SEX with a ROBOT: get your kicks. Literally.

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ELISA: my Finnish email server crapped out on me

After three weeks in limbo, I got my wi-fi operating. When I checked my ELISA emails nothing had come in. Not even 'junk'. I called ELISA tech and talked to a nice guy named Kari. He said someone would give me a call-back. It didn't happen. I called the next day and talked to a bunch of different people, including a woman from customer service who made an appointment for the call-back. I waited around for that call-back, but no luck. Finally, on the third day, I talked to Tommi, who promised he was on the job. I got a call from Sami, who sounded like he knew how to attack the problem.

Tech support cheat sheet, from https://xkcd.com/627/

Sami said, at ELISA end everything was working with my emails. He was going to try to get into my machine by remote control. I would have to follow his instructions. Oy vey. I hate this kind of work. Sami was patient. I told him right off the bat I was like a chimp playing with a new toy. I just bang away on my MAC and hope for the best. Eki helps me too. After trying to do what Sami told me, I said my head hurt. But I had a digi-shrink who got my wi-fi working with a little gadget. I'd call him and make an appointment. And I clicked 'date' again to see if something happened. No luck.

The next morning I had a bight -stupid idea: scroll down. Eureka. When something doesn't work, Eki says there's always a way. I sent Tommi and Sami emails telling them what happened. By this time we had become like old pals. Got a message from Tommi. And Sami wrote how happy he and added, the technology doesn't change that much, but it's the people who made his job fun. 'We tech guys are doiks' too.' Well, from this 'doik' to all the nice, patient EISA techies I talked to: a BIG THANKS.

Suggestion to ELISA: improve your call-backs

Source: personal experience

Next week: SEX with a ROBT: get your kicks. Literally.

Note to Eki: Hey, I banged on my MAC for six years and it worked. And it worked. It's not just me.

Note: Mmm... how to put this in polite and simple terms... if "banging on a computer" consists only of using e-mail, writing text and surfing the internet, pretty much every computer will "just work".

It's us users that cause them not to, usually. Like in this case - your computer and Elisa's service worked, all the time. The dysfunctional part was the one behind the keyboard ;-)

PS: i cannot recommend XKCD highly enough, well, at least if you're even a little bit geeky. Here's more on the subject of tech support, from a more advanced user's perspective: https://xkcd.com/806/



CU
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Eki

HELP! I'm a digi-addict

The Matrix (Wikimedia).

It happened on a Saturday night. Late. I tried to check my emails but the 'airport' had disappeared. I thought, maybe my MAC needs a break. But no connection on Sunday. Went to the APPLE store on Monday for a check-up. They said it needed a new part and sent it to the 'technical support'. That was the beginning of my meltdown. My landline worked so I was on the phone calling people all over the place. They all said the same thing: no problem'. Use your cell to get and send messages. And see the news and movies. Er. I had to tell them that since we made GottaGET inTOUCH my iPhone is not connected to the wi-fi. I put 100 dollars worth in it and mostly use it for an alarm clock. They laughed and hung up.

While waiting I panicked. To mitigate the anxiety, I cooked, shopped, had guests for drinks, went out, took up deep-breathing-mind-control, took meds to sleep, lost sleep, played scrabble, knitted, walked several times a day, lifted weights, rode my indoor-bike and menaced pals all over the place on my land'-line. I saw a shrink. Called Eki and wailed. He told to send the BLOG by regular post. And about a cable that might make my MAC usable, and said I should buy a new laptop. After ten days in the digital desert, I went to the APPLE store and bought a smaller MAC (light enough to travel). The nice guy who helped me gave me the cable connections gratis - he saw my shaky hands. Eki admitted he'd have the DT's too if his connections crapped out.

I read an article about people born after 1990. They've been thumbing cell phones and other digital devices since they were two, or younger. What happens if there's a freak wireless-connection-black-out. The MILLENIALS will have a collective nervous breakdown. 60 MINUTES (CBS) aired a segment on young digital uses and did MRI scans on their brains immediately after they used their cell phones. No surprise. Excessive use shows a change in the brain. Especially bad for young users, who are often welded to their phones. Cell phone users are legion. When a pal in the US asked ALEXA how many users there were in the world, she said, 'Hmm. I went online. All the sites said that there are more than 5 billion users. Almost the entire planet is wired and addicted. (just try not using your cell for a week). Sherry Turkle at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) say the real danger is not that AI will become more like humans, but that humans will become like AI. I'll buy that.

PS: I attached the cables and the airport doesn't show up. I know it works because Stephan tested it at the Apple store. Eki told me NOT to connect it. Tomorrow a digital pro is coming to help me. Thank god.

Sources: Sharon Pettus, Financial Times Weekend, person experience

Note: Mmm... how to put it in words? Maggy just isn't compatible with computers. I could continue on the subject "Macs just work", but i digress ;-)

Long story short, i confess, i definitely am a digi addict too.

CU

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Eki