Grandma Wrestles With Technology (and sometimes wins!)
Over the last several years I’ve played the role of friendly-tech-support-person for a variety of friends and family members, and quite often, as time went by, for their friends and family as well. As anyone that helps other people with their computers knows, once word gets out, the list of people that want free computer help tends to grow and grow. By 2005 it had gotten out of hand, complete strangers were leaving sickly, infected old Windows computers on my front doorstep, with little notes attached, either giving the computers to me or asking that I fix them. I finally had to bring that chapter of my life to an end. These days I only help people with their computers if they agree to a goal of leaving behind – or at least minimizing as much as possible – their current dependence on Microsoft products.
It all started with my need to learn about my very first home computer, which at the time ran Windows 95. Three years earlier I had gone back to school to learn computer art/graphics. The college art department used Apple computers, so there was little need to learn about the computer itself, we just learned how to use the software to create our own designs. To me a computer was no different than a paint brush or a pen, it was just another creative tool for my artwork.
After learning on Apple machines, that first Win95 machine was a sad awakening. It was unstable and barely usable, but in those days people that I thought knew about computers had advised me not to buy Apple machines because, they said, the future was in IBM compatibles running Microsoft software. I obviously had much to learn before I could base my freelance business on a computer.
Over the following few years I worked VERY hard to learn as much as possible. I was well over 40 when I bought that first Windows computer, so it was imperative that I learn how to properly maintain it. The freelance work I did (and still do!) was highly competitive, it required that deadlines be met reliably, and working projects to be changed and edited swiftly, and electronic files were fast becoming the preferred way to submit the final artwork. Customers do NOT want to be told that something didn’t get finished on time because your computer was “down”.
With the old art tools; pens and pencils and paint brushes, if something broke you just grabbed another’n and kept right on working. A smart artist ALWAYS kept spares on hand. But in those early days computers were still relatively expensive, so one was all I could afford. I had to find a way to make it reliable. I did, eventually conquer that problem, but only after a LOT of trial and error.
Of course, it didn’t take long to accumulate more computers, thanks to my son, Dan, and his wonderful belief that his mom could learn new stuff. His patience in teaching me, plus his generous gifts of computer parts and software, provided the solid foundation I needed to get started. I hope I’ve made him proud.
I killed those early computers many times over (or maybe Windows 95/98/98SE just commited suicide a lot?), and then spent many an hour trying to figure out how to resurrect them. When a friend would call to chat, I’d tell them what I’d been doing. Invariably they’d begin to talk about their own computer problems and the next thing I’d know their computer was on my desk. Generally I was pretty good at killing other people’s computers too, but somehow I always managed to get them running again (whew!). I truly appreciate the trust those friends showed when they’d let me muck around with their machines. To me it was a chance to experiment and learn, as well as to pass what I learned on to others.
It’s been 18 years since I met that first Apple computer at school, and 13 years since I bought my first Windows computer. It’s been a long and bumpy road of hard experience since then, but I wouldn’t change a day of it. These days I can build my own computers, if I want to, and always have a backup machine (or two or three) in case of emergencies.
Recently a few friends have begun nagging at me to write about my computer adventures. Their reasoning is that other older people might enjoy reading such a blog and might even be inspired to learn more on their own.
The main thing that’s held me back from writing about those experiences is that women my age (60-ish, give or take, I refuse to be specific) aren’t supposed to know anything about computers at all, much less be able to muck around with hardware and such. So outside of my circle of family and friends, who’d believe me?
The prevailing perception in the tech world is that us grandma-types only know how to do simple things, like email, share family pics on Flickr, or maybe upload an occasional YouTube video of our grandbabies spitting Cheerios at each other. So who could possibly care what an older woman has to say about computers?
I worry a bit that I’m not knowledgeable enough to seriously write about technology topics, and there are so many different aspects to technology it’s very difficult to even know where to start. There are already tons of excellent information sites available, it seems silly to think that such an unschooled amateur – as I certainly am – could add anything constructive.
Also, gaining credibility takes time, which feels very daunting to me. Time becomes an increasingly precious commodity to people my age and I’m not sure I have enough spare time to start – much less to properly maintain – one more project. But maybe I can. I guess we’ll find out.
I think what gave me the final push towards starting this blog is that, according to a great many know-it-all technology bloggers, little ol’ lady types, as a group, are categorized and derided as clueless simpletons, relegated to the bottom of the technology food chain.
“Grandma” in particular, is often used as the lowest possible bar to reach, as far as software usability is measured. According to many people commenting on various technology forums, grandma-types don’t care about anything important, they can’t be bothered to learn anything new and are afraid of anything different from what they are used to. Like any prejudice, it’s a challenge to change people’s ingrained perceptions and beliefs.
On a few technology-news forums that I am a member of, I’ve even been accused of being an impostor because everyone knows that a real “grandma” wouldn’t even know those sites existed, much less join in on the conversations. But the biggest topic I get slammed for is the fact that I no longer use Microsoft products on my main work computers. (GASP!) Grandmas shouldn’t even know there ARE other choices, much less make such choices on their own. It’s just not possible, which means that I surely must be pretending.
So, I am dedicating this new blog to those foolish unbelievers. Like it or not, I am who I am (or as Popeye says “I yam whats I yam!”). It’s not that I care if those folks believe me. In the end, this blog is about helping other older people to ignore that sort of stereotyping and find the confidence to learn more.
I may not be the best spokesperson for grandmas (and grandpas!) in general, but I may be able to inspire more of them to speak up for themselves and to take a stand on the many important technology issues that face all of us today. I am not, and can never claim to be, an expert on technology of any kind, but I CAN pass on what bits and pieces I’ve learned so far.
I don’t know if any of this will help anyone, but what the heck, it can’t hurt to try. Right?
More to come…
I Have Met The Enemy and He is Us…
“I have met the enemy and He is us…” That old Pogo quote goes through my head every time I read someone’s snarky opinions about older people and the problems they have with their computers. Sometimes the young people lack understanding. Sadly, it’s true that a lot of older folks feel uneasy about having to learn new things. I know such thinking has its basis in the fact that, to the majority of us over the age of 50, personal computers are a fairly new thing.
When I was a kid computers were something I’d only read about in science fiction stories, or in magazines. My generation grew up with the idea that everything would be computerized in the future, but it didn’t occur to us that we’d actually have to do anything besides talk to those computers. We’d just tell them what we wanted and they’d do the rest. Hey, that’s how it always worked in Star Trek and Lost in Space, and that Forbidden Planet movie, right? Who knew?
I was 17 years old when I saw the movie “2001 – A Space Odyssey“, and it blew me away. At that time the year 2001 was over 30 years into the future. I really believed that technology would be that advanced by then, but it didn’t occur to me that there would be such a long and difficult transition phase. I assumed my own generation would be the last ones to be afraid of new ideas and changes.
Back in the 50s and 60s, the idea of living in a computerized world inspired fear and distrust in some older folks. I remember hearing my own parents talking about the future they saw, where we’d have to learn how to deal with computers rather than people as we went through our daily lives. They wondered how we would cope in such an impersonal environment. Where would people find jobs if everything was computerized? I remember the fuss when auto manufacturers began automating their assembly lines with robots. It’s funny to look back on those times now, but it was a big deal back then. Of course the world adjusted and even though old jobs were lost, new jobs were made, people either retired or were retrained, and life went on.
Now I am at the age my parents were when they made fearful predictions about the future. I guess getting past the fear of technology just requires more work for us older folks, but I believe it’s vitally important for us to do. If my generation doesn’t make an effort to at least gain a basic understanding of how things work, we could be leaving the following generations (meaning our own kids and grandkids!) to face a rather grim and Freedomless future.
Now, if you feel this conclusion is a case of old-lady dramatics, you’d be wrong. However, the whole point of this blog is to encourage you (no matter what age you might be) to learn a bit more about that computer you are using.
The truth is, if your computer is connected in any way to the outside world, and you don’t understand the power it gives you, how it all works, or the dangers it may present to you and your family if you don’t take proper care of it, then you need to either take some time to learn, or just disconnect it.
Yes, I suppose the “just disconnect” phrase may sound harsh, but it’s how I feel.
So, how can it help the future if “grandma” (or grandpa!) learns to be a more responsible computer user? Well, that’s what I intend to show you in this blog. Before long you’ll be able to connect the dots and see the full picture for yourself…at least, that’s my goal.
