(Approx. 1,031 words)

THIS AND THAT
By Elizabeth B. Wright, Member, Computer Club of Oklahoma City
www.ccokc.org
wright599new (at) sbcglobal.net

This article has been obtained from APCUG with the author’s permission for publication by APCUG member groups; all other uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above).

LOST AND GONE FOREVER....... OR NOT.

Well, it finally happened. A picture which had taken far too much of my time was finally ready for printing. I sent it online to my favorite photo store. Expecting to see a picture good enough to share with family, it was a great disappointment when I picked up the print to see that parts of it were not up to that standard. A renewed frenzy of “fiddling” with it resulted in losing track of the names used for the changes. When I thought I had everything in order, I chose to eliminate the extra files. And did I do a good job. Not only did I choose the unwanted files, but also included the one version which was half way good. No recycle bin, no delete, but the ultimate “destroy.” In other words, probably only the CIA would be able to recover the file from my hard disk. 

Starting from scratch with the original image, I tried to retrace my steps to reach the same quality as the lost file. I had the hard copy print, so I knew what I wanted it to look like. But for some reason nothing worked and my renewed efforts to enhance the picture did not give me the results I had previously attained. But there was real improvement in one area that was so lacking in the lost image.

The newest image was then uploaded to the photo store and while doing so I noticed that the original picture was still online. And as in all things ethernet, the image could be reloaded to my computer via a download. It was a little difficult, but the end result was I got my picture back. Then the problem areas of the picture were corrected and the end result was a very acceptable print. So while a lot of time was spent on a rather insignificant picture, the knowledge obtained as a result made it well worth the effort.

After a recent study group meeting my friend Dorothy asked me if I learned anything. My answer was the same as always. I never attend any kind of meeting that I DON’T learn something. Now maybe it isn’t something that will change my life forever, but more often than not it is something that enriches my life, if even in a small way. In addition to that, whenever someone asks me for help, usually we both learn something. The most recent request for help reminded me, once again, when helping someone over the phone with a computer problem, it is important to have them start at the very top of their computer screen and describe exactly what they see all the way down. With that information it is often possible to pinpoint a possible area of trouble and generate ideas for solutions. Many times the description of the problem, while usually understandable, does not contain that one little piece of information that will lead to the answer. So by following the procedure of top to bottom on the screen, we solved the problem and I took away at least as much from the experience as did the recipient of my help.

As humans age time seems to fly ever more swiftly by. But I don’t think that is what has been happening in real time when it comes to technology. It looks to me like many things are moving so rapidly that we almost miss them.

Not all that long ago it was hard to imagine a small 8 Gig USB drive that could fit on your keychain. So portable, so useful. Of course they came on the market and were being sold at prices often over the $100 mark. Now they are practically throwaways, good for birthday presents, stocking stuffers for Christmas, Hanukkah and other celebrations as well as any other gift giving occasion. Should this be troubling? Perhaps it signals the end of one technology era and the beginning of another. My crystal ball is a bit cloudy on this one, so I will leave it to the more savvy writers to tell you the answer. All I know is that for now those handy little USB drives are so useful that it’s hard to imagine how we did without them. At the present time we are seeing 16 Gig USB drives with prices over $100. How long before they will be things of the past? 

Who uses USB drives? There probably isn’t anyone out there who travels with a computer who doesn’t keep some information on them. They are somewhat safer than storing everything on the hard drive of a laptop. Thieves target laptops in airports, hotel rooms and any other place people might be careless enough to leave one unattended. If all the information a person needs to do his/her job is on the machine, and if it gets stolen or damaged then the consequences could be disastrous. Even a one or two Gig USB drive will hold a lot of information and can be so much more easily protected. In an emergency situation, a new laptop with enough software already installed on it to do business can be purchased, sometimes even in large airports, and keeping essential files on the USB drive will get a person back up and working almost without missing a stride.

Of course there are other uses for them. My favorite use for the little devices is to transport image files whenever it is necessary. Those occasions usually are to share pictures with family or to use digital images in study groups or classes and also occasionally to get prints from a kiosk in the stores which offer that service. Mostly I do that when I just have a few prints that I need. For large orders I still upload my image files online.

Maybe Santa Claus will put a 16G drive in my stocking this year.