It's "Easy" - Just do "This"...

How many times have we heard this phrase?  And how many times do these words get us into trouble?  When I hear this sentence lately I start running to the door, biting my tongue to avoid saying something I’ll regret later.  That’s usually because what is easy for some is rocket science for me.

The latest example of my long list of frustrations with these words relates to technology.  And for me, technology is definitely rocket science!  I’m still trying to figure out how to record programs using my DVD player and yes, until recently I thought a tablet was a pad of lined notebook paper.  Ok, stop laughing.  If my methods aren’t broken I don’t fix them.  And ask me anything about financial statements in foreign currencies and I can run rings around those technology guys any day of the week…!

So I’m being asked to migrate the computer version of e-Factor!® to a new server. The hosting company is upgrading their hardware and I have to do the work to move my program so they can return the old machinery to their supplier. That’s the sum total of what I UNDERSTAND.  So I told them this and they sent me a script to run.  They said “it’s easy – just click on this link.”  Clicking on the link should run a program to move the game.  Simple, right?  Not so fast…

The first question I was asked was to provision a machine.  What the heck does that mean? What happens if I get some additional questions I can’t answer while in the middle of doing this provisioning…?? And will the game actually work after we run the script? Nobody could answer these questions at the hosting service.  They said they “didn’t do that.” And nobody initially could walk me through the steps.  They relied on their clients just “clicking the link” instead of truly understanding the program, the steps, the potential consequences of each step, and the expectations.  Here’s where I have a real problem with technology and the people who run it in today’s world.

Expectations.  Such a big word.  Such importance to me. If it’s easy, that truly means I click on a button, open a file, or take one action and the result is exactly what I understand and want it to be. In this case, just provisioning the machine and setting up security took two hours on the phone with two computer experts.  We haven’t even gotten to the migration of the programs yet, and I’m paying a computer expert by the hour for this.

I didn’t ask for the hosting service to change their hardware.  They decided to do that in the name of “customer service.” Ok, I understand that.  But expecting me to understand the technical aspects of their hardware and how it works? Impossible, and in my opinion, there’s something wrong with this expectation.  If I knew this information, I’d be making big bucks as a computer technology person.  Ha.  If you know me, you’re laughing again.  I’m known for finding every bug in the software, however tiny. And I much prefer paper to computers.  Paper doesn’t talk back to me or automatically do things I don’t want it to do.

Thank goodness I didn’t believe the hosting company when they said “it’s easy.”