Technologically Challenged

April 15th, 2007 at 11:20 pm by Mark
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In the last hundred years, Americans have become conditioned to radical, life-changing technology affecting their every-day lives.

Even between 1907 and 1917, things changed dramatically with the mass proliferation of indoor toilets, home electricity, automobiles and factory automation.  The 1920’s and 30’s brought us the golden age of Radio, talking movies, and a never-ending desire for coal heating.  The 1940’s and 50’s brought us hope for the future as first computers were constructed, and telephones and televisions became commonplace.  The 1960’s and 70’s brought us solid-state electronics, the beginnings of the Internet, commercial aviation, automated telephone switching, mobiles telephones and color televisions.  The 1980’s built on much of the technology of the 60’s and 70’s with enhanced miniaturization of large circuits and modular designs, along with the official opening of the Internet.  The 1990’s brought us widespread proliferation of the Internet, digital cameras, widespread proliferation of mobile telephones, faster everything….

….and an almost total reliance on Computers.

In this decade, computers are such a normal part of life that businesses would completely cease to function without a few.  Absolutely everyone is only a phone call away.  We can get across the country in a few hours, and around the world in just over a day (just counting the flight time, mind you).  In this decade, the world can sometimes seem very small.
These days, “technical support” is often little more than a hand-holding exercise.  Gone are the days when people would complain about their cup-holder being broken (the CD Drive, now replaced with newer, even faster inventions), or screaming because the box included a “mouse” — even grandmothers, or even great-grandmothers, now know that it’s not a foot pedal.  People call and talk about their work computer as if they own it personally — “My computer is messed up” — and actually understand the question, “What does the error message say?”

But having lived through this period of Computer proliferation, I’ve definitely seen my share of people unwilling, even unable, to accept new technology for what it is.

I can only imagine what life was like at the beginning the Renaissance period… but if they had a Helpdesk, it would certainly have looked like this…

Tip: Life of Red

But thanks to these developments, even those who are so-called technologically challenged can still grow and prosper in business. Agencies like Triple Media Agent SEO and similar companies offer full support for brands to thrive on the Internet and stay competitive. So, with that, I know my business can survive.


Stock Photos

8 Responses to “Technologically Challenged”

  1. Sam Says:

    You can’t even say RTFM any more because everyone knows it’s code for “read the fucking manual.” Fortunately we still have PEBCAK (“Problem Exists Between Customer And Keyboard”), unless I just messed it up for you. LOL

  2. LissaKay Says:

    Your system is returning Error Code ID-10-T. I’m sorry. There is no fix for that.

  3. LissaKay Says:

    Frig … edit that would you, please?

    [ Edit by Mark: LOL NO! Ok, ok… But only because you said, “please.” Well, that, and I’m sure you’ve fixed some of my more stupid typos before, too. *grin* ]

  4. Mark Says:

    Thanks, Sam. I’m certain you’ve really screwed that one up for all of us now… I won’t soon be e-mailing, “Yes, it’s fixed, there was a PEBCAK error. That’ll be $xyz.ab…”

    Hey, uhhhh, isn’t that how we met? 😉

  5. G Says:

    I’ve been working with Mark for about a year now and he just forwarded this link to me. I’ve watched it a couple of times now just thinking how closely it’s paralleled our working relationship….

    hey……

    wait just one friggin minute………

  6. Mushy Says:

    Excellent post – and the clip was hillarious!

  7. Zacque Says:

    This is great… Hmm… reminds me of something… Oh wait that would be my office. If only they were as simple to deal with. But not only do you have to show them multiple times but you must send e-mail and submit a written essay stating the problem and where they screwed up and how you fixed it. Then you have to e-mail it to the completely computer illiterate man in charge.

    Okay… maybe its not quite that frivolous, but it is close.

  8. Diva Says:

    Technologically Challenged Pirate, reporting for duty, sir.
    btw…. I never, under any circumstance RTFM.
    I’m not gona lie about it 🙂