BehindTheLens

We are dependant on computers, probably much more so than foreign oil or Starbuck’s coffee. When that vital instrument of our lives acts up, the consequences can be dire. On those occasions when someone on high decides your system needs an upgrade, time to schedule an extended vacation in hopes that your computer somehow resembles a functional device by the time you return.

Our photographers rely on a laptop for editing our daily stories, as well as e-mail, blogging and other vital tasks. Something on this particular model doesn’t work well. Here in Dallas/Ft. Worth, we don’t use that function, but photographers in other NBC stations do. The fix? Replace the motherboard!

This may have been a 20-minute process, but it has taken days to resolve the resulting computer issues. Nobody is to blame for the problems, it’s just that when you do something as major as replacing the very soul of your system unexpected issues arise. Without the vital tools we need to do our job, the result can be stressful, painful and quite frustrating. If you have been wondering why this column has been stale the past week or so, well I hope you now understand!