“i don’t get hannibal lecter” it’s about being the worst person in the world and yet someone still loves you despite it and it’s about convincing yourself you’re fine living your life alone and never truly connecting with anyone until someone comes along and you realize you could never live without them now and it’s about caring about someone so deeply that all you want now is for them to truly see you and it’s about how your devotion is so crushing and deep that you’d go to lengths of even self-destruction just to keep them around so you can keep loving them. “but he’s a cannibal” lol yeah
the “bad guys” in hallmark movies end up always being the most respectful men ever.
because they will find out their girlfriend of 3 years (that they were about to propose to) went off to a random farm in minnesota, hours away from were the two of them built a life together, and she decided to just… stay there without even consulting him.
and then he decides to take a trip to make sure she’s okay, because this is generally alarming behavior, and then sees that she literally fell in love with her ex within one (1) week- and he wasn’t there, but you can TELL that they’ve made out a couple times.
and then she just strings him along for a few days, until fucking christmas eve, when she just breaks up with him and is like “i know we used to have the same values, but i’ve never loved you. mark makes me happier than you ever did. and you ONLY care about work, whereas i like christmas and fun, like a Good Person.”
and then, after finding out his entire relationship was a lie and he had his life turned upside down in a week and he got dumped on christmas, this guy’s just like “ok yeah that makes sense. i only wish you the best of happiness with mark. i hope you guys build a great life together in christmastreefarmville. thank you for everything.”
An AU where two Hallmark Christmas Bad Guys are both getting flights back to New York after being dumped by their respective Smalltown Blonde Girlfriends, and they bond over their shared experiences and fall in love in the departures lounge
Probably he is still in shock. Right? He looks out of his taxi window (it’s not technically a taxi, just some guy named Corey who offered him a ride to the airport, because Uber doesn’t operate in fucking Tinyville, Bumfuck Middle-Of-Nowhere, Utah) and tracks water droplets racing each other down the glass, because of course it’s raining, and his bad knee is killing him.
Levi sniffs and rubs at his eyes and then pulls out his phone and books a ticket back to New York, wincing as four hundred and twenty-six dollars are deducted from his bank account.
And, like, he should definitely be more upset.
He just got broken up with. He was engaged, for God’s sake. A four-year relationship… over. Just like that.
It’s 24/08/2185. We’re all dead and Destiel is still trending. Jensen’s great grandchild sold the tapes to a museum for 5 million dollars. New Destiel content keeps coming out to the public but no one knows how or who. Some believe that it’s Misha Collins’ ghost. It’s 2185 and Destiel is still trending.
Me: oh yeah, if you think school photography is hard now, try imagining doing this with film.
The new girl: what’s film?
Me: … film. Like… film that goes in a film camera.
New girl: what’s that mean?
Me: … before cameras were digital.
New girl: how did you do it before digital?
Me:… with film? I haven’t had enough coffee for this conversation
New girl: I need you to show me how to format the usb.
Me: format?
New girl: yeah what do I do?
Me: you… put the usb in. Then you make a new folder on it and rename it with (name, date, location)
New girl: but how do I do that?
Me: … they dont… teach you this anymore, do they?
The lack of computer skills is becoming a problem. Like there was a period of time where the older workers in office jobs had to be brought up to speed on computers, but now a lot of the newer workers have the issue too.
There’s a lot of assumed technical literacy because we had a whole generation brought up on desktop computers, but now it’s one that was brought up on phones, tablets, and chromebooks. Phones are easier to use, but that means the users have never had to work around the daily problems presented by most desktop environments.
But our systems are still set up assuming the kids are “digital natives” who just already know this stuff. So no one teaches them. So a new employee walks into the office… and they just don’t.
30-something here. And this is frightening for a few reasons.
Much of the back-end architecture will soon be more difficult to maintain, as those with the expertise retire or when the one guy volunteering to update a niche corner of some minute software function that holds up ¼ of the computer world dies.
While products are made to be “easier to use” now, which has made them more accessible, they aren’t made to last, contributing to tech pollution / e-waste. Many consumers don’t know how to upgrade or repair their own tech…if they are upgradeable.
Which brings me to my next point.
I bought a new low end laptop recently. Not chrome book, but actual Windows PC laptop. I haven’t had a personal computer for a while and with a lot of expectation to “return to the office” because COVID’s over, right? *heavy eye roll*, I wanted something cheap and portable. I found a deal because a lot of low end laptops are being discounted because school children aren’t remote now. I was actually looking for refurbished but found what I wanted cheaper new, sadly.
Finding one that I knew would run the software I needed or that wouldn’t be bogged down just with Windows? A challenge. You’ve got to know what RAM, HDD vs eMMC vs SSD, cores, age of processors, and all those specs mean.
Finding one that wasn’t Windows in “S mode,” a bullshit mode that locks you into the Windows app / store for ALL software (where they take a cut of each purchase)? Even more challenging.
When I booted it up…I imagine most people just click yes through things because why not, just want to get right to it, right?
The amount of privileges I had to decline because of targeted data collection, for ad preferences and other nefarious reasons; the number of easy-to-miss “no thanks” options to decline enrollment in bloatware; the number of things that wanted me to launch the free trial, where they could automatically enroll me into a monthly PAID subscription and could report failure to add a credit card to pay for it to credit agencies (!); many of these presented as the “recommended” or default option… ASTOUNDING.
And then I still had to go into system settings and turn off additional data tracking that they didn’t even present during set-up, along with bloatware bullshit programs they wanted to always run at start-up. Because I knew where to go and find that stuff. Don’t even get me starting on fucking Cortana.
Technology has gotten bad. Even 10 years ago, it was a couple simple agreements not to pirate, using software at your own risk, etc. and that was it.
Now? Waiving rights, arbitration, hidden terms that could leave you owing money if you don’t uninstall it, data collection to link accounts and literally track every move / your exact location / your usage, attempts to personalize ads through your specific searches, inability to block cookies unless you download a Google app!?, four pop ups for every website, as the default?
It is scary how much tech that was designed to increase productivity and make life easier has become yet another way for corporations to track us, sell to us, and sell their data on us, even potentially incriminating us.
Oh, and heaven forbid you know what you’re doing and try to upgrade or repair your equipment yourself. Warranty voiding? Should be illegal, may be illegal in some areas, but they still tell you it’ll void your warranty. Good luck finding the parts. Using non-OEM parts will void the warranty too…by design.
I did not survive Windows Vista era to deal with this bullshit.
I did not survive
Windows Vista era to
deal with this bullshit.
Beep boop! I look for accidental haiku posts. Sometimes I mess up.
Anyone have any resources for technology literacy for beginners?
^ this has intermediate information (as well as beginner info) that I think people who grew up on the internet benefit most from (so it won’t tell you what a phone is, or how to press the power button to turn on a computer). I recommend all sections the personal section under the top drop down (except the one aimed at children).
W3schools is a well known free resource for coding. I recommend HTML because it gives basic website building capabilities, so you can create a neocities website for example or even edit your Tumblr theme. You can also learn CSS (used with HTML to make prettier websites) and Python (used to make programs).
Touch typing
Touch typing is using the home row on keyboards. It allows people to type faster than pressing individual keys one at a time, like on a smart phone.
This site has lessons and practice tests and speed tests to measure progress. In middle school I was taking a practice test about three times a week and a speed test once a week for about fifteen minutes each time, if that helps.
—
These three areas are the main things people were taught in computer literacy courses.
I also recommend checking your local library or other educational resources (like local colleges, your current college/highschool/middle school etc, the college you graduated from). These can have in person instructors which can be super helpful. Feel free to send me any questions and stuff, if I don’t already know I’ll try to find out and share where I found it!
Helpful things I’ve done with my windows computer to make it safer/more efficient:
Installing Malwarebytes/enabling windows defender
Creating a backup of my computer on a hard drive
Setting permissions for apps to start on startup
Getting a password manager
Installing a web browser that isn’t chrome
Changing old passwords into better, more secure passwords- especially websites that have debit card info
I hope this helps :D
Hi! I’m an end user who grew up in the sweet spot between “nobody learns this” and “eh, you all know it all already” so here are some tips on learning to touch-type:
—cover your hands or get a keyboard cover that hides the keys. It helps you avoid “learning,” by which I mean I knew two people who did their “practice” looking at the keyboard and then couldn’t pass the test.
—you will still make typos when touch-typing. Do not take this as a sign of lack of progress on your part. I’ve been touch-typing for 22 years and I make typos. The cool thing is, though, the more proficient you get, you’ll get to the point where you can literally FEEL that you made a typo and correct it without looking.
—on this note, when you’re first learning, DO NOT try to correct yourself! Leave your mistakes. I forget why we were told to do this exactly but I remember being told it’s the same reason piano students are told to keep going and not start over, so there’s a lot of precedent behind that statement.
—when you first get the keys down, you are going to be. So. Slow. You’re going to look at the required WPM on job listings and go “no fucking way.” You’re going to be frustrated because you know you could go faster on your phone and at least think you could go faster doing hunt-and-peck. Keep at it. My AWPM (adjusted WPM, means it takes into account fixing typos and stuff) is 103. I didn’t get that speed overnight, or even in a couple of years. But it only took me about eight months to match the 40WPM you see on job listings.
—trying to transcribe from speech is a pain in the ass before you get used to it, but it’s really good practice. Try putting on a new podcast (so you don’t subconsciously know what’s next) and typing along.
—no, you will not lose texting skills due to learning touch-typing. Although it may make your texting faster! If you’ve ever seen the scene from Sherlock where he’s texting behind his back…yes, once you know the keyboard well enough, you can do that. I know this because I can do that. (Although not one-handed. I don’t have to look but I do need both hands.)
—touch-typing opens up a whole new world. Seriously—learn it.
As an IT Program Manager and Director, I can tell you that this is all VITAL information in the market today.
ALT
