?  Are they easy to get a hold of any time?

Are your computers dependable and responding quickly?

If your IT staff was taken to Geek Mafia jail is your network setup and documented so another IT person could easily take over? 

Are they using standard software and hardware?