"Big Brother'' pays a call

Never does "Big Brother'' feel more real than when you allow a computer provider to remotely access your PC. It's like having someone in your room looking over your shoulder, but he or she is most likely half a world away in India, Bangladesh or some other outsourced land. And when your cursor moves around the screen while you're cradling the phone talking to Mr. or Ms. Fix-It, it's so eerie.

I'm no fan of outsourcing. American jobs come first. But when it comes to making my PC work perfectly, I don't care where the fix-it person is based. I used to make small talk and ask where, but decided that's not a great idea when calling someone to help me. This week, after 45 minutes and two responders to diagnose the problem and then write up a ticket about it one evening, and another 40 minutes the next night with two more folks who didn't seem to know about the ticket, my problem has been solved. "Big Brother'' is gone and I have control of my cursor again.