Has Our Society and World Become Too Complex for the Vast Majority of People In It?
I wonder how some people survive. I had to put another keyboard on this laptop and figured out this one will only work if plugged in while computer is booted up, that's not how it worked with another. I am one of those old people now, the world has left behind. Years ago I was tested as having an IQ in the top 5%, I would be in the bottom 5% however when it comes to mechanical and computer skills.
I tried to get a new cable for one of my computers, I used to get ones for around 10 dollars from this one computer repair shop. Anyhow I go there, and the guy tells me, "Oh we are out of computer cables". It looks like the partner who knew what he was doing has left the business and all the "old stuff" that filled the shelves and we got so cheaply was disposed of.
I said, "Can you get me a new cable?" He says, "Sure". I have waited two months due to my endless budget constraints and he quotes me a price of 35 dollars. I said, "For a computer cable"? I balk at the price and he assures me, "I am not ripping you off." I need another repair from him which is to get my keyboard replaced on my laptop, so we continue. He orders it. I have brought in the old one, for him to write down the number AND the laptop. My husband picks it up a week later, and it DOES NOT FIT. Fed up, I return it, and get my money back. I also figure out ebay ones cost around 15 dollars. I am done with his business and never want to go back. I can't trust him to fix the keyboard either. That is probably something I will have to teach myself to do off youtube and I found the keyboard for 15 dollars on ebay. He quoted me 65 dollars for that repair.
I get a free TV in a free-cycle deal, I think it is about 13 years old. It is younger then our TV which totally died, and we had to hit for months to make the picture tube work. Imagine Fonzie with the jukebox to shut it off. Anyhow the older TV is toast and the screen goes black forever. On that TV, the closed captioning worked. This TV it doesn't, the menu won't turn on with the remote. My cable company assures me I can get closed captioning. I talk to an agent online who orders me a new cable box that supposedly offers closed captioning, and well I get it, and it doesn't work. We talk to a new agent on the phone, and he tells us, it won't work. This new cable box cost 15 dollars to get for the mail. I am livid. They say they will order a new one. Stupid whistles and bell choices abound, like changing the color of your TV guide instead of anything for the hearing impaired or deaf. ADA seems dead in the water. I hate computer geeks even more and how they have ruined our life making everything more complicated.
I am not mechanical. I even had to take photographs of the back of the TV and cable box to match everything. I am not a computer engineer but somehow this society expects me to be one when it comes to everything. I feel like this whole world is geared for upper middle class and above technocrats. Today I told my husband, the cable will be turned off if the third box doesn't work. I can barely afford it anyway. We live in too "remote"of an area for that free TV some can get with the special box. Life was better when we could just buy the TV and turn it on without paying a monthly fee. TV without closed captioning is a bunch of mush mouths, funny how they speak far more clearly on commercials,so it is useless to me. He is more calm about these matters and tells me he will help me get it fixed.
I wonder why companies don't make things more simple. A company could make millions if they stripped things down and made things user friendly. Take away the stupid whistles and bells no one uses, I have never seen anyone change the stupid color on the cable TV guide, and make things understandable. I don't want a smart phone. That's just more money and irritation and stress. I'm old enough to remember when companies cared about what customers thought.
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