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Welcome to the DebiLyn Smith blog site. If you like what you read here, check out her website at www.debilynsmith.com

Friday, May 14, 2010

Bumbling With Computers

I drive my husband crazy! I wish in a good way, but no. There's a long list behind that statement of how I drive him mad, but the one I'm going to address is the latest. Computer Bumbling.
We can't agree on how to use a computer. Barry is one of those people that when he sees a new page on his computer screen pop up, his eyes immediately rise to the top left of the page and he begins to methodically review and read everything he sees. Left to right. Brrring! Left to right. Brrrring! Like an old style typewriter. It takes him forever to search for something.

Me? I take in the entire page at a glance and hit "delete," or "more" or "next" quickly if there isn't anything that catches my eye for what it is I am looking for. "This is a reflex age," I chastise. The same with any new electronics. Who reads manuals? Just take the thing and start pushing buttons. Something will start to work. Just do it. Nothing bad will happen! The sky will not fall!

If I'm not pushing strange buttons that I can no longer even see on my cell phone or DVD player, then I am at the computer moving the mouse back and forth rapidly when things are sluggish and the computer acts like a python trying to swallow the last half of a horse. Flick, flick, flick. I tell my husband it seems to help. Flick, flick, flick. But last week, while deleting some mail files, his entire "Barry Save" file mysteriously went missing. Long story short and $60 lighter, we got MOST of them back. Still missing is all of April and May and of course, the only files he had to have.
"That's because you flick, flick, flick," he snarls.

"You can't prove that," I counter.

While trying to get friends to sign up on this blog, I became aware of the rest of the aged computer bumblers out there. It's not just us! After asking someone under 30, their name appeared instantly on the blog list. Over 30? I have to first advise them it didn't work. They're not on there. Then I have to re-explain and then sometimes make a third attempt to help.

Eventually they always get it, but it makes me wonder? How many of us are using these computers without having even a quarter of a clue of what we're doing? It's like bumper cars. We're not sure how to steer them properly so we grip the wheel, hit the gas pedal and just start driving madly.
Maybe I don't have a bug that is moving and deleting files? Maybe that's my senility or my flicking or driving the computer all wrong.

The scary part is, just when you think you DO have something figured out, they change the game. New operating systems or upgrades to your programs that totally lose you.I just hope the entire techno thing doesn't speed up like everything else is doing these days. Never mind the days, the YEARS are zooming!

Oh well, until one of the kids come to visit and straighten me out, I'm just going to continue the bumbling. And hopefully I don't do too much more damage in the meantime!
Flick, flick, flick.

1 comment:

  1. Yes Keith, you did inspire me to write this. How did you ever recognize yourself-LOL!!! Funny how we are so many peas in that same bumble pod. Think it has anything to do with grey matter ( as in grey hair, grey-ted nerves, etc)?

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