Today’s blog
Lynn Murphy Mark
Technology
First of all, you need to know that I am one of a few troglodytes left that still has AOL for email. I can’t seem to give it up since that year, several decades ago, that Rose and Katie and I agreed to learn how to use email. The occasion called for it. Rose was returning to South Africa for God knew how long, and we had formed a friendship that blossoms to this day. Anyway, we agreed that we would use email to communicate between the USA and South Africa. At the time, circa 1992, AOL had been launched in 1991 and was about the only game in town.
Then there was the choosing of a user name. I think around that time I was contemplating taking rock and roll drum lessons, so my name became a version of the word, “syncopate” – to place the accents on beats that are normally unaccented. So “synkop8@aol.com” became my handle and has been ever since. I like to think it has a deeper meaning because I am fond of unusual rhythms in all areas of my life. Anyway, many nurses I correspond with think it means “total loss of consciousness”, or “syncope” in medical jargon. Come to think of it, that seems appropriate too.
My son Ted will tell you that over the years I have called him a few times to help me figure out some seemingly simple – to him – technology challenge. Here’s a short story. Years ago I was in New Mexico visiting Katie, who was living on the mesa. She had been burglarized and had a gun stolen, so we waltzed to Walmarte where she picked out a shotgun. We got it home and opened the box and stared at several pieces that needed to be put together. The logical person to call was her son Michael, who had served in the army and knows his ways around guns. He talked her through putting it together and then she told him she wanted to shoot it. He said he didn’t think that was a good idea, and would she please not. Of course she went ahead and shot it and nearly landed on her backside. Meanwhile, I thought this was so exciting that Ted would want to know. I called him with the news that Michael had walked us through the whole shotgun thing. There was a silence at his end of the line. Finally he said, using an irritated tone, “Oh sure. Michael gets the cool calls and I get the help-me-program-the-VCR calls.” So if I ever buy a shotgun I will call him for help. After all, he once had a BB rifle.
Back to today’s subject. Thank goodness I have friends who know their way around technology start-up and trouble-shoot issues. Very recently, I was having a problem with my work computer. I don’t even know how to describe it, but it is an irritating glitch and it slows me down. I sent a work order to the tech people, who are lovely women and quite efficient at fixing problems. As a result, I have spent hours with them in my cubby trying to fix the glitch. One tech lady has spent a lot of time trying different fixes and consulting with her co-workers. One morning I came in and she was already sitting at my keyboard. “We’ve figured it out. We have to reinstall you in our system and then the problem will be solved!” That statement made me really nervous because I know what can happen when stuff gets deleted and restored. Nothing works like you are used to, in my experience. But, she was so enthusiastic I couldn’t not give her permission.
An hour later she was ready for me to do the task that has the glitch. We both stared intently at the screen as the action unfolded. Sadly, the glitch was still there. She says I have stumped the IT department. I said I would live with it, that I can’t in good conscience ask them to spend any more time on this mystery.
That’s technology for you. At my work, every action I take is documented in our time keeping data base. There are drop down menus with choices to describe what I have done during my hours there. Yesterday, I couldn’t find the appropriate description for how I spent an hour of my time, so I had to enter it manually. I don’t know if anyone actually looks at them, but if so they will find what I could only call, “Fighting with printer.” There’s no category for that, but there should be.