The definition of insanity
Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay
The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over and expect different results, a wise man once said. However, there is an exception to that rule: Computers. From my experience, trying the same thing and expecting a different result is usually the first thing I try when my IT gives up. And the success rate is high enough to keep doing it. Technology is wonderful when it works. I love technology. It might also be the thing that most effectively can send my pulse to 300 bpm while I am screaming on the top of my lungs (my kind of anger management). I suppose my family is grateful that I am often in another building when the glitch gremlin strikes.
Tonight, I was just supposed to write my weekly blog post and that’s that. My broadband connection (4G modem) decided otherwise. I spent an hour trying to get it running again. What annoys me most is that I upgraded my modem to a better model only a couple of weeks ago because my last modem had brought me one step from a straight jacket and a padded cell. And I have now started to wonder if this new one is even worse than the old one? Every other component in my home network works just fine, and my cell phones always has a solid connection – usually 10-20 % faster than the shiny 4G modems with their huge antennas that my ISP sent me, assuring that they are awesome. Still, my iPhones run circles around them both with regards to reliability and speed. Which is remarkable indeed. The modem has ONE job, whereas the phone has an almost infinite number of different jobs. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Next week, I will try my little battery powered travel 4G router and see if it runs more stable than its stationary big brother.
Clearly, I am writing in affect and if I don’t propose a solution instead of just pointing to the problem, I am simply wining and not providing any value to the world. So, what’s the solution? With regards to my Blog writing, it can be considered a very specific problem. I need a device that gives me the ability to write one A4 page of text, every Monday morning, download Stock photo for the cover, and upload the post to my blog. That’s it. I am thinking about the Behemoth that I told you about last week. That might be the perfect tool for the job. Install a fresh Linux distribution, configure the logins to all the relevant sites, and then just use it as a typewriter (with RGB). I don’t need any internet connection to do the writing anyway. And even if my internet should fail, I am just one iPhone hotspot away from uploading the post. It’s a bit easier on a laptop than on a stationary computer. I do have wifi on my primary battlestation, but there’s a risk that once the rig connects to my phone hotspot, it will drain my data limit instantly. Yes, I know that there are ways to limit the data usage – but I don’t want to configure hotspots or networks. I just want to write one A4 page and upload it to the blog site.
I guess the lesson from today is to accept that you might need a fair bit of redundancy in your life. Double up, as I wrote earlier this year. Acquire the best tools you need to solve a specific task and then place them in the optimal location and NEVER move them away from there or use them for anything else than what they were intended for. It’s pretty much the same philosophy that you will find in a LEAN factory.
Enough rambling, time to sleep and upload this post before midnight. See you next Monday.