Hope for the Technologically Challenged

Last week's blog was about setting goals and trying to move forward in positive ways.   So..  of course I reminded myself of that when looking at the box containing the WiFi extender that I had ordered from Amazon... the one I had been looking at for several days as it reposed quietly on the kitchen table.  The key words here are "looking at".  There is an important difference between "looking at" and figuring out what to do with it.

You would think I was trying to formulate a plan to save the world or something when all I wanted to do is to be able to access the Internet from the back guest bedroom and perhaps out on the back patio. Technology scares me.  Even trying to deal with it is a personal challenge.  

The thing is -- the description of this "thing" said easy installation. Easy?  As I understood it, all I had to do was plug it into a wall socket and push one button to activate the connection to my current router and extend the WiFi capabilities.  Whoever wrote that description lied.  I hope they, at some point in time, find themselves confronted with a box they are trying to ignore -- a box containing something they want to figure out, but are struggling with... a box that haunts.

Here's what I am thinking as I write.  Today is the day to stop rereading the six step instructions and get it done.  If I fail, I have options.   I can try again tomorrow or ...  I can beg for help from my grandkids or wait until my son comes from Indiana for Thankmas -- whichever opportunity for help comes first.  

~~~~   So...

Day One -- After rereading instructions for the who knows how many times, I plugged the extender into the wall socket - the first of the 6 steps described in the instruction booklet. TA DA!  Success with that first step -- plug in and turn on. Downhill from there.... worked on it off and on all day.  It was total failure as the flashing blue lights on the gadget indicated, but ...   I succeeded in not taking a hammer to the device and ... after considerable thought ... opted to try again tomorrow  I did, however say a bad word ... just one ... but it was a beaut.

Day Two -- Repeat of utter failure.  Tried working through my router directly rather than through my phone.  So much for suggestions found on YouTube.

Day Three.  If at first you don't succeed, ask Chat GPT. It was a good "listener".  I described both methods I had tried unsuccessfully.  It offered a step by step  method that sort of combined working through my phone and through the router - the two methods I had tried with no luck.  Chat GPT is smart and easy to talk with... conversational really. Success in under five minutes.   Ta Da!!!  Nothing quite like the solid blue lights of a working WiFi extender.

My conclusion?  Chat GPT offers hope to the technologically challenged and doesn't talk to you like you are an idiot.  Refreshing.  AI (Artificial Intelligence) that really is intelligent.  Yep  SI (Super Intelligence) is more apt when talking about Chat GPT.  

I am advancing.  From now on -- I am going forego instructions written by someone for whom English is a second language and also skip YouTube videos.  I am going straight for "the" Chat GPT.  I wonder if it could motivate me to clean out my garage?  Might be worth a shot.