So yeah, about yesterday…and the technical difficulties I had (maybe partially resolved all on their own) due to a Jetpack update –
I just knew it would happen the moment I started getting the ‘upcoming’ emails from Jetpack.
Automatic updates, “Yeah, right,” my sugarplum fairy a** says.
Automatic updates from WordPress Plugins, Add-ons or whatever they’re called have never gone smoothly for me. I don’t have the benefit of a real live Happiness Engineer in the family to help me make sure I install or process those things right.
But, I try to make due. On my own, until I freak out and scream for help.
Even when I tried to follow their lovely little email with instructions on how to fix it if the automatic update it didn’t work, I still struggled.
You see, there’s a problem with that suggestion. If you can’t log into your website because the ‘automatic’ update broke it, how do you follow the instructions on how to update? Duh…?
Oh yes, that’s right, you have to click on the Happiness Engineer support button – Of Course, that’ll work.
Irritating…I now believe at that precise moment was when the Cookie Monster handed me off to the Grinch who crawled inside me and took over for the day.
Excuse me for digressing for a moment, but you need proof of the Grinch, don’t ya?
Not only did I feel like a grouchy Grinch the whole day, but I also had little to no restraint in sharing my opinion when any supposed expert customer service person failed to provide excellent customer service.
At work, I was asked by my boss to return some defective computer equipment. To save time, I initiated a conversation with a Best Buy chat associate, who transferred me to Geek Squad, who didn’t even tell me they were going to do this, they, in turn, transferred me to Microsoft and that was it!
I lost all composure.
My Grinch face scowled and the words flew right out of my keyboard like a poorly written novel –
“Just so you know, none of what you’ve shared or have done today has been helpful. Referring me to the Geek Squad wasn’t helpful either. Enjoy your day, I shall just go to the store to return the item. If you would’ve just told me that’s what I had to do in the first place, we wouldn’t have wasted everyone’s time. Thank you and have a Merry Christmas.”
Yowzers!… I know, Yikes!, me going all cyberbullying was not nice…at least I thanked the person named Rose.
Now, where was I? Oh, yes, my blog technical difficulties…
I checked my email and had a nice little helpful reply from Jetpack Support.
And I waited…
I tried rebooting the computer, and waited…
Meanwhile, I lost all the blog ideas I woke up with, the ones that I was once anxious to write about. Nice thoughts about cats and things under the tree.
Frustration does that to a blogger.
And I waited…
Since I was just waiting to blurt out all my thoughts, I opened a Word Document and start writing something (a complaining post about automatic updates, aka, a draft of this one) while I waited…
I tried to read other blogs and comment…but since I couldn’t get to my WordPress Reader, because I wasn’t logged into WordPress.com without a site that was working, I waited…
My mind was racing, so I had to do something to focus my frustration.
Yeah, why not, go ahead try a Brain HQ game. That’s a sure-fire quick way to discover if my brain isn’t moving fast enough at first and if it would improve with focused effort…it is not frustrating at all, trust me.
First round not so good, so I kept trying
while I waited…
And then I gave up that frustration and switched to Facebook, ‘cuz that still worked, and I watched a bubble freeze like hell while I waited…
It’s better in real YouTube life –
And then I realized, I had all this spare time that I was just wasting.
Freedom from effort in the present merely means that there has been effort stored up in the past. – Theodore Roosevelt
So I pulled out the yoga mat, did my exercise routine for the day, and left the computer sitting and waiting for whatever to happen to it all on its alone.
That was yesterday.
Here I am a day later, hopefully minus the Grinch mode.
I’m glad I saved my draft of this post in Word.
And I think my website is back to work after me doing all the due diligence to delete some cookies. I hate those kinds of cookies the Cookie Monster leaves behind.
Grr…tune in tomorrow, I may or may not have some Crazy Cat Lady stories to tell ya.
Post inspiration – Computer Technical Difficulties
PS – Do you have a self-hosted blog and struggle with the .org versus .com set-up? Do you have suggestions on how you overcome the obstacles when updates run? Are you ever a Grinch to customer service people? I know it’s better to overwhelm them with kindness.
Shelley, I have the perfect solution for you. You’ll never have a bad computer day ever again. Here it is:
GET A MAC.
Pay whatever the cost is (they are a bit higher than PC’s, but are currently offering 18 months zero interest)) but you’ll never have a computer problem ever again. I’ve been using Mac’s since 1995. I cringe when I hear or see people struggling with PC’s. Mac’s work perfectly and seamlessly. Easy to figure out (because it works exactly as the human brain does).
Good luck.
Tell Santa now, you want a Mac. Choose between an iMac or a laptop. Tons of training videos on YouTube to get you started. And if you ever should have a prob with a mac, just type in to Google what you are going through, hit enter, and up will pop easy to follow directions to get you out of trouble. You’ll never have to speak to a human ever again. Le sigh………
LOL – my daughter has a Mac and feels the same way. I’ve got to pay property taxes first, so I have a place to use the Mac, but then…if Santa remembers and stops on his way to talk to the Easter Bunny, maybe I’ll be able to get a Mac in the spring and find peace once for all in my blogging world! Thanks for the suggestion and confirmation that a Mac is a solution!
Shelley, may the peaceful force be with you! Your daughter and I await till you leave the dark side and come over to the Mac side. LOL! Good luck!
LOL – thanks, Cindi, you’re the best!
Cindimatography is absolutely correct. A Mac simply works, they are far superior to any PC. I switched years ago and never looked back. You boot up and the machine simply works, period. It’s well worth the higher price, you do get your money’s worth.
Thank you for the vote for a Mac! That does sound nice!!!
I tell you, I’m not computer savvy enough to deal with the plug-ins and self-hosted, so my blog stays the boring ol’ same all the time. Probably time for me to take one of those free WordPress courses, which I never have. Hope your day is Grinch–and maybe tech–free! (I also enjoy my Mac, btw.)
I don’t think your blog is boring at all! I took some of the free courses, and they were so-so-helpful. Self-hosted has some benefits, still searching for those for confirmation though! Thank you for your encouragement and the vote for a MAC! 😉
Isn’t it shocking how a tech problem can literally take all day? If something goes wrong here, I’m pretty positive I’ll be working on it for hours. My printer just crapped out. So, search Google for remedies. Try remedies, search for more remedies, try more remedies. Shake printer violently to see if that helps (me, not the printer). Go over the same routine the next day, just in case I missed something…
LOL – that cracks me up, sounds like something I would do too. It takes me all day to figure out that I can’t fix things and need to cry for help!
You know, the Best Buy agent had it coming from you. Switching you all over the place with no idea where you needed to go hardly gives a person any confidence in the process. You thought you’d be able to handle it with them, and you ended up wasting a lot of time and getting upset because they didn’t know what they were doing. I hope you brought the item back to store and gave them a piece of your mind. I’ve been in your position more than once, so I know what you went through…
Oh, my, John, your support of my intolerance for the BBA is heartwarming…does that make me even worse of a Scrooge?!
I don’t think you’re being a Scrooge for expecting people who are getting paid to help you to do their job.
Okay, well I have to join the chorus of Mac Fans. I also have had less problems with a Mac than I did with a PC. The AppleCare people are also extremely helpful, as are the search engines if there is a problem. Even still…I am apprehensive about the Jetpack issue. I don’t think I have it anyway. I like keeping things as simple as I can. Good Luck!!
Wow…I lead a shelter PC life, I hadn’t a clue about the overwhelming love of Macs! 🙂
So sorry you are turning green then red like Grinch. I so feel your pain. I hate updates. I know how to use the programs I know how to use. Quit changing them. They ain’t broke. When I push the “A” button I want an “A” to appear, not some new fangeled idea somebody dream up one night when they could not sleep. Hope it works better tomorrow.
Thank you, Anita 🙂 I appreciate your support.
Wow – remind me never to go to a self-hosted blog. I wig out constantly enough over Comcast and its idiosyncracies in my web-based e-mail. I have a collection of messages I get from them and I guess it makes me feel better to collect these messages than actually forward them to Comcast and ask them to explain what they are. I have no words sometimes for Comcast.
Don’t worry, I’ll remind you 😉
Thank you – I think I am duly scared to do anything on my computer after reading your and Paul’s posts – yikes!!