I hate technology!

[wx247]

Ok, not really, but apparently today after a transformer explosion down the street, when my computer rebooted the internet no longer works. I tried calling my ISP but they are no help. Thank goodness I keep my dial-up as a back-up. I have to do work online some and so I am glad I have kept ip.

My time here may be limited until I get the other one back up and running. We shall see!

[kevin]

I just set up a wireless network. That was more interesting than I thought it would be, and involved an hour with tech support. She was spelling out 'p.. i... n.... g...' and I was like 'you can just tell me ping, i know what ping is'. After that it progressed smoother.

Oh and it would appear there is a an on/off switch on my mom's laptop for searching for a wireless connection. Why not simply automatically detect connections all the time??

[coriolis]

...so you're telling me that the only improvment that computers brought over the telephone is that we used to get a ring and now we get a ping?

[coriolis]

Uh oh, I feel a rant coming on...... Must resist....

I remember that when computers were first catching on. The visionarys of the day predicted the "paperless office" in which all communications would be electronic. The electronic communications part has caught on, all right, but paperless? Hardly. What computers do allow, is the production of more and more paper, faster and faster. It used to be that a copy of a letter was precious. You'd file it away in a safe place. Nowadays, you make 12 photocopies, distribute them to people who might remotely be interested, you fax it to 6 more people, and you scan it in to the electronic file. Or a letter that gets sent out - You always keep the electronic copy, maybe attach it to an email or two, save a copy to your desktop, just in case they call with questions, print out a couple copies, for people to read......... It's endless.


Or how about email "campaigns?" Someone has a question and cc's it to all. Suddenly replies and counter replies start flying around like a cloud of locusts. Then someone gets out of synch and replies to yesterday's installment and that starts another version of the email to circulate, with it's own unique responses and counter questions. I think that I've seen as many as 3 versions of the same email floating around simultaneously. YIKES, and computers were supposed to increase productivity.


I've seen CADD designers, struggling to make a simple calculation work - a calculation involving the length and slope of a sewer pipe. I could do the calculation in 10 seconds and get the answer. They struggle and get it wrong because the program doesn't figure it that way.

OK, rant over.

I feel better now.

[Brent]

Did you try unplugging it and then plugging it back in to reset it? I had a problem severel weeks ago where after just a general restart it acted like it couldn't find the connection, so I unplugged and then plugged it right back in and as soon as it started back up everything was fine.

[HurryKane]

I hate technology!

But technology loves you!

[vbhoutex]

Uh oh, I feel a rant coming on...... Must resist....

I remember that when computers were first catching on. The visionarys of the day predicted the "paperless office" in which all communications would be electronic. The electronic communications part has caught on, all right, but paperless? Hardly. What computers do allow, is the production of more and more paper, faster and faster. It used to be that a copy of a letter was precious. You'd file it away in a safe place. Nowadays, you make 12 photocopies, distribute them to people who might remotely be interested, you fax it to 6 more people, and you scan it in to the electronic file. Or a letter that gets sent out - You always keep the electronic copy, maybe attach it to an email or two, save a copy to your desktop, just in case they call with questions, print out a couple copies, for people to read......... It's endless.


Or how about email "campaigns?" Someone has a question and cc's it to all. Suddenly replies and counter replies start flying around like a cloud of locusts. Then someone gets out of synch and replies to yesterday's installment and that starts another version of the email to circulate, with it's own unique responses and counter questions. I think that I've seen as many as 3 versions of the same email floating around simultaneously. YIKES, and computers were supposed to increase productivity.


I've seen CADD designers, struggling to make a simple calculation work - a calculation involving the length and slope of a sewer pipe. I could do the calculation in 10 seconds and get the answer. They struggle and get it wrong because the program doesn't figure it that way.

OK, rant over.

I feel better now.

1000% AGREEMENT!!!

Is it just an engineering office thing or is this everywhere?

[wx247]

Did you try unplugging it and then plugging it back in to reset it? I had a problem severel weeks ago where after just a general restart it acted like it couldn't find the connection, so I unplugged and then plugged it right back in and as soon as it started back up everything was fine.

Unplugging what Brent? I unplugged the cable hooked into the line as well as restarting the computer. That didn't help. After talking with my mother, I am afraid it might have been a virus.

[Brent]

Did you try unplugging it and then plugging it back in to reset it? I had a problem severel weeks ago where after just a general restart it acted like it couldn't find the connection, so I unplugged and then plugged it right back in and as soon as it started back up everything was fine.

Unplugging what Brent? I unplugged the cable hooked into the line as well as restarting the computer. That didn't help. After talking with my mother, I am afraid it might have been a virus.

Try to unplug it from the power source.

[wx247]

Just called a friend who is a computer technician. I think I have some developments. I did that Brent. I am afraid it may be the phone line itself, but hey, at least we are progressing!!!

[tomboudreau]

Are you connected to a router also or do you have a straight shot from the modem box to the PC? If you have a router, power the PC off, unplug the power from both, wait 30 seconds, plug the modem back in first, wait for all the lights to stop jiving upon bootup, plug the router back in and wait for those lights to stop jiving upon bootup, and then power the PC on. This is what I found out from the cable company when we had cable internet service and the telephone company, since we now have DSL. Most of the time, this fixes our problems up. Hope this helps.

[wx247]

Hey, thanks Tom!!! I will be sure to try that!

[wx247]

Update: You are a genius!!! It worked. Thanks tom!!! I will remember that from now on.

[tomboudreau]

It worked? Good, I'm glad that I could help you out.

[senorpepr]

Uh oh, I feel a rant coming on...... Must resist....

I remember that when computers were first catching on. The visionarys of the day predicted the "paperless office" in which all communications would be electronic. The electronic communications part has caught on, all right, but paperless? Hardly. What computers do allow, is the production of more and more paper, faster and faster. It used to be that a copy of a letter was precious. You'd file it away in a safe place. Nowadays, you make 12 photocopies, distribute them to people who might remotely be interested, you fax it to 6 more people, and you scan it in to the electronic file. Or a letter that gets sent out - You always keep the electronic copy, maybe attach it to an email or two, save a copy to your desktop, just in case they call with questions, print out a couple copies, for people to read......... It's endless.


Or how about email "campaigns?" Someone has a question and cc's it to all. Suddenly replies and counter replies start flying around like a cloud of locusts. Then someone gets out of synch and replies to yesterday's installment and that starts another version of the email to circulate, with it's own unique responses and counter questions. I think that I've seen as many as 3 versions of the same email floating around simultaneously. YIKES, and computers were supposed to increase productivity.


I've seen CADD designers, struggling to make a simple calculation work - a calculation involving the length and slope of a sewer pipe. I could do the calculation in 10 seconds and get the answer. They struggle and get it wrong because the program doesn't figure it that way.

OK, rant over.

I feel better now.

1000% AGREEMENT!!!

Is it just an engineering office thing or is this everywhere?

That sounds like my life. Especially the emails and the paper wasting. Since I'm a shift worker, I normally have my "weekends" fall during the week. I hate returning after my "weekend" just to get hundreds of emails, many of which I have absolutely no use for.

As for the paper... my last work section LOVED wasting paper. Every shift had to print out the weather log for ALL of our products. On top of it, some of our retired military-turned gov't slave forecasters enjoy printing out EVERY single observation and model image they can find on a daily basis. Thankfully my new work section is nearly paperless.