My Technical Ineptitude

Those of you who have read this blog for more than a few weeks are probably aware by now of my severe ineptitude with technical things, particularly web stuff. Don't get me wrong-- I'm a bit more savvy with a computer than, say, my 82 year old grandmother. But my problem is that I try to do things beyond my capabilities. I see a big ol' string of code in my blogger template, and I think, "Ooooooh. I can add a link there." And then crazy things happen.

Sadly, I must inform you that I am working on another top-secret web project that will not be up for a few more weeks. Yet again, I feel the need to subject innocent internet-goers to my skill-lessness.

Luckily for me (but unluckily for him), one of my best friends from when I first went to college 12 years ago is now a computer geek who has done tech support in the past and now does MS network trainings and stuff. (I don't even know what the heck he does, I just know he's the one I call when faced with a computer challenge, even a challenge I have clearly and willingly brought upon myself.)

So, on the phone the other day:
Me: You busy?
M: Not really.
Me: Question. I've just installed postnuke on my new site, and I'm getting administrator error messages.
M: What do they say?
Me: (Reads the messages)
M: Hmmmm... So, how did you install postnuke?
Me: With the instructions?!?!?
M: Oh, great. I've got Seinfeld on the phone.
Me: I'm not being funny, Beavis, I just don't know what you mean.
M: I'm trying to figure out if it's Linux or Windows you put it on.
Me: How would I be able to tell?...

This goes on for about 30 minutes. Then...

Me: Are you starting to get the feeling you're talking to someone who has no business trying to create a website.
M: Something like that.

Anyway, I was using one of the other computers at work last week, and had to use Internet Explorer to check in at my blog. (I use Firefox on my computer, and the blog looks just fine with Firefox.) Lo and behold, the sidebar, which from the lily-white beauty of Firefox had seemed to be fixed, is not. I have failed. So, I will start over, with a new template, and streamline. Fewer links, no google ads, nothing that I'm not absolutely confident I can manage. In the meantime, if the blog looks whacked out, understand that I'm going through a personal, spiritual, and internetual process of change. It will be back, and better, and if it doesn't work, I know who to call.