Monday, April 20, 2009

Technologically Un-savvy

I repel technology. I have broken numerous digital cameras. I believe I have dropped more than one cell phone in water. My computers die on me all. the. time. It all comes down to technology hating me (because obviously this is the conclusion I've come to and not that I'm clumsy or something).

Just like my personal technology, the technology I work with also hates my guts. The printer loathes me - seriously, it jams almost every time I use it and never when Bill, my tech guy, uses it. Unfair, unfair, unfair. Anyway, my Internet is frequently testy (as in I get signed off of Gchat too often daily).

During my second month at my new job, my Internet just stopped working. My e-mails got stuff in my "drafts" folder, my Gmail couldn't connect to the server, and my Internet magically turned off.

So of course I landed on my theory of technology hates me. So I traipsed over to the Tech dungeon and told them of my technology woes (and I probably told them all about how my cell phones just slipped into sink and how my computer from 1999 up and died on me the other day).

My fave tech guy Bill followed me back to my desk and I sat down all flummoxed as to why oh why the Internet wasn't working since our server wasn't down.

Bill took one look at my computer, rolled his eyes and poked his head under my desk.

"WG2," he said in a tone that sounded eerily like my dad's when he is mad at me. "Do you swing or kick your legs under your desk?"

Turns out I had kicked some wires free underneath my desk. And now whenever I ask Bill to do anything tech-related, he makes me check all the wires near or around my desk/computer/printer to make sure I haven't repelled aka kicked the technology out of the wall.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Intresting!
WG2, that's a typical girl thing. Reminds me of my fellow girl programmers who would do similar stuff.

Jenn said...

I always feel I look like an idiot when I need IT to help me too haha.

TudorCity Girl said...

Hahaha!! This very same thing happened to me...back in my working days. I had kicked the wires out and was totally oblivious! Too funny. Luckily the
IT guys are always the nicest, most patient guys in the corporate world. (although I am sure my IT guys were laughing behind my back).
TCG

Carissa Thilgen said...

I am very un-savvy when it comes to technology too, so you are not alone! btw, I laughed at the word "flummoxed." Not a word you hear/read everyday :)

Britni said...

I think maybe we should be friends. I KILL technology every time I touch it.

Katness said...

The day I got promoted to a manager I also got a little side job, the IT person. We're trying to save money and the IT guy that we used to call to come in every now and then to fix problems is way too expensive, so I'm trying to act as one. I usually just call my husband and ask his help over the phone (he is a computer geek) or I google the problem. I've been very succesfull so far and got good ratings from my boss.

Miss A said...

I think the photocopier at my previous job had it in for me. It was always breaking down, and I was always trying to fix it.

Emily said...

i've done this in just about every job i've ever had. so don't feel bad. lol

Anonymous said...

I did the same exact thing just the other day. When I asked my hunny bunny what was wrong he looked at me with that, "Are you serious?" stare. I didn't know any better. hehe

Needs Help said...

Ah this is so familiar to me!! I'm always breaking everything!! And now I'm trying to figure out how to make my blog look all fancy like so many out there and just can't figure it out :(

A Dilettante's Perspective said...

Wow. All the other comments so far make it seem that women and technology don't mesh. That just isn't true. Maybe it is that most of the readers of this blog are very similar to each other and have a lot in common. But, alas, technology and I have been great friends for years, and all I can say is that the basics of making sure things are plugged in and turned on is a very simple thing that can keep you on the tech guy's good side. Perhaps learn some trouble shooting from him so that when he isn't available, you won't lose too much time.

Moi said...

that is SOOOO something I would do.
My tech guys sighs really deep and shakes his head when I show up at his desk...

Angela said...

I used to do that ALL THE TIME at my old job!! My wonderful tech guy was Jerome. I'm sure he remembers the desperate high pitched cries when something would go wrong...JEEERRRROOMMMEEE! Note: be careful of your shoes. I couldn't figure out why the tops of my heels were all scuffed, turned out I was kicking the wall cube under my desk.

Cristina said...

sounds like something I would do! lol...

Sarah Rosemary said...

Hi WG2 -- We are friends on 20-something bloggers, and I wanted to tell you I really enjoy your blog :) You must have read my mind because I live in fear of breaking the color printer at work -- http://sarahrosemary.blogspot.com/2009/04/adventures-in-printing.html
I hope you have some better technology luck!

Sarah Alway said...

Ha, this is totally me, I have to call our IT department at least a few times a week because my PC is not working properly. He's taken to answering his phone with, "What did you break now, Sarah?"

I do not believe I would continue to have these problems if they would just give me a Mac!

Anonymous said...

I generally DON'T break things, but I have very little patience for technology. Maybe I don't break anything because I'm avoiding it...

It also probably helps that I'm short, so swinging my legs has very little impact on anything. Lol.

Coffee and Vitamin C. said...

The sad part about your post: I am technologically savvy but at one point, kicked the speakers to my computer so they unplugged... took a week to for me to figure it out.

If that doesn't help, I'm on my third BlackBerry in a year and somehow managed to drop my little digital camera into a half-full cup of cold coffee AND the color printer at work seems to only jam when I use it. Touching.

Dollface said...

Awww dont hate technology!! Im sorry! xxxooo

FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com said...

LOL!!!!!!

Oh that's funny. I did that once, and I'm really into IT, I mean we're talking 2 laptops, 1 netbook, 6 hard drives.. 3 usb keys.. and so on :)

So don't feel bad.

But if you need tech advice,.. let me know :)

Rika said...

hehe yea it happens sometimes. I always check my connections before going to the system admin.