Do You Have a Name For | Hacker News Reader

Do You Have a Name For

8 pointsbado16 comments

...when you go to look at someone's computer/device/app and it magically is working perfectly when they go to show you? Like when the person is "Oh sure NOW it works..." simply by your presence? (Sorta like how the car stops making The Noise when the mechanic is nearby)

I've always called it "I.T. Person Proximity Location Rectification" and was just wondering if we have a better name for the phenomenon

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That phenomenon is often referred to as the "Tech Support Superpower" or "Tech Support Magic." Another popular term is the "Tech Support Effect." These terms capture the idea that technical issues often resolve themselves when an IT person is present.

Your term "I.T. Person Proximity Location Rectification" is quite descriptive and amusing!

How about LUCK? (Life's U - Unexpected C - Charms K - Keep spreading) suggested by...https://randomgenerate.io/mnemonic-generator

I've been told that computers have given their owners tons of grief... right up to the moment they considered calling me (I was their IT support)... then they worked correctly the rest of the day.

I always carried a Leatherman tool, and was unafraid to open a computer at a moment's notice. I ruled the computers by fear. ;-)

On the other hand... one of the people I supported did exactly the right things to her computer as I watched... and it didn't work... I recommended she avoid computers, and she's now a very happy motivational coach.

Other people's computers are scared of me. My spouse just asks me to come over because things aren't working, but doesn't need to ask me to help.

No big deal, I like help call where I don't need to do anything. Better than trying to figure out why something doesn't work when it should and I can't influence the responsible people to actually fix it.

My dad is the 'IT guy' in an office of about 150 people doing general hardware support and in-house server maintenance. He says he has a little button in his pocket that he'll press when he is walking over to fix the problem.

The technician effect.

See e.g. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11799365

This isn't an effect name but if I see this in a bug report I'd tag it a 'works for me' / 'unable to repro'

I thought it was due to +10 points to my computing skill, and possibly to others in close proximity.

I say the computers have (translated from Hebrew) technician syndrome

Heisenbug seems related but not exactly right.

Magic touch

Compare with Heisenbug.

seems like this should be the Anti-Pauli effect

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauli_effect