This new gee-whiz techno-wizard world

I EXPECT technology to screw up on me.

puzzle_cook_bigWhile I’m technologically challenged, I’m impressed with people who have skills in this area. For me, these instructions are TOTALLY true.

It gives me some small comfort when Dustbury, a formerly gadget-crazy guy, explains why that old compact disc of mine is suddenly not working correctly. Or when Mark Evanier suddenly has trouble with software that seemed to be working.

Jaquandor recently asked: “How frustrating is it when stuff that’s supposed to work wonderfully in this new gee-whiz techno-wizard world just doesn’t?” This was in reaction to the trouble he’s had with Blogger’s mobile app and Windows Movie Maker.

I wrote in response: “I got REALLY annoyed when some of my auto-posts didn’t post. But it’s also why I’m technophobic; I EXPECT it to screw up.”

This brings me to:

1) The Android I got to use no longer works. Once I had the techie help me reset it, and it worked briefly. But NOW I turn it on, click on one program and it goes to another. Totally useless. While I enjoyed using it while I could, I never got so dependent upon it that its loss is catastrophic for me, because I expected it to fail me. And it did. I’m inconvenienced, and a little disappointed, but not surprised.

2) The hassle with the work computer. On a recent Sunday night, I noted that my work password was going to run out in five days, so I changed it. Monday morning, the new password didn’t work, so I used my old password. But I’m supposed to have a shared drive and my personal drive, yet I had neither. I rebooted, had some synch error (don’t ask, I don’t know), and couldn’t get on at all.

I call the help desk. The guy tells me the techie from our building needs to fix it. The techie from our building, though, is no longer contracted to work on our program’s computers. After two phone calls, he does come over, but he can’t fix it, because he no longer had administrative rights. Eventually, this gets resolved after a three-way conversation that fortunately did not involve me.

Technology’s great when it works.

Author: Roger

I'm a librarian. I hear music, even when it's not being played. I used to work at a comic book store, and it still informs my life. I won once on JEOPARDY! - ditto.

4 thoughts on “This new gee-whiz techno-wizard world”

  1. I had my husband reset my phone and iPad with our new email settings. Well, ONE of the accounts I use. Took him several minutes. I hate to think how long it would’ve taken ME!

  2. My solution to this problem was to marry a woman who can fix my computer. Sorry Roger, but if you want to fix your Android Carol has got to go.

  3. I just operate under the assumption that if it can go wrong, it will go wrong…especially with computers!

  4. I expect technology not to work right, and then it’s very triggering for me when technology meets those expectations. Circular exhaustion.

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