Perhaps Computers Are Human, Too

I'll preface by saying that I am not a computer expert. Not a whiz or a guru by any stretch when it comes to these modern-day machines. And it gets frustrating when this friend of mine from work, who is a computer expert, happens to try to fix whatever the problem is. I think it's fixed, but by the time he leaves, something else is wrong with it. And this edition of Case's Column will tell the story as it unfolded.

So, I try to call him and we make an effort for him to walk me through whatever steps I must take to get my silly PC fixed. We went through multiple steps by phone and tried to do some troubleshooting. He was to call me back in thirty minutes on Saturday night as we were attempting to do a defragmentation exercise on my computer. He was to go through some more things with me. So what happens?? His phone crashes! In the ensuing moments that were supposed to follow, he cannot call me back and I cannot reach him. I left the guy five messages. Oh, and he has no back-up phone. Sheeeeesh!! Any website I pull up on my computer would proceed to be kicked out, with me having to send error messages back to Microsoft. So, I'm held hostage until Friday, at the earliest, with arrangements yet to be made with my friend to come over and fix the darn thing. And, I mean, until everything is right. The trouble is, we don't work the same shifts, but we do have the same days off. So, now, the thing to do is wait until we can both get together, either by phone or in person.

I preach patience with all of my C-D friends until things get back to normal. Until then, it's the library, and it's just not the same. It is, however, better than nothing at all. Perhaps, computers are like people in many ways, much like cars, dishwashers, stereos, and other machines. They simply break down from time to time. This poster realizes how important his computer is and how much he wants his life back. Now, he must wait.

And it can be an eternity!!!!