Fundamentals

Wow, I promised myself that I wouldn't fall to a yearly post schedule.  I'm honestly surprised I've kept to that, although it could use some improvement.  Alright, down to brass tax.  These past few months have been particularly grueling for me as my job takes precedent over blogging.

Today, I'd like to talk about fundamentals.  Fundamentals are your building blocks with anything and are especially important for working with and around technology.  A lot of people I encounter, both on and off the job, explain to me that they are not technically savvy.  This is alright, but what does it really mean?  Are they afraid to step outside of their comfort zone when confronted with a problem?  Do they think it's too complex?  Are they reading the instructions or "how-to" and just not getting it?  We've been there. Any one of us has encountered problems either with tech, cars, life, etc. and just see no way of getting past them without assistance.  There are options though.  I can help with the technical fundamentals of operating a computer on a general level.  However, when a 2 hour service call turns into a 6 hour tutoring session however, I'm out of my league.



Know Your Limits (Then Exceed Them)

Sounds cheesy, but you have to know what you can and can't handle when it comes to computer operation.  A lot of users treat their computers like an A-bomb that's going to go off at the slightest click or incorrect keystroke.  The truth of the matter is that if this is the case, then why do we still use them?  It's true they have sort of been forced on us, but it was going to happen to one generation or another.  I'm right on the borderline personally, a lot of new things are coming out that I sometimes don't have a clue about.  Whether it's hardware, software or architecture (yeah they're generalized) I just become curious and start Googling about them.  Some stuff I pick up and other stuff falls to the wayside.  When you're not sure of what you're doing you have to make a choice, either dive in or call the lifeguard.  I think some water wings are a good start.


Option 1: Back to School (Even with a degree)


Colleges have been offering basic computer courses for years (if not decades) and can provide the start you need to shed your fears of the monster under the keyboard.  Some of you already know what a mouse is and how it works, but an instructor needs to generalize their knowledge so their class can be on the same page.  In other words, don't walk out or quit the class just because the first few sessions may cover material you already know.  The benefits you can reap from persevering through that material will snowball, but you have to start somewhere.


Option 2: Tutoring


It's harder to manage with the "technical genius" that fixes your computer usually because of their tight schedule, but if you can name the right price you might have your own tutor who can tailor their knowledge to your level.  This is not always the case as some techs will have a difficult time compressing their information to a level you can digest and may even have patience issues (I'm one of them, but I'm working on it).  The benefit is, that "instructor" will be focused on you and not a mass of people and therefore you will have that undivided attention if you need to skip ahead or there's something that just "isn't going through".  If it "isn't going through" after twenty trials, then there may be another issue which is best left to the professionals of Option 1.  The reason this is Option 2 is because of some factors:


Time: Sometimes none of us feel we have it (tech and user alike) and scheduling around two calendars is much tougher than just one
Money: It is more expensive for the luxury of extra attention
Location, Location, Location: Face it, if you're in the middle of nowhere, you probably will have a hard time convincing anyone to come to you regardless of what you're willing to pay.


Option 3: Be a Bookworm


Start with your local library and look for a "For Dummies" series book.  No offense intended at all, these are the most highly recommended book series for learning.  Not just computer hardware or software in general, even the most in-depth subjects such as programming in Java, Networking or all the way up to Server operation.  I've perused these books when I've had questions too.  If you're feeling particularly adventurous or you finish a couple of the aforementioned, you could try the O'Reilly series of books.  Option 3 is a moderate amount of money, either cash for gas driving to and from libraries or starting your own reference section in your home office.


Option 4: Self-Discipline


You CAN teach yourself.  If something pops up on your computer try Googling exactly what it says.  If you're running Office 2007 and an "Undefined Error" message pops-up, note what you were doing at the time, exactly what the message says, if any, and the OS that you're running 


(Tip: press the Windows Key (looks like a little flag) + Pause on your keyboard and a window should pop up with this information).  


Enter that collected information into Google and start looking for forum post links.  Usually, it can be something simple and other times you might have to start a forum account (a majority of them are free) and post your question.  The more information the better in this case.

Option 4 is the hardest because it requires the most patience, headaches and perseverance.  The good news is this option is the cheapest of the three.