Time To Change the Oil
Your computer hasn't been taken care of lately and it should.
Friday, August 05, 2005
BY : Brian Ashe
It's Saturday afternoon and your Dad is heading for the garage with his toolbox in his hand. You look up from your cartoons and run over to him. "What are you doing, Daddy?" you ask in your high pitched voice. "Time to change the oil on your Mother's car.", he responds, "Wanna come?" A large smile materializes on your face as you follow him out to the garage to learn something about being a grown-up.
You may remember a scene like that from your childhood, or you may have memories of the car being taken to the auto repair shop for maintenance and repairs to be done. Either way, you had it instilled in you from a young age that the family car was a machine and a tool and as such, it required that it be kept in good working order. As you got closer to getting your own car you probably even got reminded of your responsibility to keep it running well. In addition, the DMV requires that your car meets a minimum safety and emissions standard. All of this is up to you and you know it.
Not all modern conveniences require this level of maintenance. Many things like washers, dryers, ovens, etc. require that you do little more than clean them. You pretty much just use them until they break five or ten years down the road and then determine whether repair or replacement is the best course of action.
Then there are home electronics. These devices (TV sets, VCRs, DVD players, stereos, etc.) just run. The most difficult thing you will ever be bothered with is setting the clock. When they go, it is almost always easier and cheaper to go to the store and purchase a new one.
On the other hand there are computers. Once these were the exclusive playground of large companies. Now nearly every home has at least one. They require care in a similar fashion to our vehicles, but we expect them to be more like a DVD player. Can't we just leave it plugged in and do what we want to do without having to do all of the maintenance? Unfortunately, NO!
The worst part about all this is that nobody told you that. You didn't see your Mom or Dad defragging a hard drive, or applying software patches, or updating the anti-virus definitions or any of the other myriad tasks involved in proper computer ownership. And just like your car, if you fail to do these things, it could have serious consequences. Failing to change your oil could lead to engine failure and a $3000 bill. Failing to keep the viruses, spyware and trojans off your computer could lead to a year long struggle to repair your credit and identity.
It's not your parents' fault that you didn't learn these things. Times were different even a few years ago. But it is your fault if you aren't learning that now and treating your computer more like your car. It is a machine and a tool. You need to treat it like one. It's for your own good and your family's safety.
Most of all, teach this to your kids. Some time when you are walking to the computer and your your kid asks you what you are doing, tell them you are going to do some updates on the computer and say "Wanna come?" Make sure they know it is just another of those things they will need to do when they grow up.
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