By Kevin Purdy, Lifehacker – December 13, 2010 at 01:30PM
If you get frustrated explaining computer basics, but also cringe at the thought of family members paying for rip-off “PC Optimization,” just let Google do it. Or, more accurately, tell Google which really helpful tech support videos to send to your family.
We all get frustrated, believe me—even if you mean well, and the questions are straight-ahead, the disconnect between what you know, and how your intended recipient needs to hear it, is often substantial. Google’s Teach Parents Tech webapp asks you to pick a few videos from a really good collection explaining the basics. Changing desktop backgrounds, upgrading browsers, canceling newsletter subscriptions, and some good photo editing and attachment basics that will, in turn, make your own inbox a nicer place to live. When you’ve got your picks, Google sends along an email with links and thumbnails:
And here’s an example video, explaining how to create a strong password (seemed apropos today, no?):
It’s a free service to use, and perfectly timed to get some basic tech out of the way so your holidays aren’t laced with angry-worded exhortations of “Right-click! No, on the icon! Choose Properties! No, don’t right-click Properties!”