Love :: Hate
Hello!
Sorry for the absence but I am having a love/hate relationship with my 'puter at the moment.
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I love the access to other people in the world with similar goals in life it gives me via the internet.
I hate that it is so physically dominant in our house: I don't have a lap top, nor can I justify spending money on one until this desk top blows up, and it currently occupies it's own entire cupboard (just like the TV I swear I'm going to permanently unplug every day).
I love not having to search through cookbooks any more.
I hate that it is only four years old but is considered a dinosaur: I can barely manage to upload several of my favourite sites any more even after I abandoned IE for Firefox a year ago.
I love that Skype (when our webcam works!) allows my kids to talk to - & interact with - their grandparents and cousins who don't live nearby.
I hate that it, in many ways, it represents all that I consider is bad about the world at the moment: The pinnacle of planned obsolescence + the exploitation of developing countries for their rare metals used in construction + the control of the vast majority of the software market by just one company (and the majority of the rest by one other) ...
I love that I can find sustainable, ethical products when I choose to buy something new, or thousands of second hand products via eBay and Freecycle without having to drive all over the countryside any more.
I hate that my two school-aged children are set homework tasks to be completed online every weekday, such that I am not only obliged to turn it on, I have to let my six and seven year olds use it instead of playing outside.
I love the enormous enjoyment I get from seeing my photos of our kids and our garden on the big screen, up close and personal, and that I can (in theory!) instantly share them with friends and relatives.
I hate that I can't get wireless broadband and that my phone line is only capable of dial-up speed (450 kbps at best, despite my neighbour getting 1.5 Mbps), meaning that even uploading one photo to my blog seems intolerably long when I'd rather be in the garden or kitchen.
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Argh. Computers: Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.
6 comments:
I hear ya... they are insidious things, so useful, but all too easy to get distracted by.
As an alternative to ongoing performance issues and planned obsolescence problems - I encourage you to seriously consider Linux. Ubuntu is pretty mainstream these days, no longer an operating system for geeks only. OpenOffice is pretty close to MS Office, and Firefox and Thunderbird are the same. For most people who don't need specialist software, Linux is perfectly fine - better, in fact because it performs more consistently.
If you're keen on a laptop, Linux works much better on an older model recycled laptop that Windows ever will - it needs less to run. (Although there are some compatibility issues with really old laptops).
Gracious me,
I didn't realise you were on a modem. That would have to be one of the most patience trying experiences known to woman.
Good Luck with it all.
Belinda
snap! we have wireless and it is slow too - and i despare about how much time i spend online reading about 'simple' living. that is shocking that your kids have to do computer based homework every night - our boys are in grades 3 and 5 and only the 10 yo ever needs to use the computer - about three times a year for projects. the 8 yo's teachers once said to me 'he has a fab general knowledge, he must use the computer a lot' i replied he never uses it, and just reads books - an increasingly alien concept, i understand.
ps: how is the thermal cooker going? did you buy it at Aldi. i am gutted I missed the boat on that one - I read all about them on simplesavings
I empathise with everything you've said regarding your computer - except I have a slightly higher speed than you!
It's such a wonderful tool though. ;-)
I hope you and yours are well.
Irene x
i like your blog and thoughts.
Hi rainman,
Oh yes, when I get my next computer I am definitely going with Linux and Open Office, I'm so sick of what I'm using now.
Hi Belinda,
Yes... Sigh... Thanks :-)
Hi Paula,
Sorry to rub it in, but I love the thermal cooker! Now that the weather is warming it's excellent for keeping the kitchen a little cooler too, and yes, I got it at Aldi :-)
Hi Irene,
Sigh, yes it is a great tool isn't it? And thank you, we are all well at the moment, I hope you are too and are enjoying Fall :-)
Hi Hailey,
Thank you and thanks for stopping by :-)
Cheers,
Julie
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