🙋 What's the tech question you've never asked?

Hi there,

Last week I asked whether you write the steps down when you figure something out on your phone or computer. Of those who answered, "sometimes" and "I mean to, but don't" tied for the biggest group, and one person always does. That's honest, and it's where today starts. Before there's anything to write down, somebody usually has to ask a question.

Here's a moment you might know. Someone at the table mentions an app, or a setting, or "the cloud," and everyone nods. You nod too. Later, on your own, you wonder what it actually meant. You didn't ask, because it seemed like something you should already know.

By the end of this, you'll:

Two Minutes, One Calmer Phone

A short, no-pitch tip from my place – a two-minute way to quiet the clutter on your phone.

Read the two-minute phone tip

Pew Research Center asked Americans whether they usually need someone to help set up a new phone or computer. About half of people 65 to 74 said yes. Among people 75 and older, it was close to two out of three.

So if you've ever handed your phone to a grandchild and said, "Can you fix this?", you're not the odd one out. You're the usual case. Most people who seem to know their phones inside out had someone show them, or spent an afternoon stuck before it clicked.

There's no test you failed. The buttons move every year or two, and nobody hands out instructions.

Same idea, one tap:

No wrong answer here. I'm just curious where you start.

Psychology Today wrote about a set of studies on asking for help. People guessed how likely others were to say yes to a direct request, and they underestimated it by as much as half. Meanwhile, the people who could help don't realize how awkward it feels to ask.

So the "silly question" feeling is real, but most of it lives in our own heads. The person you ask is usually glad to help, and often a little pleased you thought of them.

Most questions we call silly are just missing information. Nobody was born knowing what the three little dots in the corner do.

1. Say what you're trying to do, not the tech word. "I want to send this photo to my sister" works better than "How does AirDrop work?" It lets the other person pick the easiest way.

2. Show them the screen. Hand over the phone or turn the laptop around. Ten seconds of looking beats five minutes of describing.

3. Keep your own hands on it. Say, "Tell me which button, and I'll press it." When your own finger does the tapping, it sticks. Then write the steps down. You know where.

If there's nobody handy, many public libraries offer free tech help. A quick call to your local branch will tell you.

You get your answer in two minutes instead of turning it over for two weeks. And each question you ask makes the next one easier. After a few, you stop rehearsing them in your head first.

There's a quieter benefit, too. The people around you learn that you're open to learning. That makes it easier for them to show you the next thing, and easier for you to ask.

If you don't, nothing breaks. The question just stays where it is, and you work around it. Plenty of us have worked around the same small thing for years.

Pick one tech question you've been sitting on, the smaller the better, and ask someone this week. A neighbor, a grandchild, the person at the library desk. Just one question.

If you'd like, hit reply with one word: "asked," once you've done it. No need to explain, and there's no wrong reply.

Talk soon,
Bob

A short story from my desk about the boring little tool that quietly runs this whole operation. No sales in it, just a look behind the curtain.

If a few small, repeating tasks quietly eat your week, here is an honest review of the free tool I use to make them handle themselves.

I use Make myself, and my review links through my affiliate link, so I may earn a small amount if you sign up – at no extra cost to you.