Friday, October 12, 2007

The downside of believing in logical solutions

I have spent this week “learning” Microsoft’s new operating system, Vista. I just got a new computer at work, which would normally be exciting, except for the fact that it operates on Vista and Vista has proven to be my arch-enemy. I spent one entire day this week at work unable to do anything on my computer. My screen likes to go completely blank, except for my wallpaper, at random moments. The shared drive (which contains pretty much every file that I ever need to use for my job), only works on occasion. And this makes me want to bang my head on the wall and then cry in the corner for the rest of the day. But I don’t.

Instead, I restart. Or I call the IT guys and they fix it temporarily. Or I copy and paste what I’m working on into a brand new file. And then everything works fine. But I am not satisfied. I apparently believe that Microsoft would not release a system with so many inherent problems and that this system should do most everything it does for a logical reason. Or, if not, then there should be some sort of logical fix for major problems. Why on earth would I have such blind faith? I don’t know. I shouldn’t. And this also makes me want to bang my head on the wall and then cry in the corner for the rest of the day. But I don’t.

Instead, I go home and try not to spend another minute thinking about my computer until I get to work the next day. My brain no longer works when I am at home. I can hardly talk. I can't read more than five pages and expect to comprehend anything I've read. I can’t even understand TV. Not even a show as stupid as Bionic Woman. That is sad.

I heard recently that something like 60% of people spend more time with their computers than with their significant others. That is also sad.

I hate technology today. Evil computers, scary dancing robots that we will all one day marry…it’s awful.

I’m tired. A computer is eating my brain.

6 comments:

Missy said...

Also, the spacebar on my new keyboard squeaks when I press it. I believe if the computer doesn’t completely eat my brain, the squeaky spacebar will eventually drive me to insanity.

Kathryn said...

it took me 30 minutes one time to figure out how to shut down a computer in vista. the "shut down" button is a buried treasure.

potato said...

I won't let them put Vista on my work-issued laptop. That's why I'm in a coffee shop all the time. They'll never find me here! The one upside is that the new version of Word does MLA citations for students, saving me at least 300 hours of shouting a week. I bet everyone at Microsoft is already married to robots.

Megan said...

my students can't figure out how to get it to DO MLA citations. it was easier to teach them how to do them wrong on their own.

Anonymous said...

Missy, I am glad you're posting.

Also, the Bionic Woman is extremely complicated. You are setting the bar too high. Tila. Tequila.

Missy said...

yes, i actually have ocassional free moments at work for the first time in months! yippee! it's my turn to become an obsessive blogger...