Computers

People have strange ideas about computers.

Some people seem to regard them as these magic boxes that should be able to do anything and everything they want - and do it instantly. I have found this is rarely the case, but they still expect it. Oh, and they take it as a personal affront when the computer

a) doesn't do everything they want
and/or

b) takes longer than a few seconds to do it.

You would think actual experience with computers would encourage them to see the beasts differently, but they don't. Go figure.

Then there are the people who are in awe of computers, and regard them as some minor deity with an uncharitable disposition. They're almost afraid to touch them for fear of angering the gods, and they always work on the assumption that whatever doesn't work is their fault, not the computer's.

These people are quite easy to please, actually, because all you have to do is tell them that they didn't do anything wrong and they're happy. It's amazing how much joy the words "No, it's not you, the system is having problems" can bring to some people.

Then there are the tech guys. They know it is neither a magic box, nor a minor deity, but rather a tool. Sadly, however, they seem to think it's a universal tool, and if it can't be done using that tool, then it can't be done at all.

Me, I see them as like a species of some musteline-type animal. Cunning, clever on a basic level, capable of being trained - but moody, and as likely to bite you as not. Nasty little beasts, they are, happy to gull you into a false sense of security before completely wiping whatever memory device you happen to be using at the time...

I may have spent too much time with computers. I may have spent far too much time helping people with their computing problems, seeing as I'm a librarian, not tech support. I may still have a bit of the drama teacher floating around in my psyche somewhere...