I'm terrible at analogies

Analogies usually only make sense to the person who made them up. With computers, I find that I am constantly trying to come with an analogy to compare the often intangible function of computers to a real world common experience. Unfortunately, I think I fail with most of my analogies.

I did, however, come up with an analogy the other day that I think accurately describes web surfing. We hear some feedback about our web site that usually centers around some rendition of "I can't find what I'm looking for very easily." We have a little video in the upper left hand corner of every page that explains how the site is organized and how to best utilize the navigation tools on this page. We also have a fabulous built-in search engine to help you find information as quickly as possible.

All this, though, doesn't help a lot unless you visit and use the site often. I equated this to visiting a new city. When we travel to a new city, the roads, buildings, directions, and maps are foreign to us. The longer we stay or return to a city, the more we get to know it and become comfortable with its landmarks, major arterials, and even traffic patterns.

Web sites operate the same way. For many years, I visited weather.com for my weather information. As it became more commercialized, I sought out other alternative sites. Eventually, I settled on Weather Underground (wunderground.com). At first, I couldn't find the features that I could find easily at the Weather Channel site, but the more I returned, looked around, and experimented, the faster I could find the information I needed.

HelpMeRick.com is exactly the same way. Don't get frustrated and never come back if  you don't find the information you need right away. Instead, visit daily, peruse the archives, watch a few video tutorials, and use the search engine. Before long, HelpMeRick.com will become as familiar as your favorite weekend getaway and an indispensable part of your computer life.

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