Monday, January 03, 2011

Bits and Bytes

I rarely feel or act my age, but today I feel like my old brain is vibrating like a rusty tuning fork. I've spent most of the day learning Photoshop and Dreamweaver software. I do websites and other media work for local businesses and this software is designed to make that work flow easier......well I'm here to tell you "that ain't happened yet!" Both packages are powerful but the learning curve is steep and I've been struggling. 
My first exposure to PC's began in the mid-eighties when I worked with MaBell. Back then they only had floppy drives and 16k of memory. These days, my watch is more powerful. When IBM first started installing hard drives, they were twenty meg drives.  I have single files now that are bigger than that. 
The advantage of working with them early on, I came to understand a lot of the fundamentals of how they worked and as they became more sophisticated, my understanding grew, for the most part, along with them.
But it seems to me in the last ten years, the complexity had grown exponentially to the extent that relatively few people know how they really work.
OK, now it seems like I'm just whining so I'll stop now. I will not let this thing get the best of me.  But tonight, I think I'm turning in early and hopefully I won't dream about bits and bytes.

10 comments:

  1. I still have one teenager at home. When I need help with the tech stuff I just turn to her. If she doesn't know, I call for help! I can't keep up.

    wb

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  2. Oh this is so me too!! I remember when MS-DOS applications were replaced by all things Windows and when email started. I absolutely hated them cos we (at work) were just told to get on with it and to familiarise ourselves in our own time with the new fangled stuff. Evil. But you're right - I understood them at their most basic. These days I'm at the mercy of tech people and google! LOL!

    Good luck getting a handle on these software applications!
    Take care
    x

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  3. Good for you that you are learning it, even if the learning curve is draining. Also good for you that you have clients in your area that appreciate your talent with computers.

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  4. That was the good thing for working in a software company. Someone was always able to help you or show you something you had no idea you could do. I find being on your own and trying to do what you're doing can be downright painful! Good luck! Let's not forget that we never had these things called computers in high school! We are late bloomers so to do what little we do, I think is a feat in itself!

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  5. If you understand Photoshop, you're a better man than I am, Gunga Din. I click and explore, but all I do with any skill is clone and apply filters.

    Wow, your blog is full of a lot of neat Apps.

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  6. Our first computer was a MacIntosh SE. I don't remember how many megs of memory it came with, but after a time, my husband talked me around to buying a 100 MB external hard-drive, because "We will NEVER outgrow THAT!" :)

    I'm with you on the learning curve. Those programs make me twitchy. :P
    tm

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  7. Well, first of all, you need to go Mac.

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  8. Thanks for the support y'all. I'll whip it.
    Ellen, I did get a Mac over the holidays and you're right it's been much easier so far.

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  9. Rick- I'm right there with ya brother. I remember in college when you had to load a program from one 5 1/4 inch floppy (and I mean thie thing was floppy) and save to another. I've kindof learned as I went, but that Photoshop stuff is just over my head. It's not intuitive at all.

    Good luck with it. I'm sure you'll master it.

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  10. Hi Rick! We both follow Warren Baldwin's blog, so thought I'd stop by and peruse your site. I've heard some horror stories about learning Dreamweaver, but I can give you some hope. My Mom (who wasn't computer savvy at all) successfully taught herself how to use the program over the course of about a year. She's an artist and designed her own website using Dreamweaver. I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out! Don't be too hard on yourself! God bless!

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