Blog O in 2010

Welcome to 01.01.2010—but this, though written this morning, has only just been netted. My attempt to write the blog this morning was foiled by, yet again, a non-responding server. This happened exactly two weeks ago. On that occasion, I spent an hour testing everything in existence, running up and downstairs, checking the phones, the wires, the netgear . . . This time I know what the problem is. It is HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ORANGE. I suppose I should change my ISP because this is fearfully irritating and twice in two weeks does seem to indicate there is a bit of a Problem.

 

However, there’s a technical name for the kind of person I am, though I can’t remember what it is. It is the opposite of what I am supposed to be educationally (an ‘early adopter’). I guess in internet-server-provider terms I am a Late Adopter. I foster the idea of changing but I don’t ever actually commit.

Or I’m just a person who loathes the hassle of going through the change procedure. A stupid person. It’s why I’ve been with the same bank for the last 30 years, why I’ve never switched from Scottish Gas, no matter how irritating they may be, why my telephone line is still BT.

And it’s why I’m writing this blog (or not writing it) in a Word document. And it’s why I won’t be able to email my daughter (whose landline connection was cut by BT just before Christmas when she attempted to switch to Virgin) or my son, for whom at the moment it’s the only form of communication because his Swiss mobile is out of credit and he’s in Edinburgh.

Oh technology! Oh wonderful white wintry world in which we find ourselves this morning! Thank you God for books. Those old-fashioned papery things, one of which I am going to go and read, happily.

Happy New 2010, with or without technology!

LATER THE SAME DAY (sheepishly)

I telephoned Them (Orange) by evening because nothing had got any better.  That was after I had phoned a whole website (via my phone which has net access) devoted to Problems With Orange. It confirmed my worst fear.

But nothing ventured, nothing gained. It also gave all the expensive phone lines to ring so I did this. The guys at the other end of the phone were patient and very helpful, despite a poor line and heavy accents. One even went to get another one who might have better advice from one using netgear from a Mac. Whiloe they were asking me to check the things I’d already checked, I thought Id’ try unplugging the router and plugging it back in again. Two weeks ago I did this and it had no effect. This time, the effect was instant. Back on line.

So not Orange’s fault then. My Netgear’s fault. The mannie on the phone said I should regularly check my router by resetting it (namely switching it off and on, something even an eejit can manage).

I said, ‘Do you think it’s sign that the box is not very reliable and I should get a new one?’ (Mug born every minute.)

‘You can get one direct from Orange,’ he said hopefully. ‘But you may need to upgrade your Broadband connection to a higher speed . . .’

Oh well, tomorrow it is 01.02.2001. That’s quite an interesting date too, and it might be a better day than today. And I did manage to contact both of my children, and we did meet in Edinburgh and restore Chris’s glasses to him, and it is not snowing. Hurray!