It was just before Christmas I decided in my somewhat infinite wisdom to finally give in and buy myself a printer, a very timely black Friday Amazon offer also finally sealed the deal… I settled my mind on a HP product. I’ve little to no tech knowledge, so it’s more that I had recognised the branding than anything😁,. It was only after I hit the buy it now button though that the real panic began to set in,. in the past I had always relied on either of my son’s to set up anything computer related, I know enough to be dangerous but that’s my limitation I’m afraid, it is self doubt and know how that stops me trying more by myself…the printer in question is blue tooth, that part I’ve no issue with, learning over the years by living alone plus much trial and error😁, more error though really.
I was dreading it’s arrival more than looked forward to it, I must confess, just the thought all those wires,(turns out there was only one) finding where ink cartridges go,which side where, getting it out its box in one piece even 😁, No this wasn’t my idea of fun,,Your asking so why get one at all then Theresa, good question?, Well in the past I’ve had to trawl pages of information trying to find local places that will print documentation for me…..not driving this then involved a cab ride, or relying on my friend Debbie to get there, when I arrived I would become tongue tied as to what was required how many copies and so forth, the person doing it would roll their eyes impatiently hands on hips, which would only serve to make me yet more anxious if anything, . Plus I like to take photos quite a lot and have had this fancy for some time now of how I would like to fill these white bland walls with their images, especially those of my dogs, (who are sadly no longer around).
If this was in fact to come about, I would indeed need to put aside my techno phobia and all self doubt… would also have to step up to the mark and embrace all things gadget, after all they are here to make our lives easier right?😁, .
It actually arrived well before Christmas, but I just couldn’t get my head around the holiday season, visiting my sons, being outside amongst my fellow humans and technology all at the same time….far to much for my brain to take in all at once., So I gave myself a get out of goal free card, deciding that after Christmas would be more than soon enough Thank You very much(I really am bad at putting off anything I’m not comfortable with). After I took the last of the decorations down, packed them up, the box in the corner of the living room would be silenced no more…it had at this point glared at me accusingly many times…I was also frustrated with myself, It surely would come with full instructions, I can read ….so where was the problem….the actual problem lay with lack of confidence…I don’t just lack, there’s none, not something you can knock next door and ask to borrow a cup of either…although the thought had crossed my mind….(not borrowing confidence😁, asking the guy next door whose into all things computing, for assistance. But this galled me, I should be able to do this for myself….I try so hard to be independent
I had put it off quite long enough by the end of last week, after moving the box yet once more to Hoover under, I knew the time had come, ….making a coffee, because this didn’t only require thought, I needed caffeine infusing my little grey cells, fortication, let’s face it I needed all the help I could muster..First step open the box!, Well that much went well, 😁, And there laying on top was a tomb of instructions…massive booklets, and they have pictures, itemized and everything, big easy to follow diagrams😁🤔, I gave it a quick flick through and decide that’s all quite enough for one day…do want to get too ambitious.
Next day I find out its plug, easy sorted, Its soon situated upon my dual purpose chest of drawers/desk thingy, it sits along with my note books, desk organiser and all my other accoutrements, looking quite professional😁, now for that big bravery test….blue tooth the printer to my Lenovo laptop….bad enough I’m still intimidated by the fancy laptop, but now here’s a printer to contend with….I find out straight away where the ink cartridges fit…after checking not once but in fact three times they are in the right place, I already know this is not going to be a simple task….I move on, once again I follow the diagrams, step by painful step. Checking And re checking, my confidence begins to grow..I actually understand what I’m asked to do….
It was all going so well,
I tapped away on the keys of my laptop, following the process, giving it the required information, make, model etc, yes I muttered away to myself and it, assuring us both, I had infact turned the printer on…the big blue flashing button blinked away over the other side of the room…then it happened….sighs, right across my laptop screen came there’s a corrupt file or some such nonsense….who corrupted it I ask no one in particular?, When I find them their in big trouble….it wants me to call or go into chat with tech support…..I am not amused, I hate phones, and chatting with someone I’ve never met amused me far less….but out of the two, it’s by far the less of two evils….ok let’s do this….
I type away to Alyssa, remembering my manners I introduce myself, give a brief history of the issue at hand, And beg her patience as my terminology may or may not be correct or in fact make actual sense even…she tries her best to reassure me, I for my part am not so confident though…she has never dealt with such as myself before….between us we re-follow the steps taken again…only for the big shouty words Corrupt file to appear again….Alyssa tells me I need to call up tech support, I’m immediately not happy….what if they ask me to do grown up tech stuff, download things, find files, nope I can’t do this…I panic!!!!, Doubts, fears, go into overdrive…
But I find myself taping the phones keypad before I can give into it …almost immediately a male voice tells me his names Alex, I explain our issue, and here’s where I make my next mistake….I tell him nervously that I’m really not good with technology, so pleased explain slowly, then explain again….he tells me kindly not to worry, we will manage some how. I’m not sure I share his confidence😁 , but I follow his instructions, he tells me we are going to open a shared window, so he can take over remotely….I’ve no clue what Alex is going on about but do as asked…..before I know it there’s an arrow darting back and forth across my screen, clicking things at the speed of light🤔, I sit back and watch fascinated…..
He asks is the printer turned on….the blue lights still merrily flashing away to itself…least this is working 😁. He goes silent the arrow still flashing from page to page…when he finally speaks, it’s to inform me the laptop has these things called Trojans….I’m unsure what in fact a Trojan is, but I don’t want them rampaging about my laptop that’s for sure….Alex explains I’ve no antivirus software …….not only on the laptop, but my phone, tablets, even Mifi…….I’m listening intently, then all of a sudden my nerves subside and anger kicks in….hang on a cotton picking minute….I re run swiftly over the conversation I had with my Son Andrew, when he gave me the laptop last year….I was sure he mentioned he had loaded a form of anti virus…..And Andrew being Andrew ever cautious, I knew he would do this as a matter of course, I also knew I had purchased this when I bought my phone, the tablets are Amazon fires, both have protection, as does the Mifi… Alex not realising I was going over things quicker in my memory than my laptop could, then came back with another Gem of information, him and his team of techs, could for a small monthly fee install antivirus software for me, I really needed it apparently as everything including my banking app was at risk…..
Anger now welled up inside me, I know I have issues with anything that’s unfamiliar to me, and I’m in some ways vulnerable, but I do know a sales pitch when I hear it…I’m fuming, I hate this feeling that I’m not in control of the situation, I feel alone ….but then a far off voice within, speaks for me, ” I think I’m going to leave it Alex, I’m sure I have antivirus , in fact I know I do” ….I speak to my Son and ask his advice ….I put down the phone before I say more than I have, more than no want to…..
My son took all of five minutes to have my problem sorted, now my printer is up and running ….it turns out there’s no warrior Trojans running lose and free about any of my gadgets, my antivirus is firmly in place as it always was until someone had turned it off, I’ve no idea how you would go about this never mind do it😁, there is only one conclusion to this be careful with these things, I could so easily have signed myself up for a years contract for no reason…it’s easily done, if in doubt folks check it out….worse comes to the worst you can always get back in touch…..just be careful out there. 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎
My American Man In Purple Lace Corsets 