Read the bubbles

Submitted by Rick on April 3, 2006 - 10:26pm.

Computer software makers have tried to make software easier to interact with over the past ten years. The problem is us...not the software. I equate the problems with computers with the problems we have faced for ever in real life.

Doctors tell us not to smoke...it'll kill you. What do we do? Smoking, although relegated to streets and alleys, remains insanely popular and kills millions every year. Don't eat too much fat or sweets we are told. "Honey, where shall I pick up food tonight; Dairy Queen, McDonalds or Wendy's?"

It's disgusting, I know. We are creatures of habits and don't like to be told what to do. The advice ALWAYS turns out to be helpful, but we usually find out too late how helpful it would have been. 

Back to computers. Software developers try to give us cues to help us make wise decisions, but we don't pay attention to them. Some say that it is because they don't understand the message, but the real honest truth is that we don't take the time to try and understand them let alone read them.

How many times do you ignore the "Your computer has downloaded updates, click here to install them"? Or, "Your antivirus subscription has run out, click here to renew". I know that you have ignored that one...sometimes for months.

A new customer that I saw today fell into this category. The result? I found more than 5000 infected files and a computer that could barely breathe.

The moral of today's story is:  Read the little bubbles that appear near your computer clock. Interact with them to keep your computer healthy. If you truly don't understand what they are telling you, then call a couple of nice guys who do a radio show every weekend to help you keep your computer running great. 

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