Monday 28 September 2009

The curious case of the dog with the missing head (or is it just me who finds technology confusing?)


I love my computer but trust me I am useless with technology. I thought I was OK. In fact at one time I was really good. But that was back in 1982 and I was working in binary to make my own computer programme for the Hertfordshire Computer Diploma (Grade 1).
Things move fast in the IT world and now some 27 years (Berlimey is it THAT Long??!!!)  later, I am hopelessly out of date and frankly struggling on a daily basis just to keep my head above water.
I mean look what has happened to my Avatar - it's headless! It never used to be headless and now it is and to be honest it's not really portraying me at my best. I look ridiculous.
I even struggle with my Canon SLR Digital Camera. I was given it for Christmas three years ago and I just can't get to grips with it. I fear it has more to do with the fact that I did not choose it myself and the little problem I had with the internal mirrors, which in the end cost me £250 to replace. It now sits rather desolately on a shelf in my office gathering dust. I studiously try to ignore it because every time I notice it, I feel very, very guilty. It's one of those things I have on my "To do list" that I must get round to sorting out.
  • Pick up camera box
  • Take out camera
  • Hunt for instructions
  • Remember no instructions given as camera bought off e-bay as a job lot by friend of family and sold on at a discount price (Might be why I had to spend £250 and the fact there was no guarantee!)
  • Search for instructions for five year old digital camera on line
  • Realise that instructions for similar new model have nothing at all to do with the camera I own
  • After two hours note that if I put "antique digital camera" in the search option I might possibly find I have more luck in tracking down user manual
  • Find instructions on weird Korean web site but just when I think I can press download realise that I need to find $19.99 for the priviledge
  • Get frustrated by the fact I have forgotten really memborable password for Pay Pal account
  • Set up yet another account with Pay Pal
  • Type in new password only to find that it is already taken
  • Scream!
  • Choose new new password and cross fingers
  • Start to download instruction manual of 538 pages of which only three are in English....
All that sounds easy compared to trying to work out how to fix your own avatar. It is NOT easy and try as I might I cannot seem to find anything out there in the great wide ether known as the web to help me - well nothing I can understand. There are 39.6 million hits on Google for "Avatar problems" and I am not trawling them all. I mean I DO have work to do you know!
So for the time being I am known to the whole wide interweb as the blogger with the avatar of a headless dog - that's if anyone recognises that it is a headless dog and not a vase or something.

P.S. Can anyone help please!!!!!

7 comments:

Ladybird World Mother said...

Oh you poor girl... how hellish are the bonds between us and Technology. Have you tried these people? Camera-Instruction- Manuals.com Will probably do just like the other site and charge you small fortune for 2 pages of badly written instructions in English... hope someone has some instructions lurking in a cupboard for you... that would be a result! x

Maggie Christie said...

This is why I have an idiot-proof digital camera. Even then it took me 12 months to discover it has a macro button. Doh!

Expat mum said...

I'm very confused. There are two doggy avatars on your page and they both seem to have heads?!

Dorset Dispatches said...

Probably too late for you.. but my solution was to marry a computer guy who is totally capable of sorting out my mess. I don't even know what an avatar is.

We may have the manual you need. I have an old Canon SLR, although I'm not sure where the manual is. However, computer nerd husband likes to keep manuals so he may have it somewhere. I shall have a look and get back to you!

Tattieweasle said...

Ladybird World Mother - you are a star! Now any tips on avatar mending?
PresliMags - I think it is meant to be idiot proof I just don't think it's this idiot proof!
Expat Mum - I promise my dog is headless well it is whenever I leave a message on other people's comment boxes and also when I become a follower - it must be most diconcerting! I will shoew you by commenting over your place...
Brit in Bosina - yep just a fraction too late but will definatley bear it in mind should the opportunity arise!

Expat mum said...

Yes. You're right! Too funny!

Tattieweasle said...

Expat Mum - So glad you have seen it and now understand my problem. I was getting slightly paranoid that only I could see it!

Go on you know you want to...

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