Computer Helper's Ten Commandments

of

Computer Reality

1. There is no magic button. One must take the time to learn how to use the machine. Having never piloted an airplane and without instruction, would you get behind the controls and fly the space shuttle?

2. They do not work as advertised, but once you learn how to use your computer your life will become more productive and enjoyable.

3. They are always dropping in price, they are not an investment. A computer is a tool, it will quickly become obsolete, and it will need to be thrown in the garbage when no longer useful.

4. They are simple but not easy. There is a reason for a 1,000 page manual or a CD- ROM full of instructions (that the manufacturer will not tell you about before you buy the software). And, one must not assume that the instructions are correct.

5. As in Law and Medicine, the result of an action/treatment/or use is not guaranteed nor even assured. There are no warranties of feasibility for an intended use, no guarantees it will do what you want it to do. By opening the package, you accept the risk that the new may destroy what was working.

6. They are not perfect, they follow no universal standard. There will always be a new upgrade, revision, version, or better, faster software and hardware (because the current products - which were claimed to be so great - are so full of imperfections).

7. The simpler a computer seems to work, the more complex the construction of the hardware and software, the more problems it will have and the more expensive it will be to maintain and repair.

8. Computers are machines: they like maintenance; they will wear out; they will break; and, like cars they will do unexplainable things at unexpected times.

9. Your computer will have more problems when you are distracted, under pressure and/or tired.

10. To have computer problems is normal, to think you can solve them alone and to waste endless hours trying to do so is common. Not wanting to admit one needs help is usual. The longer one takes to seek professional help, the more complex the situation becomes, and the more expensive the solution.