On most days, I adore technology. My computer is practically an appendage; I spend so much time on it. As a Boomer, I never take it for granted, having grown up with black and white TV and typewriters with carbon paper for copying term papers. But, when technology doesn’t cooperate and chooses, instead, a coup d’etat, I want to scream!
I am working on client projects – yes, marketing work. That is how I make a living. But, alas, I must depend wholeheartedly on my computer for Internet research, communicating with clients 4000 miles away, and yes, copywriting, designing and strategizing.
But when my IT specialist says it’s time to reformat, I cower with dreaded anticipation. I know what that means. As the Beach Boys used to sing, “Wipeout!”
I started on a Friday and didn’t complete the process until halfway through Monday. I backed up everything onto my external drive and reloaded all my software. Why, oh why, isn’t there a better way?
I thought my life would be better – that I could just click away on my keyboard and all would be well with the universe. Disheartened, I find myself lost without my personal contacts – all because I forgot to check a little box that says “include all sub-folders.”
I am working again, thank goodness. But, now there are new bugs that irritate me. Things that didn’t occur before. Maybe it’s a conspiracy. After all, Vista is on the market, just crying for attention, What? 3 gigs of RAM – oh joy. I find myself reading technology ads even more and browsing tech sites. Oh, oh.
What about you? Do you have a love-hate relationship with technology?
Tags: computer, Marketing, software, Technology, Vista
You hit it right on the head, Elaine.
When some bit of technology, which I generally take for granted, goes awry, I get very angry and frustrated. When that happens, lots of time can be wasted.
But then, once it’s fixed, I’m back to wondering how’d we manage without email, cellphones, computers, faxes.
Love it — hate it, all at the saame time.
I feel your pain, Elaine. I love technology only when it works. Sounds like a lot of us are fickle that way!
At least you ARE backing up, however… good for you. I learned that lesson the hard way when I lost ALL of my MarketingProfs email without warning… *poof*…. it was gone.
OUCH.
That was 2 months ago, and I’m still recovering.
Elaine,
I like how you use the word “relationship” to describe how we all use technology today. Like any relationship, we sometimes ignore it… and we sometimes adore it. Regardless, we hope that it keeps humming along.
And, a lot of us are reluctant to make any change to our relationship with our cellphone, blackberry, laptop, etc. until something goes wrong or something better comes along – like a lot of relationships. We just hope that the transition to the next device, operating system, etc. is quick and painless.
It’s funny how these gigabytes and gadgets are now as necessary to us as our personal and professional relationships.
Technology has made my life far more organized, and has accelerated the pace and volume of certain work that helps me both professionally and personally.
But I also spend far too much time with technology. A couple years ago, I decided I needed a hobby that was about as far away from computers, email and the Web as possible. I took up woodworking, and it’s been a fantastic, balancing tool for me – and a great incentive to get off the computer and do something fun and productive!
Elaine,
You speak for lots of us. I started my career using a Royal Portable. The IBM Selectric was huge. Then I got a DECMate, about the size of a desk set on it side, but Wow! And so on!
I am faster with my computer and the work is easier to produce (but I haven’t seen any evidence that people’s work has gotten better.) I have no interest in seeing a Royal Portable any time soon, except in a museum.
Backup, Backup, Backup. That is the key.
Important data is saved on servers in a server facility and backed up there. But what many people forget is that they also save business and personal stuff on their PC and many do not back up their data.
Technology is like trains (or maybe running water). Nobody notices if it is on time but when the train is late you notice.
Backups can make the problems and stress so much less when something goes really wrong.
I found myself nodding at everything you wrote on this subject, Elaine. Your comments are right on the money. Loved the input from all of the posted comments, too. Technology is terrific when it works as it should. When it doesn’t, it’s a nightmare.
One thing I’d like to mention: backing up to one’s hard drive is not sufficient. Copying files to disc or a memory stick is one alternative, but I’ve found something I like better. After a friend recently had a disaster with a total hard drive melt-down, I went to Best Buy and purchased an F Drive, or Free Agent Drive. Now, if my hard drive goes, or I purchase another computer, I can hook up the F Drive and recopy everything in a matter of minutes. Gotta love it. A little insurance policy and real peace of mind for a small investment.
Claire, I bought and external hard drive that is very easy to backup too and has massive disk space. It is easy.
If my HD goes down, as you mentioned, I get a new one and copy the files over. No problem, very little stress.
Thank you all for your empathy and comments. David, I agree. We are soooooo dependent on technology these days.
Ann, I can’t imagine how lost you must have felt losing all that e-mail. Neil and Claire are right. Backing up is crucial. I, too, have an external hard drive. I set up an Outlook reminder to back up every Friday.
Lewis, did you ever take keyboarding or typing in school? I never did. It was during the women’s revolution and avoiding typing class was a statement against stereotypical secretarial jobs. I still hack away at my computer with three fingers!
Matt, I applaud your efforts to wean away from technology to do something “real.”
AnnaMaria, I agree that we are fickle in our beliefs that the next thing will be better at solving our problems. The issue with that is all the garbage hardware that ends up in landfills.
Oh, well. Keep the stories coming….
Having learned the importance of backing up the hard way, I am a bit fanatical about it. I have Mac OS X’s Time Machine doing hourly backups to an external drive, I do daily backups of critical stuff to an online backup service (the house could burn the ground and the data would still be safe), and once a week I make a bootable clone of my main hard drive on yet another external drive.
Maybe it’s excessive, but I like knowing that there are three different places to recover data from.
I love technology but there are frustrations. Think of it as a good relationship in which there is some tension and the occasional fight.
These days, for example, I almost never watch a movie before going to http://www.imdb.com for reviews and so on. Almost every day I look something up onhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page though the site is far from perfect.
I even pay money for subscriptions to The Economist (and the paper version), The Wine Advocate (reviews of thousands of wines), and Consumer Reports. My Consumer Reports’ subscription paid for itself on the first day.
Any time I want I can talk to an old friend who lives in Europe on Skype (for free), exchange emails with friends and family, and check the headlines on the Web.
It is so much easier to find out about just about anything these days. Sure, the usual caveat emptor applies even to free information.
John, all it takes one big boo-boo to become diligent in avoiding it again. If it gives you peace of mind, who cares what others think?
Neil, love your analogy to relationships. How true!
No matter how diligent I am I ALWAYS end up losing some information. The only thing that is worse is when I lose my phone.
Gavin, I know what you mean. Somehow files go missing just like socks in the dryer.
I have to agree – I hate my Blackberry but I can’t live without it.
It’s hard to break free from a wireless leash…
Agreed, that’s why God made Mac’s.
Lisa — Not sure about that one. I’ve hated my Mac deeply at times.
One of the illusions I had about technology as computers became more available was that they would be very flexible. For users who only want to use applications, not customize them or design them, computers, TVs, cell phones and other technology can’t be as easily organized as a file of index cards or a filing cabinet.
I have trouble with the trend toward smaller and smaller phones, because my fingers often hit two keys at once.
I also prefer my computer’s icons in fixed locations and in alphabetical order.
A couple of years ago I received a big pr packet on a CD. I put it in my computer, clicked on the CD to play the thing or open the files or whatever, and all the icons on my desktop skidded to new locations. I was not amused.
It is also frustrating to discover that software companies don’t really want to hear how I want my computer to perform. Software production exemplifies Tangerine Toad’s expression — “your brand is not my friend.”
Another great post Elaine. You took a light hearted approach to addressing an extremely frustrating side of technology. You’re not alone though
Computers have become so complex that they seem to have a mind of their own, and simply no longer work in a predictable, consistent fashion. It’s become the old, “can’t live with it; can’t live without it,” to the point where I have seen (non-tech) professionals become so consumed by technology that they lose touch with their profession (which, at its fundamental core, has little to do with technology).
As a company that’s focused on helping (primarily late adopter) small business owners leverage technology to grow their business and increase productivity, we came to the realization early on that an appropriate degree of hand holding would be critical to our model. So we borrowed an approach from other industries, but one that we haven’t found among web service providers. Essentially, each customer is assigned their own “Personal Internet Consultant” from the get-go: a single, real person who speaks the customer’s language and whom the customer can establish a relationship with and contact directly at any time.
Check out the latest post to our launch blog entitled, “Who ‘Ya Gonna Call?”, where we elaborate on the concept of a “Personal Internet Consultant” a bit, and make specific reference to your great article: http://launch.simplaris.com/2008/10/06/who-ya-gonna-call/
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well i can feel your pain, Elaine. I love technology only when it works. Sounds like a lot of us are fickle that way!
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Cord cut, Work continues, uninterrupted (more or less) in October
Ah the joy of the year-end Holiday season.
A time for reflection. To count our gains and losses as we look forward to the new year.
Most people are preparing for an intense period of well wishing and merriment making as is the custom this time of year.
Today is Friday
I myself, consider myself, Internet dependent. Dependent to the point it’s difficult to explain what it is if you don’t already have a basic grasp of the concept.
Many people can claim they have the best job in the world.
Me, I count myself as one of those people.
Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to12:00 pm (3 hours)
I’m at home,
on my computer, – (Internet dependent)
making breakfast,
checking E-mail, – (Internet dependent)
Napping,
Watching movies,
Walk to the local Bodega for a breakfast sandwich,
on my computer, – (Internet dependent)
Editing Videos,
Listening to music,
I’m at home,
on my computer, – (Internet dependent)
and like magic
Money appears in my bank account. – (Internet dependent)
Internet dependent to the point of making sure that data line to the outside world remains intact available and open at all times.
As is the recurring theme of these stories, forces are actively working to hobble the efforts to of our much tested protagonist.
So-too was the challenge presented to me after having my Internet modem and network cable ripped from my computer.
The reason given for it’s removal was the current $400 a month I was paying to occupy that space, did not cover the additional expense of a Internet connection.
Did I mention I am Internet dependent?
My immediate concerns and questions to myself were:
How do I maintain a daily internet presence with no internet connection?
How can money magically appear in my Bank Account with no internet connection?
How do I know where I need to be with no Internet connection?
How do I upload 200 minutes of video to my YouTube Channel with no Internet connection?
Take a week off and assess the problem.
Gamble there is an unsecured wireless network I can access from my current (non-mobile) location.
Translation: Buy a USB wireless adapter to search for and connect to networks in range from my current (non-mobile) location.
As chance would have it. There’s a signal (two bars) from an unsecured network that happens to be on exactly when I need it to be on. There are six other networks in range but they’re all secured with TKIP encryption and require passwords for access. Lucky me of 7 wireless networks in range, I have total access to “holsue’s house” network very close to 24 hours a day.
(which is exactly what I need. Did I mention I’m Internet Defendant?)
Although I have noticed a measurable signal degradation of strength and quality at night and during rain events.
“OK, just so I am clear and to summarize:”
I myself, consider myself, Internet dependent
Internet modem and network cable ripped from my computer
Purchased USB wireless adapter and connected to the internet for free.
Purchased an even better USB wireless adapter and connected to the internet for free for 60 days
Internet work continues uninterrupted (more or less)
Money magically appears in my bank account.
“Yep, that about covers it.”