The
arch-nemesis of
information technology and
sales people alike, the Friend Who Knows A Lot About Computers--usually a
power user with an exaggerated sense of
self-importance--will undermine any attempt you make to get a
user on board with the
technical solutions you're offering.
The Friend tends to either be a dabbler lacking depth of knowledge in any field, or a specialist in one thing who filters all questions through his own narrow area of expertise. Once the user is out of your sight he or she will seek out this friend for a second opinion. Depending on the situation, he may either advise the user to strip away everything useful from the proposed system in order to save money, or to add on all sorts of ludicrously expensive equipment in order to perform high-end functions the user doesn't need (like daily tape backups of their "cool screensavers" folder).