Even Experts Run Into Problems

When I was a graduate student, way back when, I decided to use a computer program to help with data analysis. Those were the days when I had to cross campus to go to the computer centre and feed in cards that constituted the program I wanted to run. When something didn't work, I made it my business to ask what happened and why. Little by little I began to learn how to master computer programming at a level that was enough for me. When I became a teacher librarian and had to manage all the desktops in my school, when something didn't work, I watched while the technicians worked to repair whatever was wrong. That is when I really began to understand what computers were and what they could do for me, for us. Asking questions was the way into this mysterious new universe. However, sometimes, the technicians couldn't help me or figure out what went wrong. Even they ran up against brick walls. Nothing has changed even now. When something goes wrong, don't automatically assume you have done something wrong. Some times, it is just the computers or the networks. And don't be afraid to ask for help and what needs to be done. That is how we all learn.