Wednesday 27 July 2011

My Favourite Thing

For this week's GBE2 topic:

My favourite thing has to be my computer (and the world-wide web).


It's a love-hate relationship!

I hate it when it won’t do what I want it to do and I have to spend ages working out just HOW to do something.  I hate it when something goes wrong (although I have the most wonderful computer expert who is usually round here within 24 hours of my agonised phone-call), and I hate it when my broadband connection starts playing up or, even worse, goes off altogether.
Oh, and I sometimes hate the way it makes me waste time playing games when I should be writing too!

But my love for it far outweighs the occasional and temporary frustration and hatred.  I only have to think back to when I was writing my novels in the 1960’s and 70’s.  I wrote everything in longhand, with multiple crossing out, asterisks and arrows changing or adding paragraphs, stapled extra pages with longer insertions. 


Then came the length process of typing out the story on an old upright Remington.  If I made a typo which couldn’t be concealed with correction tape, the page was ripped out and I had to start it all over again. And don’t even mention changing the ribbon, when invariably I got it twisted and/or got my hands (and everything else) covered in ink.  How different it is now to write, change, add, delete, count words, find and replace repeat words and phrases, spell-check – need I go on?

Another reason for loving my computer is all the information which is there with a quick search and a mouse-click.  Facts, figures, train times, flight durations, maps and photos.  I’ve used them all for my current WIP, set in Egypt.  The ‘research’ has taken minutes rather than hours in the reference section of the library making copious notes.

Last, but definitely not least, is the opportunity to keep in contact with family and friends.  Before email and Facebook, I was in contact with my American cousins once a year (the annual Christmas letter).  Now we communicate regularly.

And, of course, there’s the opportunity to ‘meet’ and ‘talk’ with new friends.  When I was writing in the 60’s and 70’s, I was isolated.  I didn’t know any other writers and there was no opportunity to meet any.  Now I have dozens of writer friends.  Most of them I’ve never met in ‘real’ life but I know that, if the opportunity came to meet any of them, we would greet each other, not as strangers, but as friends. 

Thank you, all my blogging, facebook and twitter friends!  J   

19 comments:

  1. Totally understand you with the love-hate relationship! :-)

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  2. I believe we all share that love-hate relationship. Where would I be today without my computer? Still writing, like you, long hand without support. So much more fun to share instantly! And then get such incredible support as we have here on GBE2. Love it and love you!

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  3. Thanks, Claudia and Jo - and agree with everything you said, Jo. It's great to have such support from GBE2 friends.

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  4. I have the same type of love hate relationship with my computer / laptop...of course it HAS to be one of my favorite things!

    Cheers, Jenn

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  5. For nearly 50 years, I survived without any computer, Jenn - but in the last 10 years (hmm, read that as 10+) I've become totally dependent on it.

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  6. It's hard to believe that I've spent most of my life without a computer. What did we used to do?

    Joyce
    http://joycelansky.blogspot.com

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  7. Computers. We love them when they work, hate them when they don't. But who wants to go back to carbon paper?

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  8. I love being a part of the online community... so many great people I never would have "met" if it weren't for GBE2! :)

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  9. Hi,

    Haven't a clue what GBE2 is, but can see how a favourite thing could be a computer/laptop. Though my fav thing is my husband, then my dog, my laptop my hobby/work tool! ;)

    best
    F

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  10. Joyce - I ask myself exactly the same question!

    Ana - carbon paper and Tippex correction tape - no thanks!

    Laurie - agree, there some great people on GBE2 who are so supportive.

    Francine - GBE2 is a faceboo group 'Group Blogging Experienve' where a different topic is set each week, and we post our blog url on the GBE2 page on Facebook.
    Not sure you ought to call your husband a 'thing' - or your dog either!

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  11. Great post, Paula, with which we can all identify! Can't imagine life without my computer and online friends.

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  12. I have the same love/hate relationship. I so agree, the opportunity to 'meet' other writers and keep in contact with family and friends is wonderful.

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  13. Hi Rosemary and Langley - seems like we're all agreed that the benefits of computers outweigh the frustrations.

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  14. I think we can all identify with your love-hate relationship to your computer. When it's not there, don't you feel so lost?

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  15. I love the new tech age. Life is so much easier with map links, my gps, lap tops, no typing on word processor which I thought was great back in college. Love my online friends too. Great write.

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  16. By the way, this is Laura Rogers who is Lauralee on redgage. I am on work computer so my work blog comes up. I am at stoopinitinthesuburbs. In case you were confused as to who I was. Laura

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  17. Weissdorm - I fel cut-off from the world if my computer goes wrong. Whcih is why I have 'back-up' in the form of a netbook as well as my main computer as also a wi-fi dongle in case my main broadband server goes down!

    Hi Laura - agree about thetech age making life easier - usually, anyway!

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  18. Oh, I'm with you on this, for sure! The computer has opened up the world to us, shortening the space between people to nothing. But when it goes haywire, it's a sad, sad thing. ;O)

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  19. i so HEAR you!! Hubby recently found an old typewriter just like the pic and put it up on ebay it sold STAT; we are just embracing the change and adaptation of "lap top" but for years the typewriter was the only way..hard to imagine

    so great to meet everyone..sometimes gets me thinking about the "tower of babel"

    really enjoyed this

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