Sometimes the problem goes away when I reboot my machine. At times it's a bug from a software I'm trying. Once it was a virus which left my PC blank even after I rebooted it. Often it's because I tinker too much with my computer. I'm not a techie. Many would probably refer to me as a luddite. I call myself a fiddler...because I fiddle a lot with my computer. I like to know how bits, bytes and chips all fall into place.
That is perhaps because I'm a writer. I struggle to make thoughts, words and paper form themselves into something readable. Or maybe it's because of my first experience with a computer, a worn-out, neglected Apple. The friend who gave it to me didn't teach me how to use it. He instead taught me how to open it and press a few chips into place if it didn't boot. I was intrigued forever!
I have a more updated PC now but that doesn't stop me from opening it and risking life with electrocution, or intelligence with surrendering to my shop's techie. At the very least I was able to install more RAM, a LAN card and a CD-RW (see, I can even talk tech-speak).
It's not only the hardware, however, that I try to learn. I also try to see how software tick. I've installed and uninstalled so much freeware and shareware that twice I had to format my hard drive to clear out the "garbage." Now I'm trying to learn Perl, which is the scripting used in Website maintenance. In case you haven't seen one, a particular string of Perl script looks like it was a result of a two-year old kid left alone on the keyboard.
So here I am, a writer used to weaving words together, now trying to unscramble them. Good thing my Website host is patient with me. So is my computer shop.
Better that I'm patient with myself. There are times when my PC doesn't even turn on or my scripts do nothing. It isn't easy to determine what went wrong and oftentimes I have to start from the beginning. But when that happens I always consider it as an adventure in education.
Because of this, my book shelves are no longer exclusive enclaves of novels and books on history. Now found are a sprinkling of computer books from learning to build a PC to publishing on the World Wide Web. I'm comfortable with reading Chris Pirillo's computer newsletter, 'Lockergnome,' as well as Paul Meyer's business column, 'TalkBiz News,' both of which are electronic publications.
One thing I truly appreciate about owning a computer is that it has taken away my fear to learn new things, most especially about myself. After all, what I do has to have a direct correlation with who I am and what I still want to be. Thus, while I'm not an expert on computer technology, I have a gut feel about software and what they can do to enhance our work.
A computer crash! What crawled in? A bug, a virus, a worm, a trojan? A bit or a byte that went haywire? Or was it just me? Whatever. Somehow, something will always turn out right. Ultimately, I'll always be the better person for it.