....has just suggested to someone with a software problem that she take her computer apart, and spray the contents with WD-40.

(This is a can of oil : http://www.wd40.co.uk/home.aspx)

The same fathead keeps referring to "departments" on his own computer. At first I thought he meant partitions, but closer examination revealed that he means different browsers.

My (very controlled response) was "you mean browsers". His reply was "I don't care what you call them...."

I often wonder how he would fare with gibbering nonsense like that on an IT-specific forum, or indeed a sports-specific forum such as the one I watch, where if they think you don't know what you're talking about, at their level, you are likely to get mercilessly hammered into oblivion.

You were much kinder than I would have been. If I had seen someone advise another to spray the inside of their computer with WD-40, as a solution to a software problem, I likely would have responded: "I assume you are experiencing breathing difficulties.....considering where you appear to have your head."

And so, the age-old question remains unanswered: Why are there more horses asses than there are horses?

Would you please post a link to that "suggestion?"

Thanks.

This same fathead (since you're joining in: thanks) has now posted a copy+paste from another place (3 or 4 years ago) where he's found an ancient post of his.

This copy+paste is about 20 pages long, because he has included all the gaps and spaces, like this:
========================

Link to this forum: RBQ for wide orchestras

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==================

That goes on, just like that, for about 20 pages (page-downs)

My response was: Brilliant piece of work in copy and paste there. Only about twenty screens long. Didn't it occur to you to delete some of the extraneous stuff before posting it all?

I have absolute confidence that he will not find this messageboard, on multiple grounds, the first one being that he can't work his own computer? No! The first one being that he has not even heard of Apple Mac.

(where's that rolling-eyes-gif when you need it?)

Good question. As an old friend used to say: "You can lead a horse's ass to the truth, but you can't make him think."

> (where's that rolling-eyes-gif when you need it?)

Same question I asked myself when I saw that you responded to my post without including the link requested therein.

Oh I see, but sorry, no.

If I posted a link to that forum, you'd mayhap rummage around and find out far more about me than I choose to disclose here.


<wry-face-gif>

OK, then; how about the entire text of the question and response?

Whatever else you do, before it's too late, you should let this lady know that she should not be spraying WD 40 inside her computer as it is most likely to cause irreparable damage.

Your "fathead" may be worse than just stupid. He could be one of those strange people who take delight in causing problems for others.

If this lady is a Mac person you might also suggest she join FineTunedMac, where she can get appropriate, honest and reliable advice on any issues she might have....from people who know and care.

Y'know, ryck, Bensheim's scenario is so off-the-wall that I'm having a difficult time giving it any credibility without seeing the complete text of both the post and the response (including smileys, emoticons, gifs...whatever you care to call them). I can hardly wait for him to do a copy & paste (and his reason for not wanting to link being a reasonable one, I'm certain that the Mods will cut him some slack for not doing so).

Edit: I forgot to mention that I did a bit of searching, and the consensus was that being non-conductive, the worst WD-40 could do was act as a dust collector and eventually cause things to gunk up. (I offer no opinions of my own in that regard.)

Just remember that all you need to fix anything is WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD-40. If it moves and it shouldn't, use duct tape.

According to some, a couple of the compounds present in WD-40 have the potential to dissolve or otherwise modify plastics commonly found in certain electronic components. See for example:

Why I don't use WD-40 on amplifier electronics - Telecaster Guitar Forum

And if you need to make a new one, you can make ANYTHING out of wire hangers.

Interesting link, thanks, and precisely why I wouldn't have any part of expressing an opinion. (The posts I found may have been based on expertise, but they weren't written either as coherently or with such detail.)

Edit: I just realized that I forgot to mention that my original search actually turned up a poster who had grabbed the wrong can and sprayed his Mac's motherboard with WD-40, so the consensus expressed in the responses was applicable, if not necessarily accurate.

The lady in question is one I have respect for: a rare thing with messageboard people - Not Here, I hasten to add. I have respect for just about everyone here - and I'm sure she wouldn't do anything that stupid.

She shares my view on the fathead (has verified this by PM). He is not malicious, just extremely stupid.

Alas, she's not on a Mac yet, but my closing post to her before she went off-line was to urge her to get at least one. (I don't understand why people have only one computer. If you have at least two, you can use the functioning one to check the internet for advice and solutions if/when the other malfunctions.......)

I have given this some thought, and am uneasy about posting the lady's posts on another forum without her knowledge/consent. I would scream blue murder if anyone did that to me, and then I found out.

I have put some of those posts into Google to see if they're searchable, but somehow my instincts say that that's not enough of a check. There are people out there with far too much time on their hands and for all I know they could find it and post it, and a link to the forum etcetera.

If this tale, which is true, somehow offends/upsets Mods because of my unwillingness to provide verification, then I am very surprised indeed: and they can remove this thread if they like.

But it would seem unnecessarily pedantic, IMO.

1) does it move?
yes: go to 2
no: go to 3

2) should it move?
yes: NO PROBLEM!
no: Duct Tape

3) should it move?
yes: WD-40
no: NO PROBLEM!

I would also say separately, that one of the first machines I ever worked on was a performa of some sort that was so clean it SHINED, on the inside. because the owner had used a compressed air unit to blow out the dust. Without disconnecting the air-tool oiler.

The whole computer smelled like WD40 and it was most certainly dead.

No arguments here, but I remain extremely curious all the same. Oh, well...

Actually, it's common practice to reference posts from other forums, even to copy and paste them, but that presupposes a crediting link; this particular instance is a curious one.