Digital Dilemma

When Technology Advances Faster than Humans

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I purchased a new laptop in February 2017.  I went to the store fully intending to upgrade my “vintage” model with the most recent one.  However, things didn’t work out that way.

The newest model from late 2016 was beautiful, sleek, shiny, and incredibly light.  But… it only came with Thunderbolt 3 ports and one for headphones.  This was already the most expensive model. I knew I would have to shell out additional money for adaptors to connect pretty much anything I would use to my new computer.  No USB ports.  No CD/DVD drive.  No SD card (digital camera).  No port for my existing adaptor.  Click here to read more about Thunderbolt 3 ports.  Thunderbolt 3 ports are advantageous for transferring large amounts of data, video output, and fast charging.  However none of these things are necessary for me.

I eventually purchased the older 2015 model because it had familiar ports I could use.  I understand Thunderbolt 3 ports are the future, representing superior technology for transporting and displaying information, among other things.  But if nobody else has them, it can be a frustrating experience to use the computer with anything else.  I would always have to carry adaptors, which seemed inconvenient and annoying.  Even the sales person at the Apple store agreed with my decision.

I already experience this type of inconvenience almost every time I give a talk somewhere.  Usually when I speak at conferences, they are only equipped to handle a PC connecting to the projector.  I developed a habit to pack an adaptor with my gear.  A couple of times I’ve forgotten it.  Naturally, this has caused me a lot of panic and stress figuring out how to present content on my computer without using my computer.  It’s a total pain.  Even switching to web-based presentation software, so I can present from any computer, has not resolved the problem.  Sometimes the internet connection is bad, or unavailable.

I still ended up buying an external CD/DVD player.  I have some DVDs I can’t upload because of copyright.  The cost of repurchasing the items digitally was more expensive than the player.  And I have some personal CD/DVDs I keep forgetting to upload.

I love how technology advances and improves constantly.  However, the transitions are still painful.  Can’t technology help us out so we’re not always buying extra stuff to make something new work?

Digital Dilemma, True Confessions

Calendars

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In terms of managing tasks and appointments, the calendar is still one of my favorite tools.  It’s easy to use and understand.  If I write something on a particular date, it means I’m doing it on that date.  I now rely on my smartphone calendar instead of a paper one, but I still miss certain features of the paper.  Read more here.

I used to load up my paper planner with all kinds of information.  For example, when I used to work as a freelance caterer, payments were tracked in my planner alongside the details of the job (e.g. hours worked, location, company, dress code, etc.).  Since I worked for multiple companies, all with different pay schedules and rates, it was sometimes difficult to track how long I had been waiting and when I received a payment.

The problem was that the information was trapped in my planner, sometimes on a specific date.  I had no tracking system, no way to get summaries, and no search box.  Eventually I transferred the information to an excel spreadsheet for better tracking and summaries.

I love many things about my smartphone planner, including how it is synced with my computer for backup.  But I still miss being able to load up so much information directly into the paper calendar.  There was no limit to what I could write on the pages.  Now I’m limited by screen space and by what is available for integration from the phone to the calendar.  The available screen space is often too tiny to see everything I could easily see with a glance at my paper planner.

In order for me to get something on my smartphone calendar without manually entering it, it has to be stored somewhere else.  For example, my smartphone calendar has seamless integration with my contacts.  When I enter in an appointment with someone, the important details (e.g. phone number and address) magically appear in my calendar.  I also love when this happens after I sign up for an event.  Typically when the confirmation email arrives, the event details appear on my calendar including time, name, location.  If I’ve signed up for a webinar, the calendar event will include the url for me to access it.  Super useful.

The next step is to find a proper task management system that integrates seamlessly with the calendar.

Digital Dilemma, Digital Photos

Common Courtesy

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In a world of deteriorating civilities, I’ve found it oddly comforting that people seem to share a common courtesy when it comes to taking pictures in public.  Ever walked down the street and slowed down, or stopped, to allow someone else to take a picture?  Ever changed the path you’re walking on because someone was trying to take a picture?

I certainly have, even for people posing with selfie sticks.

Part of me is cautious out of fear.  I’m always nervous about accidentally photo bombing someone and ending up on his/her instagram feed with an unflattering caption.  The other part of me feels more empathetic.  I know what it’s like to want to capture an important moment instantly, or to take a picture of that special someone with just the right setting in the background.  It’s fun!  And easy, and convenient.  And we all do it. Perhaps this is why I see so many people willing to extend these small courtesies to each other when it comes to taking pictures.

Ever since I started carrying a smartphone, and therefore a camera 24/7, I’ve become more aware of how I take pictures in public.  It is this heightened awareness that has impacted my willingness to accommodate people taking pictures in public.  At times I have changed my path, or stopped moving for a few seconds, to allow someone to finish with the camera.  This is also influenced by the number of times strangers have reciprocated this courtesy to me.

Last year while vacationing in NYC over the holidays, I was surprised at how easy it was to take pictures.  Even in crowded areas like Central Park, people stopped moving for a few seconds, or altered their path, just so I could finish with my camera.  I naturally found myself doing the same thing for others.

It is curious that people can’t seem to take the time to write anything with proper grammar and punctuation, but they’re willing to stop moving, or go the long way, so a stranger can take a picture.  It’s something I’ve observed for several years.  I would’ve thought with so many people snapping pictures constantly in public that we would become immune and stop noticing, or accommodating this behavior, but that’s not what has happened.  Instead we’ve collectively become more aware and modified our actions to be nice to each other in this one area.

Human Archives, True Confessions

Deathdays

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My family and I make a point of getting together, or supporting each other, on my father’s deathday.  Somehow we decided organically to acknowledge the day he died, instead of his birthday.  We didn’t plan it this way, it just kind of happened.  Similarly, my friend and I have a long standing tradition of going out for steaks on her brother’s deathday.  Her brother was one of my greatest friends when I lived in Vancouver. (Read more here.)  Interestingly enough, both my father and my friend died within a couple weeks of their respective birthdays.

Initially, it seemed strange to me to be experiencing anything remotely joyful on the deathday.  But then again, it also felt weird to acknowledge the birthday.  He wasn’t around anymore, what was I celebrating?  The birthday was a painful reminder of what I was missing.

In the first few years following my father’s death, the deathday served as a new calendar for me to mark the passing of days and events.  Life before…and after.  Each occasion in those first couple of years served as some kind of milestone, or a reminder that I could get through another day, another event, another anything.  One month without my father, my first day of school without my father, my first holiday without my father, even my first birthday.  I was definitely in a fog the first year.  Even on today’s date, June 19, I still sometimes experience a haunting flashback of the last time I ever heard my father speak, over a decade ago.

Grieving is a process.  As time moves on, I’m often surprised at the intensity with which I can still experience the grief, the sadness, and the heartbreak, all in an instant.  Fortunately those instants have become less frequent with each passing year.  And in between I often recall lots of pleasant memories.

Birth and death.  Two things we must all experience.  I now take comfort in commemorating the deathday of my loved ones.  It’s given me a way to honor and value the life they lived.  It feels fitting to celebrate the day my loved ones left, rather than the day they were born.

Pictures below are from one of our “deathday” trips to Alaska in 2007, a place my father loved.

View in Denali National Park, commemorating the deathday in June 2007.

 

A rare treat to see Denali. Normally it’s enshrouded in mist and clouds.

 

Digital Dilemma, True Confessions

YouTube The New Age Learning Centre

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YouTube is a platform where people can share videos with each other.  The content varies dramatically from how-to videos to advertisements to entertainment, and everything in between.  And it’s all free, at least for now.

Over the years I’ve found YouTube to be invaluable for figuring out how to do something on my own.  This is especially true when I have to do something with technology, such as install something on my blog/website or do something new on my phone, etc.  I’m not a techie by nature, so having a video demonstration I can watch repeatedly while performing the actions on my device (e.g. smartphone) is key.  It gives me the confidence to try something new outside of my comfort zone, though it is critical to watch a video by somebody who knows what s/he is doing.

I’ve also found videos useful for learning how to assemble or fix something.  The other day I even felt brave enough to fix a rear flat tire on my friend’s bike.  I had just taken a basic bike maintenance course where I watched a flat being fixed.  But I also knew if we got stuck, we could watch a couple of YouTube videos.  My friend, however, decided to take his chances with the bike shop before I could make an attempt.

I frequently use YouTube when I need to learn a new piece of music for my orchestra.  I enjoy being able to watch and hear the performers, especially when we’re doing an opera.  Even though I’m usually too far back on the stage to see a lot of the action, it’s useful for me to see and hear how my parts fit in with the singers, the action, and the other musicians.

Last summer I attempted to teach myself harmonica with YouTube.  After several frustrating weeks, and many, many videos on how to “bend” notes, I eventually paid for a lesson with a professional.  By the end of the lesson I was squeaking out some baby bends.  But this summer, armed with my new bending technique, I’ve decided to continue the self-study by “jamming” to YouTube videos.  I’m a classically trained musician, but my more hip musician friends tell me that I can practice improvising with YouTube videos, the go-to source for learning, and seemingly everything else.

What do you like to watch on YouTube?  Please comment below.

Digital Dilemma

Selecting an App

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Every time I find myself spending too much time, or taking too many steps, to accomplish one thing, I think to myself, “there must be an app for that.”  And then I pick one that looks good.  Too often I’m seduced by the miracles promised, only to be sorely disappointed later with another useless app hogging up data and containing my information, some of which may be personal or sensitive.  

I’ve learned a few things over the years and refined my approach, as described below.

    1. I identify my needs.
    2. Then I search to see which apps match my requirements.
    3. After narrowing down the options, I read reviews and check ratings.
    4. Then I try it out.

For example, I’d been using Trello, a task management system, to manage my grocery lists.  It wasn’t ideal, but I made it work.  However, I couldn’t get Trello to alphabetize, or categorize, the items automatically.  It was time consuming to alphabetize my lists manually.  I shopped around for a new app with alphabetizing and categorizing my list (e.g. produce, dairy, meats, etc.) as a top requirement.  Now I’m using Out of Milk.

Here are some things to think about when selecting an app:

  1. What do you want the app to do? Will it be able to accomplish this?
  2. How much time and effort is involved to set up the app?
  3. Does the app and/or the company have a good reputation? Has it been around a long time? What are the risks of the company failing, or getting bought out, and then not supporting the app in the future?
  4. What kind of security does the app have?  How will private and personal information be protected?
  5. What are the deletion policies? Will you be able to leave the app and remove your information? (Check justdelete.me)
  6. What features are free and which ones cost money?
  7. Where will the data be stored (e.g.the US, Canada, another country)?  Will the app sell or give away my information to a 3rd-party?

Unfortunately, the answer to many of these questions will be buried in lengthy service agreements in language that is challenging to understand.  Additionally, many apps will also require access to data stored on your device (e.g. contact lists, photo galleries, etc.).  Read more here.  And here’s a useful website called “Terms of Service: Didn’t Read.”

Apps are an investment.  I recommend learning about an app before installing it.