Old Farts & Computers - Part 2 "In The Beginning,..."
For me, ...
the beginning came the day I decided I needed to work for myself.
I had spent the greatest portion of my life working for other people (with mixed results), and I was tired of letting those "other people" make important decisions that effected my life, and happiness.
I really didn't have the time, or desire, to wait for them to get their act together.
Opportunity awaited elsewhere, and it was time for me to go find it.
I wanted to pick something that I enjoyed doing, and just find a way to go out there, and do it for myself.
(Easier said than done.
) As I began looking around, more & more I realized that the best way to accomplish my goal, was on this great unknown called "The Web".
(Which of course, was attached to an old dread of mine, ...
the COMPUTER.
) To accomplish my goal, I would finally have to deal with something I had been side-stepping for quite some time.
I was actually going to have to learn about computers! This whole other world, I had stubbornly fought against for years, ...
was suddenly to become my ally.
(When I came to this conclusion, I think I actually experienced the equivalent of a "mental flop sweat".
) The night I finally made the decision to jump in with both feet, I pulled out my trusty legal pad, and proceeded to call a few techie friends for advise.
To make this kind of purchase required some research, and I had to get a general idea of what equipment I would be needing.
I found, beyond the fact that I knew nothing about computers, I didn't even know the terminology.
("Who's my ISP?", uh oh.
) I really needed to know some basic things, to help me understand how this all works.
I didn't want to just stand there, with a "deer in the headlights" look, when the computer stores' salesperson asked the eventual question, "May I help you?".
Before this, I had gone out of my way to avoid anything to do with computers, so now ...
I had to start from scratch.
(Literally!) One friend who had spent a number of years as a "technical help line" adviser, walked me through the basics, while I took copious notes, and asked infinite questions.
After awhile, I couldn't help noticing that she sounded like she was talking to a 1st grader, then I remembered that a 1st grader probably knew this stuff already.
("Remember, it's not a stupid question, if you don't know the answer.
") When the day arrived to actually go buy my computer, I set out with all my newfound knowledge, a legal pad full of notes, and somehow I managed to get through it all without sounding too "green".
(*Note: Be wary of overeager salespeople.
I still have a couple of things I bought that first day, that I haven't used yet.
) By the time I got home I was mentally exhausted, so I piled the boxes on a table in the corner, to await the day when my friend could come over, and set it up for me.
(They sat there for 2 weeks.
) The day she did finally come over, she made me put the thing together myself, while she watched.
(Which I highly recommend because, if you ever have to move the thing, you really need to know where all the plugs go.
) Now, I've found over the years, that I get along better with machines if I name them.
(I have a very sweet 24 year old truck named "Baby".
) After thinking about it awhile, I ended up naming my computer "Dorothy", and of course, my printer is "Toto".
They're going to take me to a wondrous new world, and I'm finally ready to go exploring over this rainbow.
For now, I'd like to leave you with a little advice.
1.
Please be patient with yourself, and take A-L-L the time you need to let this sink in.
People will be throwing information at you like you haven't seen since cramming for the SAT's, but don't worry, it's just an old wives' tale that your brain will explode from too much use.
(And I promise you, ...
it does get easier.
) 2.
Get to know your computer first, before you get on "The Web".
Punch all the buttons you can find, just to see where they take you.
"What does this do?", became my unofficial mantra.
(Don't worry, you can always punch "undo" or "close", to get back where you started.
) While those buttons may not be where you intended to go, later when you need those other things, you'll remember that you've seen that before, ...
somewhere.
3.
If you ever think you've suddenly gone deaf, ...
before panicking, please check the mute and/or volume control buttons.
You probably have them turned off.
(I still do that occasionally.
)
the beginning came the day I decided I needed to work for myself.
I had spent the greatest portion of my life working for other people (with mixed results), and I was tired of letting those "other people" make important decisions that effected my life, and happiness.
I really didn't have the time, or desire, to wait for them to get their act together.
Opportunity awaited elsewhere, and it was time for me to go find it.
I wanted to pick something that I enjoyed doing, and just find a way to go out there, and do it for myself.
(Easier said than done.
) As I began looking around, more & more I realized that the best way to accomplish my goal, was on this great unknown called "The Web".
(Which of course, was attached to an old dread of mine, ...
the COMPUTER.
) To accomplish my goal, I would finally have to deal with something I had been side-stepping for quite some time.
I was actually going to have to learn about computers! This whole other world, I had stubbornly fought against for years, ...
was suddenly to become my ally.
(When I came to this conclusion, I think I actually experienced the equivalent of a "mental flop sweat".
) The night I finally made the decision to jump in with both feet, I pulled out my trusty legal pad, and proceeded to call a few techie friends for advise.
To make this kind of purchase required some research, and I had to get a general idea of what equipment I would be needing.
I found, beyond the fact that I knew nothing about computers, I didn't even know the terminology.
("Who's my ISP?", uh oh.
) I really needed to know some basic things, to help me understand how this all works.
I didn't want to just stand there, with a "deer in the headlights" look, when the computer stores' salesperson asked the eventual question, "May I help you?".
Before this, I had gone out of my way to avoid anything to do with computers, so now ...
I had to start from scratch.
(Literally!) One friend who had spent a number of years as a "technical help line" adviser, walked me through the basics, while I took copious notes, and asked infinite questions.
After awhile, I couldn't help noticing that she sounded like she was talking to a 1st grader, then I remembered that a 1st grader probably knew this stuff already.
("Remember, it's not a stupid question, if you don't know the answer.
") When the day arrived to actually go buy my computer, I set out with all my newfound knowledge, a legal pad full of notes, and somehow I managed to get through it all without sounding too "green".
(*Note: Be wary of overeager salespeople.
I still have a couple of things I bought that first day, that I haven't used yet.
) By the time I got home I was mentally exhausted, so I piled the boxes on a table in the corner, to await the day when my friend could come over, and set it up for me.
(They sat there for 2 weeks.
) The day she did finally come over, she made me put the thing together myself, while she watched.
(Which I highly recommend because, if you ever have to move the thing, you really need to know where all the plugs go.
) Now, I've found over the years, that I get along better with machines if I name them.
(I have a very sweet 24 year old truck named "Baby".
) After thinking about it awhile, I ended up naming my computer "Dorothy", and of course, my printer is "Toto".
They're going to take me to a wondrous new world, and I'm finally ready to go exploring over this rainbow.
For now, I'd like to leave you with a little advice.
1.
Please be patient with yourself, and take A-L-L the time you need to let this sink in.
People will be throwing information at you like you haven't seen since cramming for the SAT's, but don't worry, it's just an old wives' tale that your brain will explode from too much use.
(And I promise you, ...
it does get easier.
) 2.
Get to know your computer first, before you get on "The Web".
Punch all the buttons you can find, just to see where they take you.
"What does this do?", became my unofficial mantra.
(Don't worry, you can always punch "undo" or "close", to get back where you started.
) While those buttons may not be where you intended to go, later when you need those other things, you'll remember that you've seen that before, ...
somewhere.
3.
If you ever think you've suddenly gone deaf, ...
before panicking, please check the mute and/or volume control buttons.
You probably have them turned off.
(I still do that occasionally.
)