Well, I may not be posting over the coming days or weeks. I am looking down the barrel of a gun so to speak. Hurricane Irene is on it’s way! Should be arriving some time tonight and into tomorrow. I am on the coast of North Carolina just west of the Outer Banks, so we will see how we fair over the next 24 to 48 hours. With the current statistics it looks like there is a high possibility that the house will be flooded, again! Let’s pray this doesn’t actually happen, but we were flooded with hurricane Isabel, so we just have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. All web sites for clients are on hold and so is college. To anyone in the local area that may be reading this, I will be praying for everyone. God knows who you are and just remember, it is just material possessions and can be replaced. You however cannot. Stay safe and God bless!
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I have been asked on several occasions to help with computer issues, so here are some of the somewhat humorous but most important things to remember when dealing with the “Stupid Computer”:
1.) Patience! Time and time again I see people wanting the instantaneous results from their computers when they are working on a “dinosaur system”. A computer is only as good as it’s parts. If you have had your computer since 1998 please consider a serious upgrade. If this is not possible then by all means have some patience with the fragile ol’ screen you are working with.
2.) Quit Clicking!! The computer is like a brain not a super-human. It processes information in milliseconds, but even at that faster than you can think manner the brain can still become overloaded. If the mouse is clicked it sends an instruction to the brain telling it what to do. As the brain is processing the information and the mouse is clicked over, and over, and over the brain then becomes overloaded and will not respond. Give the computer a chance to think and act. (please refer to tip #1)
3.) The Help Button! Most of the time when there is an error in the results of a computer task it is not the computer’s fault. Just because buttons are pressed and a user “thinks” that it’s right doesn’t mean that those methods are going to give the proper results. The help button on almost all programs are there to be used. If a user is unsure about how to accomplish a task, please check out the help section or search Google for answers.
4.) No Punching! No matter what, it will not do any good to the computer or the users stress level to punch the keys on the keyboard. Please refer to tip #1 and tip #2.
5.) Walk Away! When all else fails, walk away from the computer. Often times computers are treated like humans and users tend to become very emotionally involved with the screen. Please remember that computers are not able to feel and screaming at the screen will not make the computer run any faster or perform any better. Computers only process what information is given to them. (Again please refer to tips #1 through #3)
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In His Service,
The Faithful Geek
My to-do lists can often grow out of control. I think sometimes the hardest thing in the world to actually say is the word “no”. I have to remember that saying no isn’t always a bad thing. I often think that I have to say yes in order to prevent disappointment or anger from other people. This is truly not the case.
I have learned the hard way that there are times when it’s better to say no than to promise to do something that I will either not have time to do or will not do a good job at. I have found myself overrun by the word yes on more than one occasion when it would have been so simple, easy, and understandable for the word no to slip from my lips.
I have this tendency to think that saying no means that I am not being a good helpful Christian. I have to constantly remind myself that I am not Wonder Woman and there are times when the task at hand would be better performed by someone else or not done at all.
Take for example the other day I had a gentleman call for a website quote. He wanted this every large and elaborate site for just information about his new company. I told him no this may not be what is needed and that it was better to start out simple and grow the website with the company. Needless to say, he was shocked at my response, but I quickly explained that a 20 page website for his needs would be overkill and that it could be a waste of money if his company did not grow quickly. He agreed but had been told by several designers that bigger is better. By telling him that simple little word no (with an explanation not an excuse) made all the difference to him. Not only did he feel like he was being taken care of properly it also showed that honesty even in the word no is more valuable than just simply telling him “sure, no problem, I can do that”.
I found that during the conversation I presented myself and the word no in a fashion that was honest, trustworthy and in a helpful Christian manner. Granted, I may not have landed a huge website contract, but I have gained a good client relationship and future work because of the word of mouth advertising he will do for me.
So, the next time you feel like you should rush and say yes, take a moment to stop and think if this is really the best thing to fill up that last bit of time in your schedule with. Is saying yes really the best thing for you and the person inquiring your service? Or is it better to utilize that simple little word “no”?
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In His Service,
The Faithful Geek
Well, I have gone and done it…I created this blog. Now what??
I guess I should start by telling you a bit about myself. In no particular order I wear many different “hats” from day to day and moment to moment. Some of them include, college student (working on Web development degree), wife (to a wonderful husband), mother of 3 awesome children, jewelry designer, Sunday School teacher, Christian, web designer, oh the list goes on, but that’s enough for now.
My intentions for this blog is to brighten your day, make you know that your not alone, give good advice when needed, and a little bit of technical help along the way. I hope you will enjoy my ramblings and stop by often with your cup of coffee or tea and join me in figuring out life’s path and how we can make it a little better.
Thank you,
The Faithful Geek