doctoral candidate in rhetoric and scientific and technical communication
Thursday January 30, 2003
Today’s “Found” Journaling word is:
Upgrade
I opened my e-mail this morning and found that the product that I manage is getting a new upgrade. This is not an uncommon occurrence. I get upgrades on the Human Resources module for this product at least once every 2-3 months. What is odd is that it is coming less than a month before the yearly convention that we all meet at (yes, dear readers, I will be in New Orleans for 5 glorious days in March to celebrate my participation in this fun world of databases and will not, thusly, be writing during that week…but I digress). It got me to thinking that we, in the west, seem to be all about upgrades.
Nothing is ever good enough. We want the newest version, the most up-to-date, the most technilogically advanced product that we can get our hands on. Now, I wouldn’t normally think this is a bad thing (being the geek girl that I am) but I’m questioning our need to get further and further ahead.
What is it that we’re running from? Why do you need that brand new SUV with the built-in DVD player and heated leather seats? Was your compact economy car not getting you from point A to point B?
Why do you, really, need that 2+ Ghz processor? Are you doing amazing digital media that requires the speed or is it simply to say that you have it?
I think we buy into the notion that bigger is better, newer is the best. We’ve lost the ideal that sometimes oldies are goodies.
I think this is brought to the forefront for me because I do a lot of crafts. I’ve been quilting and doing scrapbooking lately (which really seems to get you into a nostalgic mood) but my first love is bead work. I’ve been buying a lot of my beads on E-bay and recently found people who only deal with vintage beads. These are hand-crafted, phenomenal glass beads. They are incredibly beautiful and a joy to view.
I’m no different than anyone else. I want to trade my Sentra in on a SUV (so I can get in and out of my dirt parking lot and road during the winter months). I like having a fast computer (and I do, occasionally, do multi-media work that requires the speed).
I like to think that I appreciate the past, too, and what it has to offer.
Upgrade now…to something vintage. You might just find a treasure.
-
-
-
Hmmm.. my computer has a 1999 copywrite on the BIOS, but I have flash upgraded it once, so the computer is older than but it is definately older than 3 years. I have added memory to it, and it needs a larger HD. It has a DVD drive, but the processor (a PII 266) is really too slow to manage to play them. A CD burner would be nice too. It’s a laptop – so a bit harder to add those things. When I get a new one it is likely to be a refurbed year or so old one that has a faster processor (but not a multi Ghz one.. double what i have now would be fine), the ability to take more than 256MB mem (this is maxed at that – and it’s not enough) and a DVD-CDRW combo drive, plus a bigger disk. Getting a new one depends entirely on what work I get.. two software packages I use mean the mem, disk *and* processor of this one are onthe edge of what’s feasable. Other than that.. this is just fine.
A Powerbook on the otherhand, would be just nice to have
-
oy, and doesn’t the thought of a DVD player in a car scare the hell out of you? it does me…
when i’m in England… one of the things i love where i am (and you know where that is) is that things are rarely new… they’re treasures… and i think being among those treasures has been one of the things that has helped me to value my own treasures more…
i am glad you are doing these found journal entries. i am thoroughly enjoying reading them, plus the fact that they’re prompting a lot of thought on my part. thanks.. *smile*
…and i’ll be in touch, re New Orleans… that’s too close not to have a margarita. or something.
-
I just think that if we continually upgrade, wouldn’t we just hit a ceiling and be forced to stop?
It’s kind of stressful, upgrading all the time, but I know what you mean, I feel like I ‘need’ to upgrade cars, houses in my life. I want to be simple and have only what I need, but the conveniences are nice also. Thanks for the food for thought Branwyn! You have yourself a great day! -
- Comment Feed for this Post
Justa response to your response in zoodoms blog. Telling someone that they have no taste is not good, but to tell them that Thomas Kincaid is not a real artist is nothing more than the truth. I saw a PBS special with him. He knows he is putting out “pretty pictures” with no depth. He, like many old masters, doesnt even paint the whole thing himself. He has many painters who work for him. I give him credit for being the highest paid painter of all times, in terms of being alive. His work IS crap, and has nothing to say to people beyond its aesthetic appearance. They are pretty and I will step outside myself from time to time to admire that, but without depth, like Rembrandt it holds me for a second and no more.