Hello, I blog!
I share all my sporadic and toilet thoughts in here, because I am random like that.
The Write Stuff
Sometimes I feel like ever since I started using Instagram more heavily, my entire online presence has been “dummified”.
Everything has become visual. I now edit a photo and post it online, and spend significantly less time writing introspective blog posts.
And the less you write, whatever linguistic skill you possess also dies a slow death. I find myself using significantly less vocabulary these days, and I’m no longer able to articulate my thoughts as well as I used to. I really need to make it a point to write more.
Now that I can finally access WordPress on my phone again (previously I couldn’t because my WordPress was hopelessly outdated – my bad), perhaps the motivation to write again will come back.
Oh, did I just mention my phone?
Overdependence on our phones is another topic I mull over all the time. Another topic for another day, I suppose.
How to use a computer 101
Teaching a novice about the intricacies of computers can be perplexing. What is one of the easiest tasks to you (or even something you do on a regular basis) can be an uphill struggle for someone else. And what’s frustrating is how to properly articulate how things work and what you should do to someone who barely doesn’t have the faintest of knowledge about how to use a computer.
Not to mention how I have the patience of about ten raging buffaloes.
Here are some snippets of the conversation.
On missing email:
“Eh, why this person keeps sending me the email I asked for but I cannot receive ah? Something is wrong, I need to buy a new computer, you know?”
“Maybe it went into your spam,” says I.
“What is a ‘spam’? How do I see whether the email went into my spam?”
“You see that link called ‘spam’ on the left hand side when you check your inbox? Click it.”
“Oooh.”
Silence for a few seconds.
“How come it’s like that, ah? I think I need to get a new computer already.”
“It’s nothing to do with the computer. That’s how email works.”
(Note: She is using web-based Gmail, by the way. And guess who signed up for the account for her. -.-)
Well, one thing for sure – she doesn’t need to know about how I muttered “it’s something to do with the user” under my breath, well out of her auditory range.
On thumbdrives:
“Eh, Brenda ah. Tonight, I need you to help me install my thumbdrive, okay?”
“You don’t need to install a thumbdrive. Just plug it in and you can use it already,” says I.
“Oooh.”
Silence again, for a few seconds.
“Then how do I know how to plug in the thumb drive ah? Where do I plug it in?”
“Have you done a jigsaw puzzle before?” I asked.
“Yah?”
“It’s the same thing. Just try plugging the thumbdrive into all the holes. If it doesn’t fit, then it doesn’t fit. And if it does, you’ve got the correct one.”
I don’t believe in spoon-feeding. Best is to let the person learn through trial and error, I always say. And I have too little patience to be her teacher, or a teacher to anyone, for that matter.
Apple needs more balanced surveys
In view of my recent purchase of an iPhone 4 cover from Apple (Yes, I was one of the cheapos who opted to redeem a free iPhone 4 cover before the offer expired end-September), I was asked to fill out an online survey pertaining to the iPhone.
And so I did.
I was pretty much perplexed when I chanced upon this question on the second screen, though.
Second question from Apple’s survey.
I guess that Apple (or whichever survey company they chose to employ) had conveniently forgotten that there’s more to the web than merely the Apple and Singtel websites.
And the only other option available?
“None of these, I have not required help using the iPhone.” (Whut?!)
Either way, there seems to be huge assumption made in constructing this survey question – that people with iPhone issues will only opt to refer to either the Apple or Singtel. And that those who don’t visit any of these websites for resolution, have no iPhone issues at all.
Unfortunately (for them, at least), this is not true at all.
In response, I expressed my dissent in an open-ended question in the next screen about general feedback with my service provider.
Honestly speaking, I have had loads of issues with the iPhone – but the options provided in the previous page (listing only either Singtel/Apple websites) was not sufficient in answering my questions.
I consulted numerous online forums, discussions and weblogs via Google Search in order to resolve the myriad of problems I experienced with the iPhone.
Examples of problems:
Syncing of contacts with the iPhone.
Syncing purchased apps downloaded via the iPhone to iTunes.
The need to restart my phone continuously because certain app sessions were constantly having issues.
And the like …And honestly, trawling through Google Search (which is so ubiquitous, easily accessible via my browser toolbar) is so much easier than trawling through either the Singtel or Apple websites. The discussions and options sought are more balanced too, than one sided.
When it comes to Singtel Support, what can I say? Having to wait 25 minutes on the phone with a mechanical voice constantly on replay with annoying music before I get to speak to a real person is not cool at all.
Just couldn’t resist. :P
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