sage to some, windbag to others
Computing is a blessing and a curse. It is the bee's knees when everything works as it should; but everything can go to hell in a hand basket without warning or reason. The long short of it is that computers and technology in general are prone to breaking. Many jokes have been circulated on the web, such as the classic "General Motors issues caustic press release in response to Bill Gates' comparison of advances in computing to the automotive industry." . The jokes are examples of dissatisfaction with on the poor situation of computing technology and they are only funny because they are true.
So don't fret, you aren't some kind of outcast singled out for not being as astute about computing technology as the next user. Viruses crash systems, hastily written spyware/adware programs crash systems, hard disk drives up and die losing volumes of information, and liquids spill invariably on important things. So given that bad things happen to good people. Here are some tips to minimize the chances of having problems and to mitigate loses when problems inevitably arise.
1. Backup your important stuff.
Store multiple copies in different buildings or even different cities if you can. Just in case your hard drive dies, your house burns down, or a hurricane takes out your entire city. The trouble you take to back stuff up is entirely up to you and how important your stuff actually is to you.
2. Backup frequently.
If you've been working for a few hours on something you should back it up somewhere if you don't want to risk having to start over again. I recommend getting an external hard drive and backing up to it twice a week at least.
3. Install and keep your virus protection updated.
4. Check for patches regularly.
MicroSoft releases patches the 2nd tuesday of every month so go visit Microsoft's windows update web site around that time.
5. Don't open anything you receive via email or links via instant messenger. EVER!
Well that is a little extreme I suppose. At least try not to open anything that you were not expecting. When in doubt ask whomever sent it if they intentionally sent you something. Opening the wrong website link can lead to having the nasty surprise of a virus making itself at home on your computer. Viruses can send attachments using people names without that person ever noticing and it can even do it from computers that don't actually belong to them. It is a good practice to call or write that person and at least warn them that you received a bogus mail that looks like it came from them.
"But I have virus protection, why do I have to worry about viruses?" Well that is because virus creators are making new viruses every day and the virus protection companies are always playing catch up. Meaning that there is a small window of vulnerability between when a virus is created and released and when it is being eradicated.
6. Turn off your computer when you aren't using it.
Think about it. How is hardware going to fail and the bad guys/nasty viruses gonna get to your computer and make mince meat of it if it is off? Turning off your computer also has the added benefit of turning off the fans that keep everything cool. It'll just sit there like a little vacuum cleaner sucking in dust otherwise. If folks wanna leave you a message they can send you email. If you use it a lot during the day and don't want to wait for it to turn back on at least turn it off when you're planning to go somewhere or you go to bed.
7. Make some computer savvy friends.
Seriously, this is easy, befriending geeks sometimes only requires some pizza and a couple beverages. Sometimes you'll have to put up with some conversations about some weird stuff you don't understand completely but smile and nod. Poke fun if you want just don't be mean about it. Friends will teach you how to fix things on your own, and it is necessary that you learn to deal with things on your own. Nobody likes dealing with people who don't care and just want the problem fixed. That is why geeks with tech. jobs get paid well to do just that. So ask questions and have them show you and explain what they are doing as they do it or after they fix it. Eventually you'll become savvy enough to recognize what is going on with your computer, describe the situation to someone over the phone and understand what folks are talking about when they ask you to do a few things over the phone.
Ok now that I've covered some real basic concepts of what to do before bad things happen lets go over what to do when the schmutz hits the fan.
A. DON'T PANIC!
Seriously look in a mirror, look outside, and take a few deep breaths. Life goes on. No need to go Chicken Little on some poor friend whom you look to for help. Besides if you have backups you can get the files and go borrow someone else's computer if you have a deadline to meet. So relax.
B. Turn your computer off and then turn it back on.
Sometimes this simple action fixes everything. If not
C. Gather information.
What were you doing when it happened? What does the computer do when you try to make it work now? What is the exact error message you are getting? Did you install any new software recently?
D. Call in reinforcements if needed.
People have busy lives so be patient and the more geeky friends you have the better chance you have of getting someone who can help you sooner rather than later. Whomever you call is likely ask you to gather more information for them and can instruct you on where find to the information.
E. Pay attention to what they do to fix the problem.
Take notes if you need help remembering how to fix the problem if it comes up in the future you'll be able to handle it on your own terms and not wait for help. If you need clarification call the person that helped you and ask. They'll likely be impressed that you remember as much as you do.
F. Be gracious but don't over do it.
A sincere thank you and offering some form of compensation is enough. Don't insist. Some folks are of a mind that we are here to help each other. It is up to whomever helped to decide if they accept. If they don't accept anything in return for helping and you still want to do something nice for that person it won't go unnoticed. As I said just don't over do it. A thank you card and if you know that person well enough to get a small gift for them go for it.
Personally I don't accept much in the way of compensation from family, friends, or friends of friends. I generally accept dinner or lunch if they suggest it. Seriously who passes up free food?
So don't fret, you aren't some kind of outcast singled out for not being as astute about computing technology as the next user. Viruses crash systems, hastily written spyware/adware programs crash systems, hard disk drives up and die losing volumes of information, and liquids spill invariably on important things. So given that bad things happen to good people. Here are some tips to minimize the chances of having problems and to mitigate loses when problems inevitably arise.
1. Backup your important stuff.
Store multiple copies in different buildings or even different cities if you can. Just in case your hard drive dies, your house burns down, or a hurricane takes out your entire city. The trouble you take to back stuff up is entirely up to you and how important your stuff actually is to you.
2. Backup frequently.
If you've been working for a few hours on something you should back it up somewhere if you don't want to risk having to start over again. I recommend getting an external hard drive and backing up to it twice a week at least.
3. Install and keep your virus protection updated.
4. Check for patches regularly.
MicroSoft releases patches the 2nd tuesday of every month so go visit Microsoft's windows update web site around that time.
5. Don't open anything you receive via email or links via instant messenger. EVER!
Well that is a little extreme I suppose. At least try not to open anything that you were not expecting. When in doubt ask whomever sent it if they intentionally sent you something. Opening the wrong website link can lead to having the nasty surprise of a virus making itself at home on your computer. Viruses can send attachments using people names without that person ever noticing and it can even do it from computers that don't actually belong to them. It is a good practice to call or write that person and at least warn them that you received a bogus mail that looks like it came from them.
"But I have virus protection, why do I have to worry about viruses?" Well that is because virus creators are making new viruses every day and the virus protection companies are always playing catch up. Meaning that there is a small window of vulnerability between when a virus is created and released and when it is being eradicated.
6. Turn off your computer when you aren't using it.
Think about it. How is hardware going to fail and the bad guys/nasty viruses gonna get to your computer and make mince meat of it if it is off? Turning off your computer also has the added benefit of turning off the fans that keep everything cool. It'll just sit there like a little vacuum cleaner sucking in dust otherwise. If folks wanna leave you a message they can send you email. If you use it a lot during the day and don't want to wait for it to turn back on at least turn it off when you're planning to go somewhere or you go to bed.
7. Make some computer savvy friends.
Seriously, this is easy, befriending geeks sometimes only requires some pizza and a couple beverages. Sometimes you'll have to put up with some conversations about some weird stuff you don't understand completely but smile and nod. Poke fun if you want just don't be mean about it. Friends will teach you how to fix things on your own, and it is necessary that you learn to deal with things on your own. Nobody likes dealing with people who don't care and just want the problem fixed. That is why geeks with tech. jobs get paid well to do just that. So ask questions and have them show you and explain what they are doing as they do it or after they fix it. Eventually you'll become savvy enough to recognize what is going on with your computer, describe the situation to someone over the phone and understand what folks are talking about when they ask you to do a few things over the phone.
Ok now that I've covered some real basic concepts of what to do before bad things happen lets go over what to do when the schmutz hits the fan.
A. DON'T PANIC!
Seriously look in a mirror, look outside, and take a few deep breaths. Life goes on. No need to go Chicken Little on some poor friend whom you look to for help. Besides if you have backups you can get the files and go borrow someone else's computer if you have a deadline to meet. So relax.
B. Turn your computer off and then turn it back on.
Sometimes this simple action fixes everything. If not
C. Gather information.
What were you doing when it happened? What does the computer do when you try to make it work now? What is the exact error message you are getting? Did you install any new software recently?
D. Call in reinforcements if needed.
People have busy lives so be patient and the more geeky friends you have the better chance you have of getting someone who can help you sooner rather than later. Whomever you call is likely ask you to gather more information for them and can instruct you on where find to the information.
E. Pay attention to what they do to fix the problem.
Take notes if you need help remembering how to fix the problem if it comes up in the future you'll be able to handle it on your own terms and not wait for help. If you need clarification call the person that helped you and ask. They'll likely be impressed that you remember as much as you do.
F. Be gracious but don't over do it.
A sincere thank you and offering some form of compensation is enough. Don't insist. Some folks are of a mind that we are here to help each other. It is up to whomever helped to decide if they accept. If they don't accept anything in return for helping and you still want to do something nice for that person it won't go unnoticed. As I said just don't over do it. A thank you card and if you know that person well enough to get a small gift for them go for it.
Personally I don't accept much in the way of compensation from family, friends, or friends of friends. I generally accept dinner or lunch if they suggest it. Seriously who passes up free food?
posted by JC at 6:38 AM
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