Monday, June 4, 2007

The Illiterate Computer Literate

Today, I've spent almost the whole day on this computer updating my website and reading through HTML how-to's until I'm cross-eyed. I honestly thought I was trying to do something simple in my blog space...add a button to access my disclaimer and copyright information. As a writer I always protect my rantings and ravings, and writing with my copyright. I just didn't want it to appear on the bottom of my page in tact.


Well, one hour turned into two hours, into five hours and now eight hours. I've had one of those days and totally DOH! moments where my brain doesn't engage properly. Thank you Rat for all your help because you have been trying to show me the obvious and it's just not sinking in. He asked me if I was dizzy...now you can take dizzy in a couple of different ways...either a nut or the spinning around sort...I'm both at this point. I messaged him back and told him that I was a dizzy, old broad trying to some new tricks. I'm a dinosaur. Although my age in my bio says 49, it should read 49 and holding. Today is just adding more gray hairs to my head.

I'm not a total computer illiterate. Once upon a time,I made pretty good money as a programmer. That was back in the day, when Bill Gates said all the average home computer would ever need was 640K of memory...then he created Windows. When I first started with computers, programs were copper disks and punch cards, and computers filled an entire room. I kept up with the times when COBOL, Pascal, and even Basic came on the scene...then came the programming explosion. C, C++, C+++++++, and HTML came on the scene and were changing things faster than this old dinosaur could keep up. I do know enough HTML to get myself in trouble and actually do from time to time.


I was just beginning to run circles around Windows XP and then comes VISTA with all the bugs and patches. I just bought a refurbished laptop because it still had Windows XP on it. It's not because I don't like challenges, because I do. I'm one of the original Don Quixoites tipping at windmills. Fortunately, I know when I'm licked and I call for help. When something irritates me so much I actually start yelling and hitting inanimate objects. It's time to walk away and call it a night, kick the habit, and play Scarlette O'Hara...I'll think about it tomorrow.

3 comments:

Ron Southern said...

Thanks for the mention. Idoubt I'll ever get famous, unless I become a serial killer, and I can't think of who to kill first. So, that's out.

Ron Southern said...

By the way, I'm 59, so you're not so old to me. But it's all weird. My deceased sister has small grandchildren (10 and 3) that can cheer me up.

J.L. Murphey said...

Hmmm A seriel Killer named Ron Rat...I'll have to think about that, I'd never use your real name. I did say 49 and holding. : )

Jo