Technorganise

Like it or not, we live online now. I wake up, check Messenger. Drink coffee, scroll through the news. Walk five steps from kitchen to desk, morning virtual stand-up. A day of Zoom, Skype, Google Meets, Trello and, of course, more Zoom, is nicely rounded off by falling asleep to Netflix (sadly minus the chill).

However, this article is not about me. I am 24 and therefore of the generation that both invented and perfected the art of spending too much time online. This article is about my parents, who have received three knockout blows over the past year. First, a global pandemic. Second, opening up their home once more to me, their youngest child, just when they believed they had finally encouraged, supported, and subtly pushed us all out of their newly renovated nest. Third, and most devastatingly, they have had to accept that the technology they have successfully avoided for all of their lives is now an integral part of their daily existence.

The person spirit guiding them through this horrifying realisation is none other than yours truly, whose leading role as 24-hour IT support in our home more than makes up for my lack of rent payment. Or so I tell myself.

Before I begin, let me make it clear that my parents are far from technologically illiterate - it is far worse than that. They are technologically disorganised. This is a difficult thing for them to accept, as my parents are two of the most organised people I know. On paper. But organising yourself physically and organising yourself virtually are vastly different skills.

This guide has arisen from a series of equally painful and hilarious conversations, in which I have attempted to hold my parents’ hands to guide them (kicking and screaming) down the path to technical organisation. It covers files, cloud storage, security, passwords, tech support, emails, and what to do when it all gets too complicated. I hope it will help adults who struggle with the fact that every facet of their lives is now being stored online, and their long-suffering, loving tech support.

Files

“Zoë, it’s gone. No, I do still want you to look for it, but I’m telling you, it’s not there, so there’s no point looking.”

Storing things you care about so that they can be accessed in a moment is one of the great joys of having a computer. It is an all-in-one photo album, diary and filing cabinet which can easily fit inside your backpack. But this dream quickly becomes a nightmare as your hard drive fills with hundreds of photos of paint samples, and you end up spending 3 hours scrolling through them to find the one picture you’re looking for.

When trying to store photos, your computer will do it for you in purely chronological order if left to its own devices. This is useful if you happen to remember the date of every single vaguely photo-worthy occasion in your life. It will also handily do it by size, for those evenings when you just want to watch all the videos you’ve ever taken in order from longest to shortest. For the rest of us however, we need a system.

This system can be anything, as long as it makes sense to the person/people using the computer. I recommend organising by events (Hannah’s wedding 2019, Cambridge Folk Festival 2017 etc. ). Always use the date, and don’t be afraid to reshuffle if the system is not working for you. Some people sort all their files rigidly by the month they were created, others divide their life clearly into facets of ‘Work’, ‘Education’, ‘Exercise’ etc. Try some out and see what works for you. Mainly, put a lot of thought into how you are naming these folders and files. Names are the way that we find and identify things, and we can waste a lot of time forgetting where we put things and what we named them.

The other important thing to remember with all files and photos, is that most of them are temporary. You don’t need to keep every single version of a CV that you’ve ever made. Therefore, going through all your items with the mindset of a virtual machete is not a bad idea. A good rule of thumb is to go through your files every month and delete the unnecessary ones. The 124 photos of paint shades from B&Q? Gone. The notes from the first lesson of that online course you took 12 years ago, got bored, and never finished? Deleted. This doesn’t have to be a chore – you can discover some true gems whilst going through old files on your computer. You can also do it with a glass of wine, and with the promise of a second glass when you’ve finished – it is a task that requires absolutely minimal attention, just a little time.

In summary:

1. Your files are where you left them.
2. Have a system for naming your files so you waste less time. Stick to it.
3. Delete every month.

Sometimes however, your computer just doesn’t have enough storage, or you’re scared of losing all your hard work with a slip of the hand. When that happens, we need to talk about…

Cloud Storage

“Zoë – where is the cloud?”

Tackling “the cloud” conversation can be difficult. Most people may think they want to understand exactly how their files are stored on servers halfway around the world, but inevitably their eyes will glaze over the second they hear the words “dynamic”, “back-up server” or “multi-tenant infrastructure”. If you didn’t find your eyelids growing heavy just from reading those words, there are some great resources online to learn about how cloud storage works [1][2]. For the rest of us, all you need to know is that “the cloud” refers to anywhere that you are storing files which are not directly on the machine you are using. This means that you can access them from your laptop at home, at work, your phone, or other devices. So, if you spill that morning coffee all over your laptop, your files are safe. You’ll still need a password so not everyone can get to them, and it is probably even more secure than storing files on your laptop, as companies that provide cloud storage will use much better cyber security than you. If you’re planning to set up cloud storage, Google Drive is a safe place to start, and this link is a nice one for guiding you through the process [3].

In summary:

1. “The cloud” or “cloud storage” is a useful way to store the files/photos you like to make sure you don’t lose them completely if you drop your laptop.
2. Google Drive, One Drive and DropBox are all fairly common examples of cloud storage.

However, one of the main things that people are concerned about with the cloud is – “Who can see my files? Can people get to them?” This means it’s time to talk about…

Security

“Zoë, I’ve seen 2001: A Space Odyssey – I’ve seen what computers can do.”

In this quote, my dad was of course referring to HAL 9000, an onboard spaceship computer who betrays and tries to kill the entire crew. Other than assuring him that his computer was very unlikely to do the same, there are several other useful pieces of advice which can make people feel more secure when using their computers.

Firstly, back up all the files you care about. Either on a USB stick, or using cloud storage. This means even if something does compromise your computer, those files are still safe. Do this once a month, at the same time as you are deleting all the old files you don’t need.

Second, get some good antivirus software. Do your research and look for one with a high detection and block rate for malware. Check for other user opinions and reviews (not just the ones at the top of the page). Do not be annoyed if your antivirus asks to update itself regularly, persistent as that little message in the bottom right hand corner is. This is probably a good sign and means that its creators are staying on top of new virus developments.

In summary:

1. Computers are (mostly) not out to get you.
2. Back up your important files.
3. Download some good antivirus software.

A lot of security breaches can be avoided by using sensible working practices when on your computer. That means it’s time to talk about…

Passwords

“Zoë! I can’t remember my memorable information.”

There is very little more irritating than a website suggesting that you use the password “a08&&!#~øæÜ∂$”. Possibly more irritating is when you use that password, forget it every single day for a month, then are asked to update it for security purposes to something even more complicated.

As with naming your files, use a system. Write actors’ names backwards. Make an acronym of the first line of your favourite song. Use a number or symbol as suggested, but don’t go crazy or you won’t remember it. One idea is to always substitute certain vowels for an exclamat!on mark. If you need to write them down, do so unless it’s for your bank details. And preferably not in a large book marked ‘PSWD’ which you like to leave around the house.

In summary:

1. Have a system for making passwords which includes special characters.
2. Accept the annoying updates – there’s nothing you can do.

Sometimes you won’t remember your passwords, and you will be locked out of things you need. At that point, we need to talk about…

Tech Support

“Zoë, the Internet is gone, and now there’s a strange dog on the screen.”

That quote came from a call with my grandmother, whilst attempting to fix her loss of Internet. The ‘dog’ was the image of the ‘No Internet T-rex’ who appears when the laptop is offline and having difficulty reaching the Internet. The T-rex, likewise, has difficulty reaching things.

It is very useful to have someone you can call when your computer goes wrong. Preferably someone who has indicated they are happy to do that for you, and who gets something out of it as well, such as surprise thank you cookies. If all else fails, use a teenager. They’re not doing a lot at the moment.

In summary:

1. Get to know someone who you can call with computer questions.
2. Keep your tech support well fed.

Emails

“Zoë! Google ate the email!”

I’m a strong believer in keeping your inbox organised. The sight of 2000 unread emails makes me feel physically uncomfortable. So, in the same way that you need to organise your files, your inbox needs organising too. The difference is that, unlike your files, things appear in your inbox that you have not personally put there. Lots of things.

During lockdown, we have all signed up to many new and fabulous opportunities. What we don’t necessarily realise we have signed up to is daily bombardment by representatives from said opportunities, asking why we haven’t taken them up on this life-changing experience. Personally, I signed up to 3 online courses, 12 clothing websites, 2 streaming platforms and a whole host of other things that I am not prepared to admit to.

Most emails that I receive from these organisations will be deleted upon arrival. This is a daily task. If you’re going to sign up to a lot of things, you need to put in the effort to either unsubscribe from almost everything they send, or to clean out your inbox. My rule of thumb is to keep an inbox folder for ‘Offers’ that I might want to take up and ‘Receipts’ that I might want to find again, and then delete everything else.

In summary:

1. Before you sign up, ask yourself if you’re ever going to want to interact with this organisation again. If not, maybe reconsider.
2. Unsubscribe from as much as you can if a cluttered inbox bothers you.
3. Keep a ‘Receipts’ and ‘Offers’ folder for subscriptions.

Cluttered inbox syndrome can lead to fatigue, headaches and cravings. When it all becomes too much, it’s time to talk about…

Walking away

“Frankly Zoë, I’d rather live without it.”

This one was said by my father upon realising that he had lost all changes he’d been working on in a document for the past three days.

When you feel this way, and I mean when, not if, as any computer user will know - walk away. We are not designed to spend all our time online, and it is a far more stressful experience than many of us realise. Even 20 minutes away from the screen doing something, anything, else will have a positive benefit.

The only other helpful suggestion I can offer is to make the space you are working in as inviting as possible. It is very difficult to get started on technical organisation as it can be an incredibly daunting task. Use everything you have at your disposal to trick your body into thinking you are about to do something you enjoy. Surround yourself with houseplants. Get a mug of your favourite tea. Arrange pictures of your family and friends around yourself like a lunatic’s shrine. Finally, celebrate the small achievements. Technological organisation is tough, but well worth the effort.

[1] https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/internetbasics/understanding-the-cloud/1/

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-exhrtTmpWQ

[3] https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/googledriveanddocs/getting-started-with-google-drive/1/