With more people than ever using ’em, it’s probably difficult to find an Ars reader who doesn’t have a family member or old friend that’s lost at sea when it comes to keeping a computer running. And when that familiar call or e-mail comes—”Do you have a minute? How do you…”—it’s instantly obvious. This person needs a significant amount of long-term help.

In today’s ever more technological and connected world, these requests tend to come often. And while it’s maddening enough playing amateur IT professional for someone in the same house, how do you cope when increasingly the tech-challenged live across town or even across the country? To no one’s surprise, there are as many strategies out there as there are readers.

Luckily for you (and agonizingly for me), I’ve had some experience here.