Technology Frustrations
11/01/24 14:28
As I write there is a brand-new computer sitting on the side of my desk. I have completed the tasks to migrate my various accounts to the new computer, but it has rejected my login information. Fortunately for me, my old computer is still working so I can use it and hopefully use it to find a solution to logging in on the new computer. It is frustrating, but not devastating.
First of all, there is a part of me that resents the fact that I had to get a new computer. The “old” one is just ten years old. I have lots of possessions that are ten years old. Both of our cars are 13 years old and we have no plans to replace them right away. Our everyday dishes are 50 years old and I see no reason why they won’t last for the rest of our lives. The clock that I wind each night is in at least its fourth generation of human owners and although it needs a periodic cleaning, it keeps time and chimes on the hour. Computers, however, are like a lot of other tech gadgets. Technology is changing at such a rapid pace that systems become obsolete. Not long ago we replaced our cell phones and heard the representatives of the cell phone company refer to them as old and obsolete though they weren’t all that old in years and had been serving us faithfully.
However, I gave in and bought a new computer. My dependence on a computer is significant. I use it multiple times every day. Publication of my journal requires the use of a computer. And I didn’t want to push the old one until it abandoned me. So there is a new computer sitting on the edge of my desk. However, at this moment, I am able to use the old one, but not the new one. It is frustrating.
I know that part of the problem is that I am aging. This is the first migration from an old computer to a new one that I dreaded. Before, I have eagerly awaited the time when I could afford to order a new computer and when I was able, I did so with great enthusiasm. I liked the feeling of being up to date. I’ve long been a bit of a gadget person and have enjoyed all kinds of new gadgets. However, I find that as I grow older, my enthusiasm for gadgets is not what it once was. I think part of it is that I learn new things at a slower pace than I did when I was younger. I am no expert in the aging brain, but I know that our brains work differently after we have accumulated decades of memories and are experiencing some of the health effects that naturally come with aging. Admitting that I’m getting too old to learn to use a new computer is, however, not something I’m willing to do.
I know that part of the problem at this particular moment is that I got a bit too eager once the new computer arrived. It was delivered a few days earlier than expected and it arrived in the late afternoon. I should have waited to start the process of migrating data and applications to the new computer until I had a whole day in front of me. Instead, I started the process after cleaning up the dinner dishes and the migration process was completed only well after my bedtime - not a time when I am thinking clearly or am at my best. And that is why I am writing this on my old computer. It is familiar. Perhaps I have gone past my capacity to adjust to the challenges of the new computer for this day. Though I often write my journal after having slept for a few hours, it is still the middle of the night and I still need a few more hours of sleep to be at the top of my game. I know my sleep patterns are not typical, but I’ve been doing this for years and I also know that I’m not at my best at this time of the night. So I am distracting myself from the new computer by writing this journal entry.
Of course, I am running the risk of writing an entry that either leaves the reader hanging and not knowing how I resolved the computer problem, or perhaps as likely, writing an entry that I am not comfortable publishing without revising because it no longer is accurate about my situation.
Since I am rambling about technological devises, I’ll complain a bit about the “smart” watch I wear. We obtained our watches in part on the recommendation of an electrophysiologist - a cardiologist specializing on the electrical side of the heart. The watch can take a basic EKG and will show signs of arrhythmia, something that has caused problems for both Susan and me. My cardiologist looks at the EKG function on my watch on each visit to determine whether or not he needs to order additional tests. So far he has been satisfied with the results of the watch.
My watch has a fitness program that tracks how many hours I am sitting without standing, how many calories I have consumed, and how many minutes of exercise I have done in a day. My complaint is that the watch seems to understand workouts, but does not understand work. Yesterday was a good example. I spent over three hours in the morning working hard. I dug post holes and set fence posts. I carried heavy wooden posts around the farm yard and barn. I installed a gate latch that required drilling pilot holes to insert 8 inch long lag bolts. And I did all of that while it was raining lightly. By lunch time I was wet, muddy and tired. My watch said that I had completed 22 minutes of exercise. In the afternoon, I worked at my desk, took a leisurely walk to the beach, and did a brief yoga workout. I had over 100 minutes of exercise when I took off my watch to go to bed. I’d like to see the young engineer who wrote that software try to keep up with me when I’m cutting wood or building fence. I suspect that there are plenty of people who are strong in the gym but weak when it comes to actual work, especially if they pay attention to the exercise function on that smart watch.
Check my journal tomorrow. Perhaps I will have used my new computer to publish it.
First of all, there is a part of me that resents the fact that I had to get a new computer. The “old” one is just ten years old. I have lots of possessions that are ten years old. Both of our cars are 13 years old and we have no plans to replace them right away. Our everyday dishes are 50 years old and I see no reason why they won’t last for the rest of our lives. The clock that I wind each night is in at least its fourth generation of human owners and although it needs a periodic cleaning, it keeps time and chimes on the hour. Computers, however, are like a lot of other tech gadgets. Technology is changing at such a rapid pace that systems become obsolete. Not long ago we replaced our cell phones and heard the representatives of the cell phone company refer to them as old and obsolete though they weren’t all that old in years and had been serving us faithfully.
However, I gave in and bought a new computer. My dependence on a computer is significant. I use it multiple times every day. Publication of my journal requires the use of a computer. And I didn’t want to push the old one until it abandoned me. So there is a new computer sitting on the edge of my desk. However, at this moment, I am able to use the old one, but not the new one. It is frustrating.
I know that part of the problem is that I am aging. This is the first migration from an old computer to a new one that I dreaded. Before, I have eagerly awaited the time when I could afford to order a new computer and when I was able, I did so with great enthusiasm. I liked the feeling of being up to date. I’ve long been a bit of a gadget person and have enjoyed all kinds of new gadgets. However, I find that as I grow older, my enthusiasm for gadgets is not what it once was. I think part of it is that I learn new things at a slower pace than I did when I was younger. I am no expert in the aging brain, but I know that our brains work differently after we have accumulated decades of memories and are experiencing some of the health effects that naturally come with aging. Admitting that I’m getting too old to learn to use a new computer is, however, not something I’m willing to do.
I know that part of the problem at this particular moment is that I got a bit too eager once the new computer arrived. It was delivered a few days earlier than expected and it arrived in the late afternoon. I should have waited to start the process of migrating data and applications to the new computer until I had a whole day in front of me. Instead, I started the process after cleaning up the dinner dishes and the migration process was completed only well after my bedtime - not a time when I am thinking clearly or am at my best. And that is why I am writing this on my old computer. It is familiar. Perhaps I have gone past my capacity to adjust to the challenges of the new computer for this day. Though I often write my journal after having slept for a few hours, it is still the middle of the night and I still need a few more hours of sleep to be at the top of my game. I know my sleep patterns are not typical, but I’ve been doing this for years and I also know that I’m not at my best at this time of the night. So I am distracting myself from the new computer by writing this journal entry.
Of course, I am running the risk of writing an entry that either leaves the reader hanging and not knowing how I resolved the computer problem, or perhaps as likely, writing an entry that I am not comfortable publishing without revising because it no longer is accurate about my situation.
Since I am rambling about technological devises, I’ll complain a bit about the “smart” watch I wear. We obtained our watches in part on the recommendation of an electrophysiologist - a cardiologist specializing on the electrical side of the heart. The watch can take a basic EKG and will show signs of arrhythmia, something that has caused problems for both Susan and me. My cardiologist looks at the EKG function on my watch on each visit to determine whether or not he needs to order additional tests. So far he has been satisfied with the results of the watch.
My watch has a fitness program that tracks how many hours I am sitting without standing, how many calories I have consumed, and how many minutes of exercise I have done in a day. My complaint is that the watch seems to understand workouts, but does not understand work. Yesterday was a good example. I spent over three hours in the morning working hard. I dug post holes and set fence posts. I carried heavy wooden posts around the farm yard and barn. I installed a gate latch that required drilling pilot holes to insert 8 inch long lag bolts. And I did all of that while it was raining lightly. By lunch time I was wet, muddy and tired. My watch said that I had completed 22 minutes of exercise. In the afternoon, I worked at my desk, took a leisurely walk to the beach, and did a brief yoga workout. I had over 100 minutes of exercise when I took off my watch to go to bed. I’d like to see the young engineer who wrote that software try to keep up with me when I’m cutting wood or building fence. I suspect that there are plenty of people who are strong in the gym but weak when it comes to actual work, especially if they pay attention to the exercise function on that smart watch.
Check my journal tomorrow. Perhaps I will have used my new computer to publish it.
