High Tech gets me down

My column in MINDANAO DAILY

Once upon a time, when I was still single: I woke up early morning. I got into the kitchen longing for a cup of coffee or even two, while feeling this terrible rheumatic pain. I slide a a cup of water into my ten-year-old microwave. I felt a little bit chagrined because I never figured out how to use it other than heat water for instant coffee of a one-minute-fast-food soup.

Some time later: My freezer showed its red emergency light a couple of days. I tried to ignore it even knowing that this indifference could only let that problem become more worst. A friendly neighbor, a really blessed high-intelligent electrician, solved the problem within a minute.

Another example: In the car I fumbled with the new digital radio. Before I know it, I'd tilting sideways at a 45-degree angle, trying to drive and figure out the radio's numerous controls at the same time. I know, this was more than dangerous: an urgent, uncomfortably close horn jolted me upright. Chastened, I only managed to turn the radio off and drove in silence.

Do you know how to operate your telephone unit in the office, if you urgently have to transfer a wrong-dialed incoming long distance call to the right person and his local number? No call forwarding available...!You have been using the system for a year or even longer, but you have never mastered the transfer function. "Just a moment please, hang on," you say as you hit a button and accidentally cut the caller off. 

How to change paper roll in fax machine, if you are still using one at these really high tech times? How to change the ink cartridge of my printer? Yes, the printer will not work unless all cartridges  are installed properly. Let's hit the button, and let's be patient for 90 seconds or so, and then - hopefully... .

Instructions and manuals looked like blueprints for an air plane construction. Have you ever studied how we use our high tech appliances? Our modern homes are filled up with sophisticated gadgets that are rarely used to their full potential because they are simply too complicated to operate. 

A good friend of mine confessed just yesterday: "I am still ignorant on computers. Just let me ride a carabao, and I am more comfortable rather than touching computers!"

We buy all these machines but become frightened by the profusion of switches and buttons and operate just the basic functions. I really smiled, when I found a quotation of Donald A. Norman, former head of the Department of Cognitive Science at the University of California, San Diego regarding his new digital watch: "You would need an engineering degree to work this. Well, I have an engineering degree. Give me a few hours, and I can figure out this watch. But why should it takes hours?" 

Good question, Sir. Norman and also Charles Owen, former professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology fault manufactures for largely ignoring consumers. Instruction manuals are written almost as an afterthought instead of being translated into plain language.

Sorry, up to this moment high tech still gets me down! And I am pretty sure, I am not alone with this problem... .