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This is intended to be mainly about my crafting stories, as a personal record of what I do. However, I interpret crafting quite widely, not just paper crafting but other things too. I have a butterfly mind and like to change from one thing to another depending on what I feel like on a given day - knitting, crochet, cross-stitch, cards, baking and several others, including my favourite right now, parchment, both traditional skills and Groovi, very relaxing and calming to do.

I have decided to put some structure into my blog so that each day will have something of a theme.
Monday- for Mindfulness; Tuesday - Tidy Up Day; Wednesday - What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday; Thursday - Technique and Tips; Friday - Finish Off Day; Saturday - Start Something New; Sunday - Anything Goes
These themes are not hard and fast and will be changed if I feel the need.

Thursday 16 January 2014

Technology - easy or not?

I seem to have spent the last six months setting up new technology, either for myself or to help others.  All these things we were told were "easy" and would "only take ten minutes".
WRONG!!!!!

Sorry for shouting there, but it needed to be said.  I don't think I am particularly clever or stupid, but the instructions or lack of instructions for all these new gadgets are not helpful.  They mostly seem to have been written in a foreign language, translated into another foreign language, words left out or translated from the original Latin.

I had a new phone several months ago.  Admittedly, I did not go into the local shop and buy it there and get the youngest child in there to set it up for me.  I have set my last three phones up myself with the help of the internet, and lots of Google searches.  This one was particularly awkward and it took over a fortnight of searches to sort the basics., and find the settings that I needed to alter.

I have had a Kindle Fire for over 12 months, but when I recently got the new bigger version, I was quite wrong in thinking it would be the same settings.  Back to Google!  Mostly done now, thankfully.

I am quite lucky, in that I am thoroughly bolshy and stroppy and hate to admit defeat.  I am also very lucky in having Shaz Brooks' very kind husband locally, who either knows what I need or knows where to find it.

In the last few weeks, I have been asked for help from two friends, who are far from being stupid, but have been made to feel like that by difficulties in setting up their tablets to work with the other technology in their homes.  I reckon you almost need to know the answer before you can ask the right question to sort out problems.

My latest problem of my own came when I wanted to set up a second speaker on the Sonos system (plays music from your computer wirelessly anywhere in your house where you have placed a speaker.).  Having set the system up in the first place without too much difficulty, I foolishly thought it would be a five minute job to remove it from its packaging and integrate it with the existing system.  Oh, no!

I knew it would need a software update to get it sorted, but I tried all evening to persuade it to update with no luck.  It could not even see the new speaker.  Five minutes after I fired off a furious email to Sonos, it miraculously did an update and then recognised the new speaker in 5 seconds.  Coincidence!  I doubt it.

It worked well for a week and then lost the speaker off the system again.  This morning, after I had threatened it with the dustbin, it decided to find the speaker again.  I made a very silly decison then to buy a smaller speaker to put upstairs in the bedroom to play my relaxation music to help me get to sleep.  That is still in its box while I summon up the time and energy to go through all the problems again.

How do the rest of you deal with your technology problems?  Do you have a "Doug" who can help when needed?  Do you just send the stuff back to the shop etc?

After that stropbox rant, I am having dinner, before heading up to dive into the tip that is laughingly called my craft room.  I shall be taking photos as I go to display later.

Have a good day, folks!

10 comments:

Mrs A. said...

I sm so with you on all the points you have raised. The number of times we have run up about a service not working properly and told no fault found and then miracle of miracle's within a day problem has been fixed. Coincidence my left foot!!
The other gripe is The doc is forever firing off letters of complaint and when he does eventually begrudgingly get a reply weeks down the line reading it is a mine field. Obviously worded by someone who does not have English as their first language and even worse sent without anyone else proof reading it!!
I remember years and years ago applying for a job which I didn't get and the rejection letter typed on a typewriter (see I said it was yrs ago) had 11 spelling mistakes in it. I fired a letter back off saying that if this was the calibre of staff they employed I would never have worked for them anyway!!
There I feel better now!! Hugs Mrs A.

Kyla said...

Ah the joy of tech! Well done to Shaz' hubby. He was lovely when we all met him at the last WOYWW crop.

If I have IT issues then I do tend to turn to the tech forums on the internet-they usually have the answer (though the air does turn blue and wine does get poured whilst all this happens!!).

Love your snippets card too.
Thanks for visiting my desk already
kyla #30

Sarn said...

Hi Maggie . . .well it sounds like you've been enjoying yourself . . . NOT!

I have the solution to ALL the problems you mention . . . don't buy new technology!!!!! To me, tablets are something you take for a headache! LOL!

Hugs from the Technophobe x

Princess Judy Palmer said...

I laugh about technology. I quit going to the ATM to get money because every time I go I get behind someone who seems to have never seen an ATM in their life. It cracks me up that you can encounter that in this day and age... I mean everyone has a cell phone right?! So how can they not know how to operate an ATM? Cell phones are far more complicated than ATMs. Now that I've said it, no not everyone has a cell phone because I don't. I have no clue how to use one. I also know better than to stand in someone's way of using one. I have a Doug in my life to make the computer work. I have no patience with technology and will quickly admit defeat. I mean I have a Doug and all. Technology..... it'll drive ya mad.

Linda Simpson said...

Hi Maggie, I can totally agree with your frustration about your speakers. I got speakers for my computer and boy did they give me a lot of grief after threatening to throw them out the window they worked. I am sure they have a mind of their own.

Hugs
Linda xxx

MaryH said...

Oh Maggie, I'm sorry but I am so laughing! Today's post did my soul good. I was reading & saying "Right" at every step of the way. Then read Mrs. A & Judy's comment - re: everyone & their cell phone. I have one of the oldest on the planet (too stupid to get a Smart Phone! Plus too expensive for what I'd use it for). I can manage to make calls & delete stuff on the phone, but that's it. Then I am challenged at every 'self-check' and won't use it if there's anyone behind me. (Fear of their swearing under their breath). I, like you, never felt I was unduly stupid, & worked with computers for 30 yrs (doing totally unrelated tasks to what I'm doing now for fun!). I had my husband come in & read your post - he's even more techno challenged than I. He manages to mess up the cable company's remote at least once a week, and so far, I've been able to scurry around & get it to work. Heaven knows when we'll have to get a tech out one day. We're nearly scared to death to purchase any new stuff for fear we won't know how to operate it. Sad thing: I am probably the 'geek' in our neighborhood. Now that is really scary!! Took 6 months to learn how to use our vehicle GPS - each one is different. He still won't use if I'm not in the car. We had the dealership program the Bluetooth features...we were too dumb! Thanks for such a great (albeit sad!) laugh tonight. I think most of our generation is in the same boat. Unfortunately, at our neighborhood, we don't have a child to do these things for us. We have to call a paid techie!!! Hugs :-)

Twiglet said...

You are so right!! I am lucky that I have help with techy stuff but he often gets so cross when it doesn't do what it should. Even contacting HELP desks is a laugh. They only seem to confuse things much of the time. Good luck with it all. x Jo

Cathy said...

Hi Maggie, technology is wonderful when it works, but it's a shame things go wrong all the time! I admire your grit and determination :) Cathy x

Hettie said...

I am with Kyla on the whine and wine! I usually hand it over to Hubby and he sorts it out....eventually!! I know he uses forums and the like and as a last resort he actually asks the supplier/company. Bit like men don't do maps!!
Calm down and pour a Baileys and it will all go better. Pour a second one if you are still pent up and it will be event better!
xx

Greta said...

If I was closer, I'd be calling you for help! I'm not stupid, but technology sure makes me feel like I am! Currently, I have to get on my laptop to leave comments in blogger. We made no changes to the PC & I used it fine in the morning & that afternoon the comment boxes won't show me the submit button & the scrolling on the right to get to it won't work. ARG!!