Friday, June 7, 2013

Out with the Old....(gulp).

I have tried to post my blog all day without success on my older laptop. My guess is that it is finally ready for that final "shut down" that comes to us all. But that leaves me with a big problem. This newer computer does not have Micro- Word and it will not recognize the info on my USB storage device because it is Word. I have tried to install Word but it keeps asking for the 25 digit product key number which as far as I can tell doesn't exist.
So all of my partially written blog entries as well as all of my completed ones are inaccessible. I'm starting from scratch again. Scary! If anyone can help (Charles?) I should would appreciate it.
In the meantime, I decided to share some thoughts on new vs. old computers.
My old one was very idiot friendly. Before any drastic choice could be made, the words, "Are you sure you want to do that?' would pop up alerting me to the fact I was about to crash the hard drive or something. Being an idiot I found that comforting.
Other info would pop up from time to time telling me alternative ways of doing whatever I was doing. Icons were everywhere and easy to understand. You know, a printer picture meant print and that kind of thing.
My newer laptop doesn't have those things but it doesn't seem to need them. It seems to be a little more idiot proof if you know what I mean. I've taken some strange detours while using it but I always seem to be able to find my way back. And it doesn't get confused with my wanderings. My old one would get so confused it would come to a screeching halt and freeze...often. But this one just keeps speeding along while only occasionally questioning my motives.
Jumping all over the place has taught me much more about the online world than I could learn on my slo-mo machine. One of the most amazing things has been that there are so many different ways to do the same thing and they are all right! A conversation I have had several times with a teenage daughter who is sure that her way and her way alone is the correct way (a great life lesson there).
With my new found confidence I am actually using the net to answer questions I've had all my life, to explore strange new worlds and keep in touch with old ones. I think just maybe I am finding things that I like about the Techno age. Just don't tell any of my kids that. That's the view from my side of the street, what's yours?

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