No matter how I write this column, I'm going to be accused of being an old curmudgeon; so I'll just admit it and beat someone to the punch (probably a friend with the initials S.W.). In the space I have, I'm going to let off some steam on technology. For the record, I don't hate all technology -- just some.
So, for the last few months, I have been waging a war with my cellphone. By today's standard, it was ancient -- I probably got it about 3 years ago. At one point in time, it deleted all of the 800-plus phone numbers that I had collected over the years. And, I swear, it wasn't my fault.
So, I made multiple trips to the phone store to try to get a phone that would work with my email provider. After much experimentation and several phone calls, we finally decided that the phone I wanted just wouldn't work with my email provider, so I had to switch to another brand.
Didn't really make me happy, but that's life so get over it. The store had to get the manufacturer to mail my phone; so, after getting it, I took it in to get it activated and all my "stuff" switched over. Get there and am told that I have to have a certain password or else they couldn't make the transition. Luckily, I had written it down at home, so had to make an extra trip to retrieve the "magical" password.
Fortunately, I hadn't followed the expert's advice and I had actually written the darn password down. It seems like just about anything we do anymore requires a password of some kind and, of course, the security folks tell us to make every one of them different and make it difficult for a "hacker" to figure out. Oh, and don't write it down or carry it with you because that isn't smart.
How in the heck are we supposed to remember multiple difficult passwords and even keep track of which one goes with which account? A program keeps popping up on my computer asking me if I want to use a password application to keep track of all of them. But, of course, if the hackers can get to Equifax, how do I keep them out of my business?
My phone story isn't over. After retrieving the password, the tech at the store was able to get my phone activated and my emails running (or so I thought). I left and was a happy camper until I tried to answer an email that I had received. I found that I could receive emails but couldn't send them. Another trip to the store only for the guy to tell me he couldn't help me because he didn't know anything about the "settings" from my provider.
Actually, I was proud of myself for maintaining my composure, so I went to the next stop on my journey to see if I could get the problem figured out. There I was told that their company had a policy that the techs could no longer troubleshoot devices. They could give me written instructions or I could call into "tech services."
Then, a modicum of common sense came in and another tech looked at my phone as I held it out, and he said that I needed to put in another (you guessed it) password and then everything would work. Bingo. It worked -- I hadn't had a stroke and had refrained from throwing a new phone against the wall. Pretty good outcome if I do say so myself.
People, we are becoming way too dependent upon technology. Everything in our lives revolves around the Internet or the cellphones that we keep within arm's grasp at all times. As I write this column, my television is running an announcement that our local stations are out -- likely because of some "bug" in technology.
I understand that a lot of technology has improved our lives. I am so grateful for all the advances that have aided me on my journey with cancer. And, I'm not one of those who sit around yearning for the "good old days."
But, I think we have allowed technology to take over our lives. Scientists are now creating robots so life-like that you can hardly tell them from humans. In this world of artificial intelligence, many think of themselves as a god.
If we aren't careful, our fixation and fascination with technology will become our nightmare. We have to remember that no matter how far we go in this world, there is still a God that created us. Sometimes, we need to remind ourselves of that.
Kevin Wilson is a former state representative who was born in Goodman and now lives in Neosho. Opinions are those of the author.
Editorial on 09/28/2017