Not quickly or gracefully, that's for sure! I don’t know how we did some things before computers and smartphones. Oh sure, we managed, but in retrospect it was painfully slow to get things done. In many ways, computers make life so much easier that I don’t know why there are people that resist them. In fact, there have been times when I didn’t know how we got things done before technology made it possible.
One good example: real estate. I don’t know how my parents built their home before cell phones, because mine rang all the time while we built ours in 2007. Ditto for refinancing. I get calls at the oddest times, where people probably wouldn’t have been able to reach me if I didn’t have a cell phone with me. That’s the power of time zones and alternate work schedules! Seriously, how did anybody build, buy, sell, or refinance a home before cell phones, because you’re on call all the time – and, of course, a delay in taking the call results in a delay in getting it done.
Another example: writing novels. There’s no way I’d be a novelist if I had to peck it out on a clunky typewriter. I’m sure our garbage cans/recycle bins also appreciate not having the countless wads of crinkled up paper littering them, thanks to the handy “delete” key, back and forward keys, and save buttons. I hear there are some people that actually write their first drafts longhand and then type them. No way! My laptop is my best friend, and I type everything in there from rough draft to final draft. I can type faster than I can handwrite, and frankly, it’s faster and easier. I have nothing but respect for writers that came before computers and were patient enough to deal with the old ways, but as for me, I’m all about tech.
Administrative work falls along these same lines. Nothing made me happier than that day nearly five years ago when I moved to a department that digitizes all files. I’ve established the benefits of the speed of computers, but they’re also great for file storage. And folks, paper sucks. It cuts your fingers, takes up space, and holds dust and all kinds of other microbes that aggravate the sinuses. Plus, it’s slow, inefficient, and the least secure method of file management. Seriously, the only thing paper is good for with me is cage cleaning. Mail seems to run slower and slower, while electronic payments, email and text messages come in just fine in fractions of seconds. Goodbye, file cabinets and stamps. Hello, digital revolution.
How did we entertain ourselves before streaming video services made it possible to binge watch entire seasons of television shows, or movie marathons? Come on, folks. Don’t tell me you actually miss Blockbuster. You know having to return it by the deadline gave you headaches.
And finally – hey kids, do you have any idea how heavy our bookbags got before we could carry those lean tablets or laptops with all of our books and work loaded on them? I had to carry books and notebooks in mine. It was a workout, especially if you’re classes were across campus from one another and you didn’t have time to go to your locker. Oh yea, there were no lockers in college, so you just had to carry everything you needed for the day with you everywhere, all day. Ouch. Even now, I still love ebooks. I rarely buy hardbacks. Why bother, when I can store whatever I want to read on my phone, and read it anytime and anyplace I have the opportunity? Save the trees. Save the earth. And save yourself from carrying an unnecessary load!
Yes, we managed before technology, but you have to admit that the digital revolution has made life easier, more convenient, faster moving, and even a bit more graceful than it was before. Who needs the headaches (and backaches) of the old ways? I can’t imagine why anybody is resisting this stuff.
That’s all today. Take care. Have a happy Friday tomorrow and a wonderful weekend.
Bye!
One good example: real estate. I don’t know how my parents built their home before cell phones, because mine rang all the time while we built ours in 2007. Ditto for refinancing. I get calls at the oddest times, where people probably wouldn’t have been able to reach me if I didn’t have a cell phone with me. That’s the power of time zones and alternate work schedules! Seriously, how did anybody build, buy, sell, or refinance a home before cell phones, because you’re on call all the time – and, of course, a delay in taking the call results in a delay in getting it done.
Another example: writing novels. There’s no way I’d be a novelist if I had to peck it out on a clunky typewriter. I’m sure our garbage cans/recycle bins also appreciate not having the countless wads of crinkled up paper littering them, thanks to the handy “delete” key, back and forward keys, and save buttons. I hear there are some people that actually write their first drafts longhand and then type them. No way! My laptop is my best friend, and I type everything in there from rough draft to final draft. I can type faster than I can handwrite, and frankly, it’s faster and easier. I have nothing but respect for writers that came before computers and were patient enough to deal with the old ways, but as for me, I’m all about tech.
Administrative work falls along these same lines. Nothing made me happier than that day nearly five years ago when I moved to a department that digitizes all files. I’ve established the benefits of the speed of computers, but they’re also great for file storage. And folks, paper sucks. It cuts your fingers, takes up space, and holds dust and all kinds of other microbes that aggravate the sinuses. Plus, it’s slow, inefficient, and the least secure method of file management. Seriously, the only thing paper is good for with me is cage cleaning. Mail seems to run slower and slower, while electronic payments, email and text messages come in just fine in fractions of seconds. Goodbye, file cabinets and stamps. Hello, digital revolution.
How did we entertain ourselves before streaming video services made it possible to binge watch entire seasons of television shows, or movie marathons? Come on, folks. Don’t tell me you actually miss Blockbuster. You know having to return it by the deadline gave you headaches.
And finally – hey kids, do you have any idea how heavy our bookbags got before we could carry those lean tablets or laptops with all of our books and work loaded on them? I had to carry books and notebooks in mine. It was a workout, especially if you’re classes were across campus from one another and you didn’t have time to go to your locker. Oh yea, there were no lockers in college, so you just had to carry everything you needed for the day with you everywhere, all day. Ouch. Even now, I still love ebooks. I rarely buy hardbacks. Why bother, when I can store whatever I want to read on my phone, and read it anytime and anyplace I have the opportunity? Save the trees. Save the earth. And save yourself from carrying an unnecessary load!
Yes, we managed before technology, but you have to admit that the digital revolution has made life easier, more convenient, faster moving, and even a bit more graceful than it was before. Who needs the headaches (and backaches) of the old ways? I can’t imagine why anybody is resisting this stuff.
That’s all today. Take care. Have a happy Friday tomorrow and a wonderful weekend.
Bye!
RSS Feed