I’m getting behinder and behinder in terms of technology.  Can I catch up? Is it even possible? I need some pointers.

I feel ya, friend!  Technology can be exhausting!  I’ve been giving your cry for help some thought, though, and this is a question that will possibly require a series of posts.  But for today, here is my first response.  Does that make me a first responder? No, that would be my handsome son. I know. You’re welcome.

If you’re in the over 60 crowd, and if you’re still working, you’re likely the oldest person in the room.  This was certainly true for me.  There were two young men in the office next door that I loved like sons (still do).  Knowing they were there brought me a great deal of comfort, because when I didn’t know what to do, they could quickly help make sense of the muddle, or fix the thing I’d muffed. When the answer to my dilemma was embarrassingly easy, I’d mumble a thank you with my head down as I shuffled back to my office.  Other times, when they didn’t have an immediate answer (what??), they’d pull out their secret weapon.

And this, beyond the age old solution to every hardware problem (reboot it),  and beyond the answer to every Sunday School question (Jesus or the Bible), today’s answer to every unanswered tech question is this: Google it.

Yep.  That’s it.

This is what young, tech savvy, super smart dudes when they aren’t sure of an answer.  They google it. Recently, I had a tech support person sharing my screen and HE googled the problem he was struggling to solve.  For every technical question you could possibly have, chances are someone else has already asked it, and you will be able to find your answer pretty painlessly.

Do you want to organize the apps on your iPad? Google it.
Are you stuck trying to set up your phone? Google it.
Do you want to change the backlighting on your screen? Google it.
Do you want to know how old Harrison Ford is? You know what to do.

We seniors have forgotten how to ask when we need help because early search engines required you to know a secret Navajo/Eskimo codebreaker language in order to find the answer to anything.  There were no questions, just keywords, and it was exceedingly aggravating if you didn’t know exactly how to address the issue. It’s no wonder we have to be re-indoctrinated to use a search engine for technical questions. Googling it is so much easier than ever before. You can pose an actual question. This in itself makes life so much easier. Or YouTube, which has a video for every last possible question you could ever in your whole lifetime think to ask.

Fear not! You can do this! You don’t need to call 911 for help — you can go straight to Google.

Love,
Gigi

Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge. –Proverbs 18:15 (NLT)

Coming soon: Picking a productivity suite and sticking with it.