I went to a meeting with my bank officer the other day. He was a young whipper snipper of about 25 who told me very patronizingly that he understood how someone my age wouldn't know how computers work and he would explain it simply for me.
I proceeded to inform him that he may have grown up with computers but who did he think thought them up and built them. I informed him that the day I started work, I was asked to test an accounting program for use in the office and from that day on, computers had been a daily headache. 1966 to 2023. Is a long time. 57 yrs. More than twice as long as he had been on this earth. We built them, their generation only fussed about the edges.
I am sure that some of you have been at it much longer and are a lot more skilled. I was only involved with installing and adapting already built programs to business needs. (fussed about the edges too)
but it still gets my back up.
Just think, all the things we adapted to on that journey of our young adult lives. Has any generation gone through so much change? When I started, adding machines (not calculators) were not even in general use. We wrote and added everything up using mental arithmetic in handwritten ledgers.
Some will say, they had very little to do with computers but I think they know more than they realise.
Weren't we so lucky to live in such an age. Aren't our kids lucky that we were able to build these things. (or maybe not, given the AI threat)
We need them to know the BOOMERS were indeed a generation to be applauded, who worked hard (and had a lot of fun) rather than be denigrated as they seem intent on doing.
And I still like an instrument that will just allow me to talk to someone out of hearing distance without all the other applications. So There.
The BOOMERS are not entirely responsible for all the ills of the world.
I went to a meeting with my bank officer the other day. He was a young whipper snipper of about 25 who told me very patronizingly that he understood how someone my age wouldn't know how computers work and he would explain it simply for me.
I still get a smile on my face when I recall something similar. I used to be a contract software developer writing custom applications for whoever wanted a custom application. One day I was on a clients site (as a customer) and because the owner was out, I was looked after by a salesperson who I'd never met. Because he couldn't find it in the system, he tried to deny me the "special" discount which the appreciative owner had setup for me.
The look of shock and horror on his face was absolutely priceless as I showed him how to find the discount details, and how to apply them to the purchase.
To his question of "How did you know all this?", I told him the truth.
What do you mean, 'you went to a meeting with your bank', how the heck did you manage that, I can't even get the direct phone number for my local branch of the CBA, and after the call centre transfers you the best that happens is that you have to leave a message.
I stand in awe of your accomplishment
Because I put so many complaints up demanding answers. It also took me two months of arguing. All I wanted was directions on how to do something and the staff at the branch had no idea. So all my Taurean virtues came to the fore. Determined, Stubborn, tenacious, pig headed, steaming nostrils, pawing the ground, etc etc. with their lily livered woke natures they didn't stand a chance. All fixed in ten minutes.
Ha ha.
Most certainly banks and other major institutions have contributed to turning us all into cranky old men/women!!!
I am conscious of and try to avoid "whinging", because with so many instances these days it could become a fulltime role!!!
My local CBA now shuts at 1 p.m., mind you more work to do now in a shorter time for the poor staff as our NAB branch closed two months ago!!!
The CBA have also killed the cheque deposit box I was using frequently.
The young lady said, I will teach you how to us the ATM to deposit cheques. I replied - I don't want to use the ATM, I have had problems before doing cheque deposits in that manner. So she then said I will have to deposit them over the counter, then replied I have low immunity issues and try to avoid crowds.
One cannot win with a bank, they make billions and treat we customers like imbeciles.
So I will now go back on thread, when I went from the bush to the city in 1980, our computer was in the basement in two large rooms with about 60 people working in there and they actually had air-conditioning (another new addition to life) to keep the computers cool. The computers were the ones in the big cabinets with the large spinning tape reels!
The computer room boss lady was a bit like Nurse Rached, if you got some data wrong in one square - look out! She was on the phone and not happy Irene!
This got me thinking, how many times have I been inside of a Bank for transactions over the last 8 years, it would be less than 5 times.
I can do almost everything I need without human intervention.
This got me thinking, how many times have I been inside of a Bank for transactions over the last 8 years, it would be less than 5 times. I can do almost everything I need without human intervention.
My banks nearest branch is 1000km away. Can't remember the last time I went to one.
Gundog & smwhiskey, you have gone off track of original post.
This thread was/is discussing how elders (mostly us) are quite computer savvy in spite of what the younger generation may think.
It was a whinge about how we are treated when we come across issues with computers.
The banks attitude was just an example. FYI I never go into the branches. Haven't used cash for about 5 years. Prefer to do all my transactions over the internet, the workings of which I am quite familiar with.
Gundog & smwhiskey, you have gone off track of original post.
This thread was/is discussing how elders (mostly us) are quite computer savvy in spite of what the younger generation may think.
It was a whinge about how we are treated when we come across issues with computers.
The banks attitude was just an example. FYI I never go into the branches. Haven't used cash for about 5 years. Prefer to do all my transactions over the internet, the workings of which I am quite familiar with.
True. Sorry. Irony is that used to work for a bank that actually went through a process of rationalising/reducing the number of bank branches in the belief that all their customers had computers and/or tablets and could do most transactions via internet banking
Any concept that there were people out there who didn't own an internet connected device was a concept that they just couldn't comprehend.
However, Phones are a problem. Give me a phone that will connect me to the person I want to talk to without any fuss or nonsense.
Smart phones get a big thumbs down from me.
Just sitting here today minding my own business, the phone on the cupboard next to me (its only about two months old) suddenly lit up with the torch coming on of its own accord. It also was ringing a random number from my contact list. A message came up from the assistant asking if there was anything else it could help me with. Gremlins?
Getting help from a human is very problematic also. They always want to know what the problem is and are a little dumbfounded when I say "I don't know. The phone is doing stupid things all by itself and I have no idea what is causing it" I can just see them grimacing and thinking Öh no, another oldie who is computer illiterate.
When are the younger generation going to realise that it is possible to make things that just work as they should.
When I first started working my boss could add up a page length of sales numbers average 10s to 100s of dollar figures including cents.
He would get to a total by the time I had put the first 5 numbers in the calculator, & I would always do it in reverse to double check.
I once could remember about 300 customers' telephone numbers. Funny thing was if someone asked me one of the numbers I could never remember. Had to pretend to key it into a pretend phone, then it would come to me.
These days can't even remember my other half's phone number. I have written it on a bit of paper & stuck it in my wallet.
I remember mine, probably because I have had the same mobile number since the early 90s.
Still remember my parents 6 digit phone number, although that went decades ago.
Can remember me first car's licence plate number (should have kept it!), but have to think for the current car, which we have had almost a decade. Embarrassing stuff!
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Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!
50L custom fuel rack 6x20W 100/20mppt 4x26Ah gel 28L super insulated fridge TPMS 3 ARB compressors heatsink fan cooled 4L tank aftercooler Air/water OCD cleaning 4 stage car acoustic insulation.
I still can remember all my current license numbers from all the other states in OZ, it helps as I have misplaced some of those licenses in last few years.
