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So much technology I feel quite out of control

July 22nd, 2010 by Heather Douglas
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You'd think, with a business revolving around the Internet, I'd know the ropes when it comes to technology. And if you're talking HTML, PHP, or the ins and outs of spiders, SEO, page impressions, FTP clients and server management, I can more than hold my own.

Why, then, am I reduced to almost a blithering idiot after a few months of "upgrading" a variety of technology items?

I feel like I've been under attack on all fronts. It started with rebuilding a large web site from the ground up using a new CMS and importing a whole lot of legacy data. But I've blogged about that already. We've been thrilled that the site has generally received rave reviews and the few wrinkles we had are either a thing of the past or being actively sorted out.

Not complacent that that was enough on the stress-inducing techno-challenge front, we also upgraded our adserver, changed our web host, changed our domain name (that's a biggie but we had good reasons to do it) and redirected the old URLs, mapping each old page to the corresponding new one. Aaargh!

Every new bit of the jigsaw puzzle meant more chances for something to not talk to something else. I'm lucky to have a great team and specialists who can configure various bits and pieces exactly as they should be, but my approach has always been to get to grips with anything new myself as I think if you understand it "at the coalface" you can manage the business better. So while the team worked away and the odd bug raised it's head, I took in all the techno-babble and managed to look reasonably like I knew what they were on about.

I guess that would all have been just in a day's work. I don't know what made us decide that all this new web site activity warranted an overhaul of our broadband options and an upgrade to the phone system which was integrated into the telco bundle. Uh-oh - what a mistake. We couldn't connect to anything (try that in the middle of a major site rebuild and launch!), the phone rang but we couldn't hear anyone at the end of the call, and we couldn't call out. We were marooned for the best part of a week by all the marvellous new technology!

Yes, we did eventually get the new provider to take all their gadgetry away and to switch back to our old service (better the devil you know!) but are still fighting over astronomical bills for the few days we were actually connected. Humph!

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24 July 2010 - 2:21pm — Heather Douglas
Heather Douglas's picture

He he too right

Wonderful - sometimes Phil :-)
It's the proliferation, and the fact that there's little standardisation, and that when it doesn't work as it should we are left so high and dry. There must be few houses with a working landline when the power goes off now. Then, again, we used to be able to get by without all the toys. These days, we tend to get mildly panicky if we're without a tech tool for even an hour or two!

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Helping you get buzzy with your business!

24 July 2010 - 1:24pm — Phil Astley
Phil Astley's picture

So much technology I feel quite out of control

You really touched a nerve with this one. I have had a stroke - and a spectacular recovery some time later. But when I got home from the hospital, my wife sat me down (at my request) to read my e-mails. I read one - and then asked her how I read the next one. So you can see I was starting from very basic stuff. The remotes for the TV and stereo were hard work - but if you added the DVD / VCR into the mix it was chaos.

I share your view that we should be in control of a web site - but that's hard work keeping up.

But for me the current issue - which I'm sure you'll identify with - is cell phones. We recently replaced our old ones - but did you know that Motorola no longer sells phones in NZ? I've got quite used to them over the years - starting with a "brick". But I had to switch - and eventually found what looked like the ideal phone. It was a Nokia - so no worry there about being left in the lurch. All is reasonably OK - until I get a text. My wife and children are generally the only ones who do - although Vodafone and another friend sometimes text. Generally there's no problem - unless I have to reply. Almost always I try, give up, and ask my wife to send it.

Isn't technology wonderful?

—

Phil Astley
www.businessacademy.co.nz

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About the author

Heather Douglas's picture
Heather Douglas
http://www.bizbuzz.co.nz

I started HomebizBuzz in 2000, when I worked from home and realised there was nowhere for home businesses to find relevant information, nor a community of like-minded people to tap into for support, or just a chat.

Since then the site has grown to be a popular, active destination for self-employed business owners, a place to find information, resources, tools, support and friends.

I'm passionate about micro business, as they are often "invisible" and their contribution to the economy is under-rated. I've been involved in research projects, co-written a book chapter, launched The David Awards and lobbied government and others to help give the micro business person a voice. In 2005, I was humbled to receive a Vero Excellence in Business Support for the Individual who had made the biggest contribution to business support in New Zealand.

When I'm not driving Bizbuzz, I enjoy gardening, experimenting in the kitchen, entertaining, travel and spending time with my family.

Auckland