I'm starting to think that technology
is making me dumber than I already
was. As we search for cyber solutions
that make our lives easier - a little bit
of our intelligence is swopped in the
process. Few realize how it adds up.
Hand them a pencil and the back of
some envelope and they cringe with
fear. Hence I'm afraid that soon unless
one has a calculator (on their phone)
they won't be able to put two and two
together. Is this some sinister plot to
dumb us all down or simply progress?
Maybe we all don't need to do the math.
Could it be that it's actually better if one
can rely on someone much smarter than
us to divide and conquer? I'm not certain
how that adds value but I definitely know
what I want to say when I want to say it.
And that's where the scourge of modern
day life comes in... that damned SPELL
CHECK! Frankly words can't tell how
much I loathe it's constantly correcting
my wrongly corrected words. Fred or
Ginger may be comfortable with either
or ether... HOWEVER I AM KNOT!
If nothing else I like to periodically test
my verbal prowess. In times such as that
Spell Check is most certainly NOT my
friend. However what angers me most is
how it stealthy usurps MY authority in
relation to speaking my piece not peace.
For whatever reason some higher cyber
being assumes that I am misspelling my
friend's monikers. And so it automatically
changes what's right to wrong and does
so again... and again... and again. Which
only pushes me closer to the edge! Keep
your damned dictionary to yourself!
Obviously I could turn the damned thing
off. However most of the time I find that
having a proof reader can be rather handy.
What irritates me is that it's obviously
SNEAKY. At least in my imagination
said cyber spellchecker changes things
after I've written and saved them. Take
my blog for example - every morning
I must re-read it upon awakening. That's
because invariably I find spelling or word
usage faux pas that must be put back to
right. Which makes one wonder if getting
a bit of help is worth all of the hassle?
Long ago I gave up using GPS. Not only
do I find computer voices irritating, they
usually send me in the wrong direction.
Or via a rather circuitous route. Maybe
I'm old but I prefer to pre-plan my trip
via a more conventional approach. A
MAP. Oddly plotting one's course prior
to getting behind the wheel leads me to
a better place. Given I prefer to always
be in control - why wouldn't I want to
know where and how I'm going before
turning on the ignition? Otherwise it's
the blind leading the blind...
If I must take a detour I prefer to assume
responsibility for it. We'll never learn if
some gadget is always auto correcting
the error of our ways. While there are all
sorts of internet dating services, most of
my single friends still share lots of cups
of coffee with the wrong guy versus Mr.
Right. Given the plethora of decorating
guidance via the web - one would assume
everybody knows what's right and wrong.
However there is no accounting for taste.
Proof that self improvement requires one
truly must do it for themselves.
What goes around comes around. And
while in theory having some extra help
insures the best outcome possible, one
can't help but worry. Letting somebody
else do all the work isn't always a good
idea. Much like an athlete, one must be
in tip top condition in order to be ready
for any challenge. However we all can
become a bit flabby due to somebody
else crossing your "t's" or dotting your
"i's". And easily get into trouble. One
needs to be ready with the right answer.
Especially if its our word against theirs...