Free web-based email.  Want to learn more? Email Login: Password: New users sign up!

View the PuterGeek.Com Sponsors

Main areas: Amy's Corner Downloads Howie's Corner The PeterCam Peter's Place PuterGeek Speaks Refer-a-Friend Message Board White Papers

Help!! I'm a Geek

[ Home ] [ Site Map ] [ Site Search ] [ Back to last page ]

I have a confession to make to all of you. I'm...a...GEEK! I know, some of you aren't surprised since I'm married to the PuterGeek but believe me, I don't really want to be a geek...but a geek I am. I mean, there's nothing wrong with being a computer geek. I just never thought I'd turn into one.

How does one turn into a computer geek? Is there some cosmic force at work here? (Help me Obi-Wan!!) Is there a geek gene? Is it fate? WHAT IS IT?

As far as I can tell, it's been coming on slowly...like when you look in the mirror and see the gray hair starting to pop through the Clairol #8GB. (Oops, you caught me on that one!!) Well, let's just start at the beginning shall we? 

A long time ago, in an apartment way way up on the third floor/converted attic, Peter got his first computer. To make a long story short, he got me hooked too. Now, all I wanted to be was a computer USER. Please read that again (especially PuterGeek), I wanted to be a USER. Well, one thing lead to another and BAM! here I was learning how to wipe and reinstall Windows with just a few hints here and there from PuterGeek.

That was my first sign that something in me was changing. I was actually interested in learning how to wipe and reinstall, how to update drivers, how to copy *.* and then came sign number 2.

Sign number 2 was when he got me my Gateway. Now, don't get me started on that issue. If you're really interested, go read the Gateway nightmare page. The short version was, well, my computer was MESSED UP...big time. So like a good computer user, I called 'tech support' and tried to handle it all myself. One of the techs said I had a virus. Gee, a virus?!? How come Norton didn't catch it? But hey, what do I know? I mean, I'm just a USER and since the tech works for a major computer company, they should know right? HA!

Anyway, I thought I would do some investigating on my own. So I actually did some searching in that great information data base of overwhelming proportion called The Microsoft Knowledge Base. Now, if you've ever had the courage to go into the Knowledge Base, you know that it's, well, just a tad bit confusing. Don't get me wrong, there is a wealth of information in there. It just takes awhile to find the information that you're looking for. In my case, about 2 hours. Once I found some documentation to discredit the virus causing my Gateway problems, I got even more courage to go to Norton's Knowledge Base and found even MORE evidence that Gateway's tech people were full of you-know-what. So that's sign number 2...onto number 3.

Sign number 3 was when PuterGeek was putting in a new sound card for me. I stupidly asked, "How do you know which slot to put it in? Which one of those longs things is a PCI slot? Does it matter what order the cards are installed in? How do you know when the card is all the way in?" Boy, I should have just held the flashlight and kept my mouth shut. Because with those questions, that started my lessons on how to open my computer box, how to take out the old card and put it carefully into the anti-static bag, how to put the new card in...well, I think you get the idea.

Sign number 4 is really a lesson in osmosis. Osmosis is basically learning through listening. My eldest sister used to put her notes under her pillow in hopes that she would remember what was written in them by osmosis. (It doesn't work) In my case, here is how I've learned through osmosis. When PuterGeek and his friend, Andy would get together they talked computers. When they would get into their discussions, I would leave and go watch TV or play/work on my computer. One day, PuterGeek asked me, "How many IRQ's are there?" I answered, "16". He looked shocked and asked me how I knew that. I just explained that while I wasn't listening to their conversation, I just heard their heated debate and somehow knew there were 16. And in anticipation of his next question, I said, "There are 16: 0 through 15 and you count 0 so there are 16 rather than 15 like some people blurt out without counting." See? See? Osmosis.

Sign number 5 came to me just recently. Almost every year around Christmas time, we go through our "time to upgrade our computers". In year 2000, we didn't upgrade except for new video cards. Normally it's a whole system with parts going round-robin.

Well, while driving across I-20 in Texas the other day, PuterGeek looked at me and said, "It's time for me to build another box." I started asking questions and when I said, "Gee, is it going to be like Thomas' in Hawaii?", he just smiled. Thank you ever-so-much Thomas! ;-)

So PuterGeek and I started discussing what he wanted the computer for and he wants one for back-up/testing purposes. So out of the blue, I started saying things like, "Hey, don't we have an extra Sound Blaster card? Oh yeah! We've also got an extra Promise Controller card right?"

OH MY GOSH!! I'm starting to know what kind of parts we have! I mean, I remembered after I said it that we don't have an extra Promise Controller card because we gave it to his brother, Tom! WHAT KIND OF USER AM I THAT I KNOW WHAT SPARE PARTS WE HAVE!! 

Of course, I immediately knew that I just took another step toward being more of a computer geek. I just couldn't believe it. I...just...couldn't...believe...it.

So, now I'm even more of a geek than I was 2 weeks ago. I'm not really upset. It's actually pretty cool. I'm going farther and farther into the world of geekdom. Heck, pretty soon, I'll be putting my next computer together from scratch all by myself. 

I just hope that PuterGeek will want to watch to make sure I do it right...and ask me to hold the flashlight. :-) 

[ Home ] [ Site Map ] [ Site Search ] [ Back to last page ]

Last Revised: 03/20/2001

Do you want to take a moment to say thank you? Please take a moment to fill out my website survey. Want some free help from the PuterGeek via email? Have you voted in the current poll? Want to try our user-to-user Message Board? Have you checked out our free web-based email? Want to link your website to PuterGeek.Com?

Want to become a PuterGeek.Com Sponsor?

You can now sponsor PuterGeek.Com through PayPal in increments of $10 or more!
For other available options go to the FAN page.

Thanks for the help Thomas!