9/28/97

Sick Computer or Sick Operator?

I have spent many days (it feels like weeks) arguing with this god-damn machine about how it should work. Actually the machine is fine it is just that the Internet and electronic mail server I hired in the states are the difficult ones. I've spent about $50.00 on phone calls in the past two days trying to get plug in. The difficulty is all the damn PPP Config and MacTPP settings (what ever the hell they are and do). As an Italian man (with a very heavy accent) said to me when we were both at the computer 'vets' office: "computers are never wrong".

So, after many hours of frustration with once service, I fired them. The problem then became finding a local server who I could communicate with and they could get me set up. It also took me several days to cancel my subscription with the other service because I could not get on the intenet to do so. It also seems that they do not have a published address to send hate mail to!

Well, after several long walks to get to the store, (there are busses to the door but I have yet to figure them out)(besides "I only need to make one more trip" I keep saying to myself!) we finally resolved the problems.

It was interesting, I felt like I had a sick child. But considering that this silly little device is my connection with the other world that I know, it does become a big part of my life and family.

After several more trips I am now plugged into the world. Of course it is at a cost. Beyond the 12 month connection fee (I'll be here for only six) local calls are charged by the 'unit'. The duration of a unit depends on the time of day and distance called. It is not like the states where local calls are 'free' with your basic service. I also hear that Italy has the most expensive and most corrupt phone service in the world. That may be one reason that everyone has a cell phone, beyond the fact that they seem to think it is a status symbol. I think they are a pain in the ass!

Now that I am plugged in I am trying to surf the net. The problem is that I can not figure out how to use the search engines, especially when everything is written in Italian. I find it curious that I put in the name of the place that I want to get info on and usually everything but what I ask for comes back. Quite curious, but I'll learn.

Sometimes when I use this machine I feel like some bozo is looking over my shoulder egging me on to push the wrong buttons and helping me to forget what I just did.