Tuesday 21 August 2007

Computer literacy and malfunctions

I have a slightly mystical theory that when you understand computers and software they behave better for you. It might just be that you start knowing how to treat the machine and its contents better, which would make it a less interesting observation, but I have seen it repeatedly. Somehow the least computer literate people seem to have the most unusual problems with their machines. I've observed it a few times. It might be something deeper going on, like the more you understand the machine the more you see the smaller warning signs, or maybe you just know proper computer maintenance. Whatever the cause, I think it's an interesting phenomenon.

Mokalus of Borg

PS - I'd actually rather not investigate it too deeply.
PPS - Just in case it seems less magical at the source.

4 comments:

Erin Marie said...

I totally believe in this theory.

In fact, I believe that I may be some kind of mystical computer shaman.

At my work, I'm the most computer literate person in the office (which doesn't bode well for the firm). Whenever there's a computer problem, I get called in to look at it.

4 times out of 5, I will sit at the computer, click perhaps once on the screen and then go to perform the operation that isn't working for the person to whom the computer belongs and, magically, it starts working again.

I'm not sure how I can better mankind with the use of this gift, but for now, it keeps me employed!

John said...

I've seen that too, though I don't recall it ever happening to me.

Don't they have specialised IT support staff? Or have you proven more effective than them?

Next time you're called in, you should paint your face, wear a bone necklace and carry a rubber chicken, just to emphasise the voodoo side of what you're about to do.

Erin Marie said...

We have a consultant that we call in from, the Gold Coast, I think. No-one on-site. We're not big enough for that. Yet.

Besides, I'm hoping that I can maybe get some conferences and stuff out of this computer literacy thing that I have going on.

Perhaps I will have to get some kind of shaman staff to shake at the computer, just for effect.

John said...

But if computers fix themselves just because you're around, you don't need to do any courses, do you? ;)