Computers, Equipment, Software, Maintenance, and the Information Age

Last week, I had bad news, and good news.

The bad news was that I might have killed most of my staff - and certainly made it necessary for them to get treatment.

The good news was that, under today's laws, I wouldn't be prosecuted.

My "staff" is the software on the main computer, and on the laptop that I'm using at this moment. The main computer's software is what does the work for graphic design, photo retouching and manipulation, and all the rest of the 'professional' work. What's on the laptop is good enough for research on the Web (providing that the website doesn't use too many bells and whistles), editing HTML, and using spreadsheets - but it's definitely not up to the other tasks.

I don't think that thinking of a computer and its software as a staff is all that fanciful. Much of what I do is more 'managerial' than production, and has been for quite a while. I decide what needs to be done, and in what order. Then, I give instructions to the software, which carries out my instructions.

Sure, I have to be a very 'hands-on' manager, but the actual work is mostly being done down in the innards of a computer. The software-as-staff idea is a metaphor, but I think it's an apt one.

Happily, my main computer is back, and almost set to start being useful again.

I got the good news, that the glitches were fixable, late Wednesday afternoon. It was, objectively, good news, but I'd gotten myself psyched up to accept buying a new computer. Not all that hard to do, considering the device that I could get built for a little over $1,200.

I'd even gotten close to figuring out how to pay for it - although that might be wishful thinking.

The technician had an earnest talk with me, Wednesday afternoon, and again yesterday, on the subject of proper care of a computer. I'd allowed the hard drive to get overly full. Not smart. The solution to that issue involves a new external hard drive, and a new policy and procedure for archiving and backing up files that should be simple enough for me to follow through on.

Spend an Entire Day, Getting Nothing Done: Here's How

Yesterday was not a red-letter day for me.

I rely on one computer for most of my 'heavy' work, including graphics and web publishing. The latter doesn't take that much power, but it's easier to have everything on one unit, instead of trying to set up a network.

Easier for me, anyway.

So, early this week, an odd little bit of malware showed up on a routine scan. It seems to show up, every time my eleven-year-old son uses this thing.

"Seems to," because I don't have enough data yet to make a case. We could be looking at statistical hiccups here.

Anyway, I'm concerned and/or worried about something having gotten into the works. "Concerned" being the rational, logical, part of the process, "worried" being the emotional side that: but I'm getting ahead of myself.

So, I spend quite a bit of time chasing ghosts in the machine. No luck. I still don't know where that 'Fraud.ProtectionBar' came from.

That was Wednesday. Yesterday was more of the same, plus frustration with a digital camera.

(Note to self: next time, think a little longer. Buying the rock-bottom cheapest, made-in-China model may not be the most prudent and Promethean path.)

So, after supper on Thursday, I get back to working on Wednesday evening's Sauk Centre Journal post. There's a nifty Christmas yard display up, here in Sauk Centre, involving flashing lights. I was trying to create an animated GIF file to display it.

Simple? To someone else, no doubt. To me, not so much.

About 10:30 or so, I decided that I was getting somewhere, and that it wouldn't make sense to stop 'at our moment of victory.' I glanced at the clock a short while later, and it was 2 in the morning.

Subjective time sense and objective reality aren't always on speaking terms, I've found.

Some shred of common sense allowed me to abandon what I was doing, and get some sleep. Not much: just enough to remind me that I am no longer twenty, and that I can't get away with all-nighters the way I used to.

So, best-case scenario: I write off yesterday as a learning experience.

Wondering about that schedule I was starting last week? So far, it's not working out too well.