Happy Tuesday,

At long last, the beginning of the end of the gulf oil spill is at hand. It is an extremely unsettling and sad fiasco to watch unfold, and the long-term effects are yet to be seen. With some fisheries reopening, many consumers remain skeptical that the seafood is safe to eat—myself included. It’s so tragic that the region’s food culture, so intimately tied to the strength of communities, families, traditions, and the economy, is in such a fragile state. So many humans feel detached from our ecosystem, and this wake-up call puts into focus how everything is interconnected.

Customers sometimes email me and our support team asking why liquid damage to a single component in their computers can cause problems in other components. Because every component in a computer is directly connected, exposure of one component to liquid can wreak havoc with other components. Just like the oil and dispersants in the Gulf of Mexico damage plankton and other creatures in the food chain, a drop of water on your inverter board could fry your display. No unquestionably beneficial dispersants or consequence-free beneficial bacteria exist to repair the corrosion.

Just because we cannot instantly defeat society’s dependence on petroleum does not mean you cannot prevent liquid damage to your computer. Just put your drink on the floor. Party in the dorm room? Put the computer away. Cold air conditioned office with humid weather outside? Put the computer in a case and let them both slowly come to temperature when you leave work. Consider a keyboard cover with the knowledge that it’s not a perfect solution.

In no way do I intend to compare the devastation of any oil spill to that of a fried computer. But, let’s be careful, and take well-calculated risks in all we do. The oil spill might not be directly crippling for you, but the financial and data loss implications of a fried computer certainly could be—wherever you happen to be.

As always, keep in touch.

Matt
matt@smalldog.com