Updating

 Having talked about technology and social media last time, I've been thinking about how I can update my website (again) and my other accounts. So early this morning I put all my published books together and took photos. The best one I uploaded to this blog  see above and on About and Publiciation History pages) and I also updated X and my author page on Facebook. It is a little thing and I don't know why I didn't do it earlier. At least this is something I could manage. 

Then I read a post from a penpal of mine who had used Copilot to make some lovely writing paper. Why can't I do these things? Of course she is much younger than me! My son once put a synopsis of one of my stories into AI and it came back with a cover. It wasn't quite right, but I must say I was blown away by what it could do. Maybe I will have to lean on my son more. He'll love that!

Maybe there is a course I can go on to learn this stuff. I've not looked into that. It annoys me that I cannot use these tools, not just for what it might be able to do for my publicity, but just being able to understand this stuff. 

When I was younger, I was good at this. I could install a new video recorder for my mum and dad, change plugs, and at work I was the one people called on to sort out paper jams on the copier and change the toner and paper rolls. When the audio machines went wrong, I was the one who tried to rectify the problem before calling the engineer, who had the audacity to ask if I had switched the machine on!

Then technology went crazy. Videos and DVD players became complicated. How many people, I wonder, ever used all those little extras written in the instructions? We didn't. I even find some microwaves complicated. Ours for instance. I just use the basic buttons and up the time by 30secs rather than use the programme which I just don't get. I know I'm not the only one. A friend and I guessed using a microwave while staying in an apartment. (Please leave instructions for appliances!). As I said, if the food is piping hot it's done.

Does any of this ring a bell with you? Or maybe you are of that age of growing up with fast technology. Don't even get me started on apps!

My son kindly bought me a refurbished Google Pixel mobile just over a year ago. He said it would be easier as I use Google and I wanted a better camera. Well, Google tries to take over everything. I take tons of photos, and it wants to back up everything, which means I run out of storage. But I back up all my photos on my laptop and a secondary device, so I had to Google how to switch off backup. But they don't like it. They keep reminding you that you might lose your photos. I miss my old phone, which had an SD card. When that was nearly full, I'd replace it. And then for this mobile, I had to buy an adaptor to plug in my earphones as there was no separate socket. I suppose this is because everyone wears Bluetooth ones (yes I do know what means, strangely!), but I'd be worried of them falling out and losing them.

Why can't things be simple?

I must apologise for a second rant about technology and I hope I haven't duplicated any of this! I will try and do better next time. Please do leave a comment about anything I talk about. It's a lonely business, this writing business. Hearing from others lets me know I'm not just talking to myself! And it's lovely to interact, isn't it?