Wednesday 2 September 2015

Modern technology

I have come to the conclusion that modern technology and farmer's wives do not go together.    I have an ordinary lap top, a mobile phone, a recently bought new landline which is so complicated and needs help from BT (Caller display for example) and repeated phone calls have not yet resulted in successful completion of this,and last but not least this week a Canon MP510Printer.
 
Last weekend I got a piece of paper stuck in my printer.   It made a horrible screeching noise and told me I had error 5110. Having gently pulled out the paper and leaving a bit behind, it was obvious that 5110 meant something along the lines of 'you stupid woman, you have got a bit of paper stuck in the works'.

I asked my cleaner yesterday - she is the most sensible and practical woman I know - to have a look at it and she tried and failed.   This afternoon I had got to the stage of looking on line for a new printer as I really can't manage without it at the moment.   A few minutes ago the farmer was passing on his way upstairs for his shower and he said was I sure I couldn't get into the printer's innards.   I thought 'well I can get in as far as  the cartridges so I will try getting that far and see if I can see the paper'.   Lo and behold the paper was there and easily pulled out (gently I might add).   The farmer went on his way happily, content that he had really solved the problem.   I am relieved and must now pluck up the courage to ring the computer engineer and tell him he needn't call round.

Why, at the slightest difficulty with anything mechanical, do I go into panic mode?   Can anyone explain it to me and what can I do about it?

22 comments:

Yael said...

I think it is a quastion of control,we feel that the machine controls us ,helplesness is something that most of us are afraid of.

Dawn said...

because its frustrating when these things happen and your only human, you should be proud you have fixed it :-)

Rachel Phillips said...

Dont forget to look when you do your Tesco shop on line you will see there are Canon printers available from them for £35. I got one in my local Tescos. So whatever you do it becomes less and less viable to think about calling out an engineer when you have a problem you cannot solve, you can probably buy a new one for less. Most problems can be dealt with like you did, a gentle pulling out of the innards, and then a switch on a switch off though.

Rachel Phillips said...
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Doc said...

Join my club, that would be the totally inept club....there is plenty of room. I faced the cold facts years ago that I will never understand any of it. While everyone in my family have Smart phones, including my six year old granddaughter, and all the latest in computers. I still have a cheap flip phone and when something goes wrong on the computer I have one of the grandkids fix it for me.

Heather said...

I stood and watched the first load of laundry when I had my first automatic washing machine! Now I switch on and go out. I'm always scared of new machines but felt very pleased with myself when I coped with my first paper jam and pat my printer and say nice things to it when it behaves itself. We have a love/hate relationship. Daft or what?

Gwil W said...

They were here again last week, and this time they sent two. In a mere 2 hours and a bit they fixed all my computer, TV, phone etc. problems. Next thing a pine marten chews through a cable under the bonnet of the courtesy car the local garage have loaned us because we couldn't get our old one through the MOT, and naturally a mechanic has to come out and tell us the two illuminated warning lights are OK as they are on amber, don't worry until they turn red, 'but I'd better fix it just in case.' So it goes, as Vonnegut says.

Terry and Linda said...

I always need Terry's help for even minor things...so I UNDERSTAND!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

Joanne Noragon said...

I dislike knowing all the things I must know to get from one end of a day to another.

Sheila said...

In our household, several devices seem to fail at the same time.
Lots of calls to "technical assistance," and lots of frustration.
I was watching an old Michael Caine movie recently, and he was calling
someone on an ancient black dial phone, waiting for the dial to return
to its original position before dialing the next number. A bit tedious
but oh so nice and simple.

A Brit in Tennessee said...

I think back to just a couple of decades ago, and what I knew about computers and software would fit on a post it note. Scary days.
The children nowadays are barely out of their prams and they can run a smartphone and a computer, it's considered moving forward, but I'm not so sure....
Glad you were able to get your printer sorted out.
~Jo

Salty Pumpkin Studio said...

Sorry you had a problem with your printer.
Tech anxiety...It took me over a month before I had the courage to activate my Android phone, (and I still don't know how to use all the features).

donna baker said...

It is maddening. I only wish we didn't have to deal with all the home technology things.

Frances said...

I think that you and the Farmer make a very good team. There are so many folks who might be around my age (and I have got a major birthday coming up) who have not had The Need to keep up with computer/electronic technology and sort of decide to give it up.

I consider myself fortunate to still be intrigued by developments that are claimed to make our lives better, and to manage to adopt to these developments...while still remaining a bit of a skeptic.

When I began school in a small town in Virginia, I sat at a desk with an ink well. I remember the amazing arrivals of television, ball point pens, Xerox machines, credit cards and so so forth. It amuses me to have much younger folks tell me that change is good.

Oh yes, sometimes it clearly is.

xo

Mac n' Janet said...

I'm the same way! Quite sure at each stage I've totally wrecked whatever instrument I'm using. Yesterday it was the floor steam cleaner that had me yelling for my husband.

angryparsnip said...

hahahahahaha, don't even get me started on the computer but it the printer that have the most trouble with. Plus all the plugs and cords everywhere !

cheers, parsnip

Cro Magnon said...

I have a Canon MG6450, and to reach any jammed paper you need to enter by the back. There is a piece to remove, then everything is easily removable.

Cro Magnon said...
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Midlife Roadtripper said...

I get completely frustrated when computers and their parts don't work. I dislike when a system changes from what I know. I curse at the printer that won't scan my pictures or connect to my computer even though it says it is doing so. Just seems an unnecessary frustration and gets me going as well.

My mother used to say that mothers invented curse words. I think computer owners enhanced those curse words.

Gwil W said...

MR, I know what you mean, today I'm having a problem with uploading photos to emails but I know it's not me but them, they want me to pay for it and and subscribe to their more user friendly email service . . . at a cost. Today's new swear word is Blitzunddonner!

Anonymous said...

You need a teenager on hand- in my experience they can work any modern technology with their eyes closed and one hand tied behind their back. It's alchemy I think. If we didn't live so far away I'd send L round to help :-) x

The Weaver of Grass said...

Felt much better when I finally got the bit of paper removed; feel even better now having read all your comments and realised I am not alone!!