Tudhalyas (Andrea) and TxonTirea, take a bow...
 

Ma smukan si smuke,

I'm tapping away on my laptop right now, and the fact that I can do so again is the rationale behind the title of my post.

Many, MANY posts have pointed out how we are like true friends and family here on ToS, how we're closer to each other than to those in our real lives, and I'm about to submit yet another case to support the reasons I'm closer to my little ToS/Skype family than I thought I ever could be.

My laptop up and died about a week ago. I was Skyping with the aforementioned "family", when the bloody thing started hanging. Multiple reboots later, and I could get past my log-in screen, but that was it.

My laptop had already had one issue with its anti-virus program, and Andrea and Txon helped me resolve that issue via a conference call on the Skype app on my iPhone. But THIS issue...this was a toughie.

Andrea spent most of that Monday afternoon (assisted by Txon) guiding me through various procedures to try and get my laptop behaving again. (Mind you, since I'm not as well-versed in computer technology as either of them, this is tantamount to a brilliant surgical team trying to perform remote surgery with a glitchy robot.) A system restore seemed to do the job, but an hour later, I was back to square one. Due to time differences, my "personal tech support center" was unavailable. I sent a text message to three of my more computer-literate real-life friends and waited for a response. (One responded with, "Sorry, I've been busy lately"...and nothing more.)

The following day, Andrea guided me (again in a CC on Skype) with using my ancient desktop to install Ubuntu on a flash drive in order to be able to save my priceless files and allow me to boot my computer through it. (Mind you, I was waiting for any other responses to my predicament from my real-life friends.) I purchased a 500GB external HD and dumped my data en masse onto it.

Yesterday finally saw me truly resurrect my laptop, still guided by my two tech-support whizzes: I wiped the hard drive completely and restored it to its factory settings.

Through this entire ordeal, the irony was biting: my real-life friends (one who lives a bare three miles from me) didn't help at all, while two very real friends who live THOUSANDS OF MILES away helped me resolve my problem.

That said, Andrea and Txon, take a bow. You truly were and still are godsends to me, and I am beholden to you both for everything you've done. I love you both...

Marilyn, I really don't know what to say for what you have written here, your words makes me proud to know a sweet and kind person such as you. I just did what I felt right to do: to help a friend in need. It's just as simple as that.

If I could, I'd have done much more, but as you already mentioned, the distance which separates us makes everything more complicated. :( ...but I'm glad that we had technology on our side!

About your RL "friends": as I already said to you privately, I can't comprehend why they acted like this... at least a reply message would have certainly been welcome. But in any case, this is their loss, not yours, because now you know how much they really care about you and you can act accordingly to this.

Oel ngati kameie, ma tsmuké. Set sì frakrr!

I don't know what to say after reading your post, other than "wow." I'm glad you were able to get help, and that everything worked out in the end! It's unfortunate that your other friends and family were unable to act the part (I can understand "sorry, I'm busy dying because of final exams," but no reply at all? :(), but I'm glad to hear your ToS friends were able to come through and save the day.

Also:
I love the way you worded this. :D

A final also: How many people here are on Skype? I should sign up for an account! :)

I fully understand the frustration of having a computer that dies on you and then having to figure out how to fix it. I'm glad that you were able to get help for it. I'm sorry about your rl friends not helping you. Some people just get so busy with their own lives that they forget to help others.

We are ten people, at the moment. Come join us, you'll be most welcome! :D

Nice one. Glad to see you got some help :)
Remember I can provide tech support too, and am now on skype :P

That is awesome news! I am so happy for you ma tsmukan :) I don't know or not, but do I have you as a friend on Skype?

Hey there, "TBW"!

Your "glitchy robot" here...:D

I can only speak for those whom I see on Skype: obviously, I, Tudhalyas and TxonTirea are, and Tzmukan Wokan is the fourth member of my "family". Other ToS members on Skype: Leonopteryx, ballju, vision89, xcrunner, aihwa...and we were joined the other day by the inimitable HNM. Come on down, TBW!

Yes, I added you back in the times of the old AF, but we didn't manage to know each other yet. I'm looking forward to hear from you really soon! ;)

i should get skype.
even though i am usually(always) against social networking websites.

Another case of ToS love and support. :) It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
I would get a mic and sign up for skype, but if my (really old fashioned, anti-internet) parents hear me sitting alone in a room talking to myself... :D I just wish I had more time alone.

I have Skype too (SovereignGFC), but I'm just chiming in to say I do remote tech support as well (I did one case from the USA to Iran, some 6000 miles).

Just for all of your information, my name under Skype is Tristan Mieras :) thats my real name, I'm usually on for a couple hours after I get home from college... can't wait to talk to those who sign(ed) up!

How exactly does this skype business work? i'd be interested in taking part, but I was under the impression you needed a special skype phone or something...? :S