I’m old.
Old enough that I don’t always like to check my age category, because it’s too far down on the list.
Old enough that my time left is precious, and I don’t want to spend it re-learning what I thought I already knew.
Old enough that I believed the lie that technology is supposed to make our lives easier and simpler.
Lately, I’ve been fighting technology, and it’s wearing me down…
First there was Windows 10 on my office computer. Now I have to put in a password every ten minutes when the screen goes to sleep. (Is that why it’s called Windows 10?) Oh yes, I’ve set and reset the settings. Ten times at least. The screen is not supposed to go to sleep — ever. But there it is, every ten minutes it starts snoring. Does exactly what it wants. I think I’m going to start calling it HAL. (Proof that I’m old.)
Then there was the new iOS on my iPhone. Now the blue tooth in the car just circles around and around, and I can’t play the music that is on my phone. I used to be able to do this… And yes, I’ve uninstalled my phone and reinstalled it. Three times. Nothing. No music. I’ll have to go back to CD’s I guess.
Then there was El Capitan on the MAC. Yep, the wireless printer stopped working. This is actually one of the success stories, because after uninstalling and reinstalling the printer three times, it has finally started working again. But my new writing program Scrivener — advertised as El Capitan ready — has frozen repeatedly. It is frozen as I write this (which is why I’m doing a blog post instead of writing on my novel).
And then there is the WordPress update. For a year now, they’ve been telling me to switch to the improved posting experience, but I’ve always been able to get around it. Because the old way of posting had commands right at my fingertips. Easy. Visible. But today I tried to get in the back way, and BAM, the new dashboard is the only one to be seen. I was beyond frustrated…
New and improved rarely means improved. It means frustrated and irritated, which quite frankly, I don’t need in my life. Is there anyone who does?
I’ve learned my lesson. I’ve turned off automatic updates. I’ll just have to put up with those annoying little numbers on the App Store. And those banners on the Mac that make me feel like I’m way behind the times? I’m blind to them.
I can take it.
Because, yeah, I’m old.
(If you are a frustrated WordPress user, here’s the workaround, courtesy of Life in the Realm of Fantasy. Go to My Stats; click on WP Admin; click on posts; and Voila — you are at your old familiar dashboard. Thank you, Connie! NEWS: And just this morning I noticed that from my home page drop down under My Sites, WP Admin is actually one of the tabs. Yes! Eliminate extra clicking!)
the circle of life 
Thank you for the mention–always happy to help!
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Funny thing — I was thinking of doing a post on this anyway, and when I logged in today and the WordPress thing happened, it just confirmed. I’m so glad I found your post. Again — thank you! :-)
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I am soooooo with you on this post! I hate it when things don’t work the way that I know they should. AND I hate updates! I think this has been a week when nothing technical worked right. My new IPhone will not ring! What’s up with that? AND I don’t want to use the new version of WordPress either, I’ve mastered the old way just fine!
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Well going at it from the Admin site really works. I was so grateful. Have you tried to add a link on that new WordPress? Ugh! Maybe it’s the cold weather….
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I won’t use the new WordPress! Don’t even ask me what I think of the WordPress App!
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Well I have used the App on occasion — it’s good for reading and commenting and responding to comments. But once when I was posting on it (I was without my computer for a week) I accidentally published a half-finished post. That was ugly. :-) So I’m very careful how I use it now.
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Yes!!! I am right there with you! I finally got a smart phone – I wanted to take better pictures of my wonderful grandchildren. The camera – ah, yes. When I first got the phone I took pictures of our remodeled bathroom. I showed our couples Bible Study group and set the phone on the table. I NEVER TOUCHED IT!!!! When I picked it up at the end of class, it had taken 64 pictures of the ceiling!!!!!!! 64! Sigh. I miss my old phone. One good point is that I keep in contact with my kids – because somehow I swipe something after I text them and they call “Mom! Mom! Mom!” from my pocket. So nice that they call me. Right.
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Hahaha. You made me laugh. Maybe it’s that the younger generation just expects hassles from technology? And they just shrug it off and THEY KNOW HOW TO FIX IT! :-)
On the other hand, you can just delete those 64 pictures — just think if you had developed them the old way how expensive it would have been to have to pay for ceiling photos.
I have to confess, I do love my iPhone…
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I have a DOS manual down in the basement if you want to go back to that OS? I will throw in an old computer too. :-)
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Oh made me laugh first thing this morning. I have an old computer, thanks. Although I have thrown away the DOS manuals. Hah I’m old enough to remember those old monitors when black, white and green was full color…
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I remember the first IBM PC our accelerator group received. Two 5.25 floppy drives…no hard drive. We all stood around and looked at a demo program and then went back to work wondering what it would be used for. Little did we know.
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