Computers – love ’em, hate ’em
Computers bring us so much. Just to take one obvious example, they bring this blog to you and your comments to me. They bring us the ability to bank online, get news from anywhere in the world, and buy just about anything without leaving home.
They bring us social media and its contagions, and an easier way for abusers to stalk and for criminals to bilk. They make it less likely that we get together in the real world, although that’s up to us.
And they bring us the kind of frustration I’ve been feeling in the last day or two, when my effort to diagnose and fix one problem with my computer by changing a single seemingly-innocuous setting caused a cascade of other problems that were far more serious and which wouldn’t be fixed even by getting a new computer. To explain what happened would be almost as tedious as going through it, so I’ll spare you unless I need to ask you all for help in the future. I think I’m on the way to fixing it; let’s just say it’s half-fixed. But that took about ten hours yesterday and additional time today.
It brought home to me once again – not that I needed reminding – how dependent we’ve become on computers.
I can sympathize. I’m sort of the defacto IT guy for my business, my friends, and my family. As such I’ve dealt with all sorts of issues over the decades.
I generally have built and configured the vast majority of Windows and Linux (mostly Debian) systems for myself and others over the years. I even have some limited experience with Mac systems, although I really dislike working with them since they tend to be somewhat arcane when it comes to diagnosing and dealing with problems compared to other OSes.
Even so, there are times when even I’ve been stumped so badly that I’ve had to resort to full wipe and reinstalls of the OS when I’ve been unable to isolate an underlying issue.
One thing that can help once you’ve got a system up and running in a stable condition is you create a recovery image of the drive that you have the OS on. With modern Windows systems you typically save this to a larger thumb drive which are relatively inexpensive these days even for 512GB ones. That way in the wost case scenario you can always restore your PC back to a stable state without having to do a full reinstall.
neo:
Best wishes.
I’ve sometimes found ChatGPT useful for computer crap stuff.
Being OCD, I back up my computer incrementally without fail daily. In about 15 minutes, time for a coffee, you can back out of almost anything, even if you don’t understand what you did.
Chester Peake:
Unfortunately, that sort of thing wouldn’t have helped.
Huxley: Please read my post from the previous day. Who owns Chat? How do you contact them and tell them they are stealing what is not theirs?
Geez…this has to be the worst post I’ve seen here. ‘Oh, something terrible happened the other day, but I’ll spare you the details.’ OK – thanks, I guess?!
So a recovery image or incremental backups wouldn’t work. Guess System Restore wouldn’t have worked either then. Weird. Hardware issue? New computer wouldn’t even fix the problem?! Ditto on the Weird. App/program issue?
I occasionally take pics of my Taskbar & pinned apps in Start menu in case I ever need to do a clean install.
I am reminded of an interaction between my uncle and his son, my cousin. Like me, my uncle was indifferent to the inner workings of a computer. He and I viewed the computer as a tool, nothing more. One time his son, an EE who owned a software company, was installing something on his father’s computer. Frustrated at his father’s indifference to the details of what he was doing, my cousin commented, “I don’t see how you could be my father.” 🙂
Recently I was doing a minor update on my copy of Calibre- changing a “tag” (History, Literature, Economics, etc.) name. I ended up erasing the “tag” name when I was intending to change its name. While I had that information in a backup, it would have been very problematic to import the backup (sparing you the details), so I ended up typing in the “tag” name where I saw a blank.
Huxley: Please read my post from the previous day. Who owns Chat? How do you contact them and tell them they are stealing what is not theirs?
Anne:
I’m not sure of your post from yesterday. I know that Microsoft owns a big share of OpenAI and I don’t trust Microsoft. Elon Musk has distanced himself from OpenAI for legitimate reasons.
The issues of AI and theft are complicated, but not limited to Microsoft.
Karmi:
To relieve your angst, I’ll add this: the computer problem that started the ball rolling got fixed fairly quickly. But in the process, my emails stopped recognizing me, considered me a bot and a threat even on other computers, and blocked me. I’ve got it half fixed now.
Thanks neo! Sounds terrible – like The Terminator type of ‘Stuff‘!? 😉
I recently learned a major company is still running COBOL code I wrote about 30 years ago and using it in their day to day operations. I was stunned! Also proud to know something I helped create so long ago is still working in the world.
I remember accidentally deleting important system files and having to talk to technical assistance. That hasn’t happened in the last ten or fifteen years, so that’s one headache less. I also remember the recovery disks (and the floppies before that) that were so important in the 90s, but that I haven’t seen since. But I do miss the time when the news came once a day and people could do other things without worrying about missing the latest developments.
Rufus T Firefly…congratulations, the code must be doing what is needed!
I read somewhere that the oldest (known) code still in use is a COBOL system which is part of a DoD procurement system….bet there’s something still older somewhere, though.
The coming of hypersonic missiles, which further reduce the already-short warning time, will likely lead to a further reliance on computer systems for threat recognition and decision recommendation. Some thoughts at my review of the 1983 movie WarGames:
https://chicagoboyz.net/archives/70536.html
Have been thinking ‘n looking for open air computer cases for 3-4 years now. This one is interesting:
Frame Test Bench?Open Air Frame Case, DIY Computer Motherboard Case Rack, MATX Open Aluminum Frame Chassis (MATX)
This one or similar model used to be listed as a Test Bench, but “Open Air Frame Case” has been added now. So many cases now seem more like some light show than a PC case. Have also settled on the MATX (Micro ATX) – basically MoBo size between ATX (larger) & ITX (smaller).
Dust can be a problem with any PC, but all kinds of air dusters work fine—closed or open case, IMHO.
This one is like 11” tall, 7.9” wide, and 11.8” deep – WOW!!! $63 with a handle on top.
My hands ain’t as stable as they used to be, and mini-ITX cases & micro-ATX cases can get tight working in—dropping a screw and having to remove parts to get to it…Jeez.
Years ago, started looking at the steel tube cases, but now they’re either out of stock or only ship to certain European countries or they’re like $500-700 on ebay—if you can find them. Example – Inwin D-Frame 2.0 X Bitspower BlackGold. Used to come in all kinds of colors.
I’ll check the specs on what size components that Open Air Frame can handle…and maybe buy it, after I check around some more…
My wife, who worked on the PDP-11/70 microcode in college, edge extraction algorithms for a Landsat project called the Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment (LACIE) a project that showed for the first time that global crop monitoring could be done through remote sensing with Landsat satellite imagery, IUS (upper stage), ASAT (anti-satellite), LEAP (anti-missile) and 20 years in clinical cardiology, and yet, she is a complete technophobe. I am 100% the IT department in this house. Need an algorithm to predict the tide at a certain time, she is your gal. Why her computer won’t boot, totally on me.
Bob Dylan is 83. He closed out a tour before a full 5,000 house at the Royal Albert Hall in London, recently. He could not stand long, and he leaned on his music sheets, at times, for guidance from faltering memory and to serve his music.
Pace J.J. And M William’s mother, I don’t fear death much. But I do fear the age 78-and beyond period of decline. In his 90s, Clint Eastwood looks as frail as can be.
I guess I fear senescence— the inevitable decline and loss of function that afflicts all living beings of sufficient age.
Sometimes I wonder if I’ll have the gumption to go out like Hunter S. Thompson said he would do? — and eventually did.
@ David Foster > “.bet there’s something still older somewhere, though.”
I cannot vouch for the actual facts, but as I was chatting with my Walgreen’s pharmacist one day about their record keeping system, she noted that it was hard to keep it updated because the entire network was still based on a Commodore 64 platform.
I can kind of see how that might be possible, with some intermediate internet-enabled devices, but why a company of that size didn’t update their system as time passed is mind-boggling. Assuming she wasn’t misinformed herself, of course.
OTOH, back in 1999, I was on stand-by with a former company to rewrite COBOL code for Y2K on one of their older systems. Fortunately I was not needed.
I can also appreciate the reluctance to upgrade on the theory that “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” because fixing a system always introduces bugs, frequently worse than before.
neo – let us know when ya fix that problem…
Y2K…reminds me: there were a lot of public concerns about what the year rollover would do to critical systems, including the air traffic control system. The woman who was running the FAA at that time celebrated New Year’s Eve on a commercial airliner, accompanied by her staff.
Leadership.
Karmi:
It’s about 80% fixed, which took a ton of time. That may be all I’ll be able to achieve, but it’s acceptable.
@ David Foster > “Leadership.”
We could use a lot more like that.
I wonder if Boeing’s execs fly in their own planes?
We know what Ford CEOs do.
https://notthebee.com/article/ford-ceo-jim-farley-is-being-grilled-for-driving-a-chinese-ev
neo – thanks for update.
For all the fears and frustrations of computers, there are MANY benefits:
– Access to YouTube Videos
– For Entertainment
– For legacy movies, documentaries, and news of the past
– For exercise adaptations – I’m both elderly (73) and arthritic, and the ease of finding ways to improve my fitness is amazing, and beneficial to my overall health.
– Enlarging print onscreen, thereby reducing the need to order large print books. Use of readers and tablets for those needing large print, as well as the light weight and ease of use are welcome for those with mobility issues in their hands/arms. Being able to enlarge print when reading in bed – no more falling asleep with glasses on!
– Being able to bluetooth my hearing aids into technology. Having onscreen captions available.
– For education
– For children who are in need of assistance, needing tutoring on difficult topics
– For all who want to learn a new skill, but have no one nearby to teach it
– For those homeschooling
– For going though credentialed coursework while saving the time and expense of traveling to a college or trade school
– For learning music, art techniques, dance
Technology
– For use in upgrading technical skills
– For preparing for tests – for example, I studied for my ham radio license online. I also am learning Morse Code with the assistance of online apps.
– For running simulations that sharpen skills – firefighting, military work, flight sims, driving
– Exercise – videos, online guided classes, interfacing with online resources, such as the Peloton machines. How to correctly use exercise bands, straps, and other equipment.
– Remote work – many companies permit off-premises work now, thanks to the necessity of finding ways to keep operating. Many companies are returning to the office, but there are still many opportunities to WFH. It’s a boon to those in remote locations, and for the disabled, as well.
– Interfaces/probes for science classes. As a former science teacher, I found this a game-changer. Such equipment was easier to set up, quick enough with results that a failed experiment could often be run a second time, results could be displayed and aggregated on a Smartboard, and data could be sent home for analysis.
– Online submission of student work, online testing (which might include individualized tests, both to reduce cheating, but also to adapt for students with learning disabilities.
– Ability to scan and send readings, directions, and other written work directly to students’ laptops, not only making it easier for students with vision impairment to enlarge the source copy, but also reduce use of paper. In a 1-to-1 environment (which I had at my last two schools), it puts the power of computers in the hands of students.
– Sims and apps to augment labs and other hands-on activities.
– Online conferences – this has been a huge boon to teachers in rural areas, or unable to travel due to family needs. I attended some ham radio conferences, in which I ordered the parts, and assembled antennas and other equipment for home builds, with the instruction archived for future reference.