1074 Technology Time

I have given up kidding myself that if I had the time and applied myself I could master the basics of how things work, along with dreaming of being discovered as .England's finest cricketer after Denis Compton, or Fred Truman, another Stanley Matthews, Roger Bannister, or Fred Perry. I persevered well past my adolescence with such dreams, but it was only in middle adulthood that I understood about my lack of hand eye coordination, and even later that my learning difficulties had a name and were treatable.

I decided I needed an internet site in 2002, bought all the relevant D.I.Y books but there was nothing ready made which could begin to do the things I wanted in terms of making the process of work available and engaging with anyone and everyone who shared any interest in any aspect of what I was trying to do. My Space has provided a new dimension and I am yet to explore all the possibilities with adding photographs, although deciding which of the 250000 available is a challenge, of adding music with the adding a seven record player, but which seven, of videos, of me working and of others. I have started the second site for 101Myspace which is to have only 101 friends but then became indecisive between 101 friends to represent individuals from my former life or ideas and events; perhaps I need three sites in this respect?

I am in the process of completing one project, before the end of May, of working out how to record MySpace activity and to give each friend the attention they and their site merit, particularly those who find something of interest in what I am doing, saying, or among my friends, and of tackling new ventures with abandoning completing others previously underway. However I do need to make progress to recommence the writing of Fragments of Time next autumn and winter.

I pride myself in having acquired one of the first Clive Sinclair computers and wish I knew where it was but fear I threw it away. About 1985 I was shown the very basics of programming before realising that I did not need to, and would never be able to grasp more than the basics. I still panic when I am offered "Codes" in case they destroy everything achieved to date, or worse. My first joy was the Commodore 64 which you attached to the telly and an examination of the tapes reveals that I used a database making a record of books and a budget for 1986 as well as words processing and a few games in addition to Alice. I have no idea if it still works or I will be able to work it. And must plan a year in the future to do so. Then it will be time for the Amstrads 216 and 512, one which I converted myself with parts bought from a store in Watford. I have about 120 data disks and did buy a device to transfer material between computers so that I could read but also print. (I wonder how many of today's computer users realise within the past two decades we printed in black, or black or red, on what was really a glorified typewriter ribbon? I wrote a novel and other writings, with these Amstrads, and also persuaded the purchase of a model for work which enabled me to work at home, ad well as in the office, improving my efficiency and productivity although such a novel idea created problems for the system. Some15 years later everyone has their inter connected workstation and light weight lap tops are part of everyone's welcome new employee's kit.

My first all sing and dancing media Amstrad weighs a ton and the media meant just a TV link which enabled stills, including blow ups and I had the internet in colour which previous contacts would tell me about as I gazed into the green screen. I was still wedded to the floppy disks and have some 200 to work through, after I have finish going through the 100 large storage boxes of written material and memorabilia. The Amstrad had its limitation in terms of operating systems and hard disk storage capacity although when I moved on I still preferred to floppy disk storage and there are 50 covering this project gestation from conception in August to its premature Caesarean section in June 2003. It was only with the decision to acquire the digital camera, whose mini computer of function I have yet to learn properly or understand, that CD storage disk was used and then a few DVD's and I did start to make a list (another task for the summer) but there must be several hundred to sort with at least one duplicate of everything, although some are of other data.

I was also into ready made programmes which included games and the use of a joy stick, although I was always happier with simple stuff such as free cell where I did work through the first 10000 games in sequence just to prove that I could do it. Just how sad is that?

My latest model was made in China and has a wondrous wide slim screen but remains virtually unused until I am ready to tackle going wireless because it has Vista and not compatible with my AOL broadband connection or my new all sing dancing scanner printer or where is seem most existing programmes without downloaded add ons. It was two weeks before I unpacked the box for the printer scanner but within a week of mastering the basics, I do not know how I managed for so long without one, but if it is possible to mess up, I will.

I do manage to get there, wherever there is and I hope it to be, but I have learnt to do so at my own pace and inclination. It was the right decision to purchase the printer scanner given that it was available for £100 discount and then wait and then learn what I needed, to do what I needed to do. But I also know that by not studying documentation, taking time to work out and digest what it can do, I am in danger of missing out on making my working life easier and at greater risk of having no idea what to do when things go wrong, or indeed of creating avoidable going wrong.

It is good to have a healthy concept of time, its measurement and its scarcity. It is the basis of learning how to use it effectively. I used to have a masterwork on Time Management, having listened to its author on a management course. I was always too busy to apply the guidance other than in general terms. Identify your priority work activities and identify when you are at your work best to undertake these activities. I deferred my evening meal to write this, until hunger made continuing, impractical, because I know that even a modest meal initiates drowsiness and going to sleep as soon as I sit on my comfy chair in front of the telly. Fortunately the meal was ready to heat, the remains of yesterdays roast chicken and three tins of vegetables, and where because I eat so little yesterday there is another one to two portions left. I opted for diet coke rather than wine tonight and a greenish banana. The pea nuts have not been banished until the autumn but there are dates rather than fresh carrots as the evening progresses. I need to be alert for a while to explore the universe and one new MySpace friend has arrived, as well as e mails, and that endless list of things I need and want to do. Meanwhile the box containing the top of the range wireless connection sits on the shelf taunting me. Hopefully there will be time to start with the writing about Gibraltar for my growing small band of contacts from that amazing place. Just as well I end as my first and second yawns have occurred. To the dates, to the dates I will go