I have an astounding lack of knowledge when it comes to computers.
Now I'm not talking about the physical aspect of computers. The wires , hard drives, fans.. I don't think I need to know about them. I do vacuum the inside once in a while.
Where my lack of knowledge is in using all the whatevers we have to use like say blogger, email, face book , you tube, and all those searches.
Well my outlook email did something to me that was very maddening. Outlook changed all my inbox emails. These were emails that had been sent and new emails I received. This was a challenge. I had my emails in order by date.
My method to fix things like this is to click on any icon I see on the page. Sometimes I click on them twice. sometimes I click them many times. I had no idea why the order of my inbox emails had changed. Later on in this process I start thinking. I came to the conclusion that the order of the emails had changed. But why? What made the order change? Had I accidentally changed the order? And how do I get the order of my inbox back to dates?
In the upper right corner there was something called filter. I had clicked on it a few times. However, one time I noticed that there was a drop down menu and on it was order. There I saw all the ways I could have my inbox organized, The first choice was date. I quickly clicked on date and immediately my problem was solved.
So on many of the pages we use there are 20-30 icons that do many wonderful things. Do I know much about any of them? Obviously not. The blogger post page has more than 40 icons on it. Now the micro manager has to look at all the icons and wants to know what each one does. All I can say is, "I don't know!".
So once in a while my puzzler has to work to solve something.
That's roughly the system I use to fix computer problems. Over the years things are beginning to make more sense, but I don't think I'll ever reach "expert" level.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about things making more sense as we go along. I think that things are being made with better instructions.
DeleteThe most critical component, for a computer to function correctly is a young person close at hand!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right and I've usually had young people. Right now I have two young girls as neighbors. they are not computer kids.
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteThey do keep us on our toes, with all the updates and changes.
Take care, enjoy your day! Have a happy new week!
I think they keep us going. In your case you can do so much with photography and the critters.
DeleteI am a fairly good user, but I am not nuts and bolts guy for sure. I an usually muddle through.
ReplyDeleteYou also have two grandkids nearby who can help!
DeleteCongratulations on fixing that problem yourself. I do try not to click on things that I don't understand, but occasionally I end up with a problem like yours. I can usually solve it if I try, just as you did. :-)
ReplyDeleteI find more and more that I really have to stop and think about things.
DeleteMy curiosity is piqued. Why is the Micro Manager wondering about icons on blogger? Is she going to be writing posts for Hiawatha House? If so, I will look forward to them. It would be interesting to get her take on a lot of things. Now, back to this post and all the icons. It reminds me of time in the classroom. When we started using some software a few kids would say, “This is stupid.” I reassured them that the software was not stupid and to keep working on it. Usually, after a while, they would get things figured out and say something like, “Wow, this is pretty cool.” So how are you feeling about Outlook now? :-)
ReplyDeleteWhen the Micro Manager is looking at a page she wonders around and looks at everything whether she needs to or not. She has zero typing skills so no posting from her.
DeleteI have learned that patience is one of the most important tools to have when using the computer! Clicking over and over just seems to slow the whole process down and tie my computer in knots. I do better when I click and then just wait a bit before I touch anything else! Quite often it just takes time for it to get going (like all of us!)
ReplyDeletePatience counts in many other parts of life.
DeleteI was pretty much brought up around computers so I've always been sort of the tech wizard for my family and I immediately though date filter when I began reading this post. But as I have gotten older, I am starting to feel disconnected from electronics. My daughters are able to set up and use new electronic items with an ease I can't master anymore. I am not looking forward to the day when I can find that proverbial "date filter" anymore.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised at some very elderly people and their ability to use computers and phones.
DeleteIt is tricky sometimes to figure out how to use new layouts and platform changes and all the buttons and icons. I just try to keep things simple and hope no big changes are planned for the future.
ReplyDeleteThe changes just show up and hit us. At least they could warn us and give us dome directions.
DeleteI avoid clicking and certainly double clicking. You and my husband have the same relationship with computers.
ReplyDeleteI'm finding more and more that patience and careful thought gets more than a clicking frenzy.
DeleteWhen I have a question/problem, I go to google. If you have a problem then you know there are lots more people with the same thing. I always can find the answer to my problem by going to google.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the hot tip. I go to you tube most of the time.
DeleteI am with David G. Youth has it!
ReplyDeleteKids are very adept at computers.
DeletePlaying around and clicking the icons to see what they do will help to tame computers.
ReplyDeleteSometimes we get a big surprise.
DeleteIt's interesting that when these things come up we usually say we need a young person, sometimes we even say a three year old understands more.
ReplyDeleteSomething my dad said will stick with me: young people have time to experiment and learn in a way that is unforced and that is why they find it so easy.
He might have something there.
You did well figuring it out, thats gotta feel good
Kids will work very hard when they know they have something they can teach you.
DeleteYup. I've done that. And had to figure out how to fix it.
ReplyDeleteI just want things left as they are supposed to be. I dislike "updates" and "new and improved".
But I do try to keep up.
I do not watch for updates and don't know exactly what to do with them.
DeleteThose tricky drop downs!
ReplyDeleteThere's lots hidden behind those drop downs.
DeleteI used to have outlook not anymore. Computers are supposed to be simpler not more confusing. :(
ReplyDeleteMaybe we should have a system geared to us elderlies!
DeleteOh I am lost when it comes to computers, LOST! Sometimes I wonder how I've kept my blog going. Nothing about computers makes any sense to me. I would love to change the looks of my blog but don't know where to begin. Maybe one day my daughter will find the time to help me again. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm exactly like you when it comes to changes on my blog. My son did my header and I'm afraid to change it.
DeleteWell I'm glad you figured it out! I hate it when things change without my doing. Of course it's always good to have help sorting out these sorts of technical problems, so hurray for the micro-manager. :)
ReplyDeleteOne has to be able to accept the help to take advantage of it.
DeleteI tend to just muddle through.
ReplyDeleteAnother muddler here. When all else fails, I can call a kid. Tonight, I was putting my 3 year old grand daughter. She has a machine that needs to be turned on at bedtime...white noise and a night light. I could not figure out how to turn the nightlight to 'red'. The three year old untucked herself from bed and said, "I will show you, ama." When you are out teched by a 3 year old, it is terribly humbling.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised. I thought you would be expert with computers.
ReplyDelete