Computer/internet: ever do something you wish you hadn't?

[Mr. Ed]

My computer and internet experience started in 2005. I messed up Microsoft marginal lines and fonts on my wife's windows 98. I bought a Dell Vista and upgraded it to Windows 7 while I attended community college. I bought my first Mac (mountain lion) 2012 followed by every mac upgrade including Big Sur.

I've had to go to Mac Omni Bar numerous times because disk image format. I wish I hadn't erased hard drive disks.

 

[Packerjohn]

I started with those little Macs in 1989. Over the years it has been a love/hate relationship. Computers are great for research but it has changed people to the point of no return. Checking smartphones up to 150 times/day. Really! Porn, con artists, hate sites, you name it. There is a price to pay. An old timer once said, "Ya can't have your cake & eat it too."

 

[Mr. Ed]

Yeah what is it about social division?

 

[tbeltrans]

I started with those little Macs in 1989. Over the years it has been a love/hate relationship. Computers are great for research but it has changed people to the point of no return. Checking smartphones up to 150 times/day. Really! Porn, con artists, hate sites, you name it. There is a price to pay. An old timer once said, "Ya can't have your cake & eat it too."

Though I can't disagree with what you have said about the online world, I will say that what you describe is simply a reflection of human nature in the "real" world. All of what you describe has long existed in the "real" world. I have been on the internet since the mid-80s when the only people on it were researchers, the military (DARPA), and companies such as I worked for that developed the stuff the internet is built from. At that time, there was nothing like what you describe (just engineers and technicians exchanging information), but I have seen that stuff become the norm as the internet became widely available. It didn't become that way by itself - it took people whose minds work that way to make that happen.

Before the internet, there were BBS'es that the general public had access to and there were certainly a number of the things you describe on USEnet forums, even though they were text-based only. These were, again, a reflection of the people who populated them.

There is a definite "dark side" to human nature, with some having larger doses of it than others. However, there is also a lot of good on the internet and therefore, the internet will be seen in whatever perspective you view it as. For me, there is direct access to the musicians whose music I listen to, for lessons and exchange of ideas. There is information on most any subject I care to explore, though it is up to me to be the editor, separating the wheat from the chaff. I see a lot of good on the internet, and as in real life, I don't have to go into the bad parts of town. In short, we each have a choice as to what we want to do with our lives and where we choose to spend that life.

The same is true for smart phones. My wife and I have flip phones and use voice only. These are quite inexpensive and we choose not to get involved with the rest of it. If other people want to spend their lives glued to a smart phone, that is their choice to make. We chose a different direction.

Tony

 

[Leonie]

I don't think I've ever put anything on the internet that I wish I hadn't. When it comes to privacy issues on Facebook (for example) a smart lady once said, "There is only one privacy rule you need to apply to Facebook. If it's private don't put it on there." Sometimes it is really that simple.

And then there is the 'good' side. Here is one example that I have never forgotten.

“Has anybody out there heard from Jon?”
Leonie Parker ©

Dianna’s youngest son is serving in Afghanistan.
The headlines scream “Another soldier gone!”
She opens up her Facebook page to rally all her clan.
“Has anybody out there heard from Jon?”

One by one her family and friends all join the thread;
one by one they tell her there’s no news.
The foreign correspondent on the TV fuels her dread
with nightly battle updates and reviews.

I marvel how a mother in this day and age can cope,
when every night the conflict goes to air.
While politicians beat their chests, Diana’s only hope
is soon it will be over ‘over there.’

Though many miles divide us I still feel Dianna’s pain;
a closeness from our childhood lingers on.
Her fear wraps around me in a way I can’t explain.
Has anybody out there heard from Jon?

Her Facebook friends all gather in attempts to ease her fright.
They tell her that they’re sure he’ll be ok.
One or two make jokes about his tardiness to write,
and she seems to be comforted that way.

Once again I marvel at this modern day and age
and how we often only see the flaws.
When scattered friends and families reach out to re-engage
computers open many, many doors.

While I sit here, musing, my computer softly bleeps.
One new post; it’s not a lengthy tome.
I raise a hand to wipe an eye as down the page it creeps.
.
.
.
“Hi, it’s Jon. - I’m ok. - How’s everyone at home?”

 

[tbeltrans]

For those still confused...

1. Remember that a secret is no longer a secret once another person is told.
2. Remember that something private is no longer private once it is shared.

If there is anything confusing about this it is simply that I don't understand why people (especially adults) don't already know these things and make their choices accordingly.

Tony

 

[chic]

I thought this was about tech mistakes? So yes, I've made a bunch of those resulting in the dreaded black screen a few times over the years.

 

[Leonie]

I thought this was about tech mistakes? So yes, I've made a bunch of those resulting in the dreaded black screen a few times over the years.

On re-reading the original post, I think you're right. So I guess I've now done something I wish I hadn't. (My earlier post) LOL

And yeah, made my fair share of tech mistakes too.

 

[terry123]

For those still confused...

1. Remember that a secret is no longer a secret once another person is told.
2. Remember that something private is no longer private once it is shared.

If there is anything confusing about this it is simply that I don't understand why people (especially adults) don't already know these things and make their choices accordingly.

Tony

I don't understand either, Tony. I have a niece that lives her life on FB, posting where she is going and when. I told her she is going to come home one evening and her entire house will be looted and robbed. Never understood the need to do this.

 

[Jeni]

I don't understand either, Tony. I have a niece that lives her life on FB, posting where she is going and when. I told her she is going to come home one evening and her entire house will be looted and robbed. Never understood the need to do this.

I used to be on facebook ..............besides thinking about the fact I do not care what someone ate for lunch or dinner.....
anyone who does care like a stalker knows your every move that you will be going somewhere etc.....

i think we all have made errors with tech...... sent a text to wrong person hopefully nothing odd.....

lucky for me most of my bigger tech errors were at home and i have some very good IT help from my SIL.

I had co-workers make huge errors on work tech .... now that is something no one wants to do........

 

[gennie]

Had an acquaintance who confused the 'reply' and 'reply to all' command with embarrassing results several times.

 

[asp3]

I wish I'd backed up my work computer before a lay off. I didn't have a computer because mine had died recently and I had a some personal files on my work computer. There was a very surprise lay off and I turned in my computer without realizing I hadn't backed up the photos and some text files on it. I really miss having the full sized images of Burning Man 2008 I had on the computer.

Now that I have a personal computer this isn't an issue but I do back it up periodically.

 

[tbeltrans]

My computer(s) consist of two Dell XP 15 (9570) laptops which I upgraded to use Intel wifi cards and 2 TB Samsung SSD. I back these up in bits and pieces. When I upgraded the SSD, I made backups of the originals onto other 1 TB SSD via Acronis so these are complete bootable images. After that, with the 2 TB SSD in place, everything I add in terms of software and various file collections, I back up to two 4 TB external hard drives per laptop so that whatever catastrophe may happen, I will be able to recover. I have a small collection of these eternal drives since if I fill a set, I purchase another set. It takes quite a bit of time to fill one of these drives, so I don't need to add more very often.

My primary intention for the duplicate 1 TB SSDs is that if I need to return either laptop to Dell for service, I would need to restore them to their original configuration. Also, I plan to remove Windows entirely and put Linux on both of them, since all the software I use is either Open Source or is available for multiple platforms. Until these two laptops, I have been running Linux at home exclusively since the mid-1990s and all the engineering departments I have worked in, whether startups or large companies, has used Linux for the engineering work and Windows for the company stuff.

I have tried to get my wife to have a backup plan, but she doesn't attend to this unless I remind her. I have encountered too many folks who don't back up properly and then when there is a problem requiring a restore, it simply isn't there.

As for work computers, I have always treated them as company property and didn't keep personal files on these, though many people do keep their own stuff on their work computers. As long as the IT folks don't complain, I don't see a problem with that.

As an aside, for any IT folks around here, I consider IT to be the backbone of any company these days. They keep things running smoothly (assuming a company is willing to pay to get GOOD IT people who really know what they are doing) and secure. Considering the size of server farms these days, the variety of OS'es and applications and hardware to support, the number of printers placed throughout the company, and the number of sub-nets a company typically has, this is a very complicated job that deserves the respect of everybody who depends on these folks.

Tony

 

[MrPants]

I've accidently hit the "airplane mode" button a few times on my laptop then wonder why I've lost WIFI and internet access.
I have no use for FB or Twitter. Just a bunch of gossip and people trying to impress others in terms of stuff happening in their lives. Most if it either exaggerated or complete BS. A site like this suits me fine. Can come and go as I please and find some topics of interest to read through from time to time.

I am glad I upgraded to a smart phone some years ago though. Pretty much had to for work purposes but I ended up finding many apps very useful. I control numerous functions in my home; furnace and music through my Sonos wireless speaker to name a couple plus when I travel there's maps and an Uber app if I need a ride. There's also the capability for ordering food take-out or even groceries depending on where you live. To me it's a tool that makes live a little more convenient - not a toy or a mindless gadget to stare at all day long.

 

[Mr. Ed]

I’ve lost hard drive image more than a few times

 

[tbeltrans]

I’ve lost hard drive image more than a few times

As far as I am concerned, I like the old saying that if digital data doesn't exist in AT LEAST two places, it doesn't exist. I back up my data on at least two different hard drives.

Tony