Computers and elderly moms don’t always get along well. You can’t fly home every week to fix your mother’s PC problems, but I live right down the street from her. And I’m on the case.

That’s right, I’m a geek.
And I carry a badge.

“Geek Exchange Service, ma’am. Says here your ‘little green clock icon thingy is gone.’ I’ll take care of that for you.”
Every service call earns me credits to send a geek to maintain my own dear mother’s PC. We’re a worldwide network of nerds. No job’s too big or too small. We’re the Geek Exchange.
-- Amos Kito, Oct 03 2002

Rent a geek http://www.rentageek.com/
B-a-k-e-d! [TwoSheds, Oct 03 2002]

Remote assistance http://www.microsof...eassist/default.asp
You could be the geek down the street from halfway around the world. [bristolz, Oct 03 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Hahahaha! nice! but....

"'ullo missus, Oim from" look at badge "er.... Geek Exchange Service. Come ta fix yur computa" fiddle around "Sorry Mum she's buggered. Gotta take her to th' Workshop. Be back soon." groan occurs outside as real geek recovers consciousness.
-- CrumbsDM, Oct 03 2002


The reason why elderly moms pester their geek offspring every week or so and not every hour or so is that the distance they have to travel to help. Pretty soon the local geek will be living in your old childhood room have a place in the family album and be seeing your old childhood sweetheart. Then comes hair dye and the plastic surgery and the name change. ...

Still gets my croissant, though.
-- st3f, Oct 03 2002


This would be a great idea.

"Oh, hello - my email has stopped working. What should I do ?" .... they've rung the cellphone, and it's 0300 in this time zone .....
-- 8th of 7, Oct 03 2002


I got this phone call on my (hands free) car mobile the other day from my daughter: "Dad, do you know what cartridge my printer uses, I think I need a new one?". "No dear, I'm in a car on the motorway, that bit of techno info just went out of my head." But it would have been good to be able to reply: "Hey, you could call IGE on 0800-ANORAK"
-- TwoSheds, Oct 03 2002


I think [TwoSheds] is perhaps suggesting he's not a geek. Not all people who use this site are, you know.
-- sild, Oct 03 2002


that is so friggin genius.
-- ironfroggy, Mar 08 2003


If it means someone else gets to clean up after my dad's computer screwups, you get a croissant. He has, in the past while, destroyed his command.com, trashed all his root directory entries, bent a computer in half, and physically ripped the cablemodem out of the wall. And yes, those were all accidents.
-- Corona688, Mar 08 2003


but shouldn't there be a proper exchange like I give you a geek, I get a hot blonde chick in return or something or 3 geeks buy me a blonde I suppose would be a fairer exchange. i'd be hunting geeks all day. may catch a few greeks by accident.
-- etherman, Jun 18 2004


Beware the overzealous members, who will install some customised variant of Linux on your mums PC.

"Oh, but it's okay - it's based on SuSe. You know - the easy one."
-- Detly, Jun 18 2004


what about a 'squeek exchange' for mice?

or a 'beak exchange for birds?
-- etherman, Jun 18 2004


Would a leek exchange be for plumbers or onions?
-- popbottle, Sep 18 2014


I would be happy to give an onion if I could take a leek.
-- bungston, Sep 18 2014


Or maybe the reason Grandma's computer never seems to work is that she just wants an excuse to call you. She also figures it makes you feel smart to be able to fix problems that she has. If it was just a random geek, she'd probably rather just leave the computer unplugged.
-- scad mientist, Sep 18 2014



random, halfbakery