There’s something to be said for positivity. It’s oh so easy to grow angry out of frustration with product failure that we forget how far computing has come in the last few years. Yes, the last few years…not the last five or even the last decade.
Most of you have no doubt encountered Moore’s Law, a postulation of exponential computing capability as opposed to linear progress. Often times, I find myself cursing at diagnostic tools in my office taking “so long” to load or data transfers taking “forever,” that I completely disregard the reality that a few years ago, working on these systems would have been an inspiration.
And so, in the weeks since I’ve returned from New York City, I’ve made a concerted effort to change the attitude with which I enter my work. You may find it twisted, but I hope to encounter problems so that I’ll discover new ways of overcoming them. When taking tech support calls, I push myself to be extra positive with my tone of voice and my confidence that a solution can be met. Oddly, my mind seems to process things far quicker this way and I come up with options/ideas that wouldn’t have presented themselves in a negative, frustrated state.
This week, more than ever, I encourage all of us who run into problems with technology to take it as a learning opportunity as opposed to an opportunity to complain about first world problems. Also, as ever, backing up your files will help you keep a smile on your face in the midst of technological adversity. 🙂