Patterns of asking for help with software

This study examines who is more or less likely to ask for help with software from a librarian, teacher, fellow student, or close friend rather than family members or coworkers by using 2002-2004 General Social Survey data and logistic regression analysis. It is found that demographic variables such as age, race and marital status, and socio-economic status variables such as education and family income, play significant roles in predicting the patterns of people asking for help with software. African-Americans are more likely to ask librarians for help with software. Ethnic minorities and the unmarried are more likely to ask teachers for help with software. The more educated people are, the more likely they are to ask teachers or fellow students for help with software. The older people are, the less likely they are to ask fellow students for help with software. African-Americans and the unmarried are more likely to ask fellow students for help with software. People with higher levels of family income are less likely to ask fellow students for help with software than their counterparts. The unmarried are more likely to ask close friends for help with software. The variables of the ability to use the Internet, when first to use the web, gender, and region make no difference in this study. The findings will be of value for software firms to provide high quality software with desirable help features and services for customers, and for schools and libraries to improve services with software usage.