| I have two Dads. That sounds strange doesn't it? | | | | the job, so he sticks with it.). I'm also a little afraid to |
| One is my genetic father, and the other is my | | | | hook my laptop up to her dial-up line as I know from |
| geneticist father. The genetic Dad I've only ever lived | | | | experience that I'll have to change some settings of |
| with for one year when I was an infant, while the | | | | which I am not confident about doing. |
| geneticist Dad is what you would call a step-father, | | | | So the next answer was to go to her university |
| but I've lived in close proximity with him for more | | | | where she said people use their laptops wirelessly in |
| than 20 years. I feel close to them both. I connect | | | | the library. That sounded cool so I went in and tried |
| differently with each of them but on a pretty much | | | | it out. I even tried changing the settings to get it to |
| equal level. The reason I'm sharing my personal | | | | work (It took courage.) but I couldn't get it to work. |
| information with you is because I've just had a | | | | I was weary about asking for help because I wasn't |
| realisation about my fathers in relation to the area | | | | really a student at that particular learning |
| that I work in: computers and the Internet. It's really | | | | establishment. Instead, I've been using the library's |
| quite interesting. | | | | computers. This is OK, but since I can't walk away |
| One father is a computer maniac. Whenever a new | | | | with the files I create (I borrowed my girlfriend's |
| technology, software, gadget, or website emerges | | | | thumb-drive but an experience from the past of not |
| he is one of the first to grab it up and evaluate it. My | | | | being able to transfer information from PC to Mac |
| other father has an old piece-of-crap box that looks | | | | deters me from using it-again, an irrational fear. I |
| something like a computer, with a tediously slow | | | | know it, and I will give it a try this week. I've |
| dial-up connection to the World Wide Web. | | | | resorted to saving my files in my email account as |
| Compared to the wireless, broadband Mac personal | | | | attachments. It's not conventional, but it works. |
| computer and mobile-connected Mac laptop of the | | | | Another issue I've had is getting onto my messenger |
| enthusiast, they couldn't be from further parts of the | | | | service. The university computers don't have it on |
| galaxy. | | | | their desktop, and when I tried to download an |
| Then there's me. I could be construed as being a | | | | on-line version I was told that I didn't have the |
| walking paradox, an enigma, or just plainly twisted | | | | authority to do so. I went to an Internet |
| when it comes to my relationship with the computer | | | | café, and I could do work there (I'm working |
| and Internet sphere of life. Nature/nurture, genetic | | | | on the road) but I feel kind of silly paying to get paid. |
| environmental...For whatever strange reason, I have | | | | It was cool there though as they had messenger |
| turned out to be a combination of the two papas. I | | | | with voice and video and I was able to have a |
| work as a creative writer for an Internet | | | | conversation with my brother who is travelling around |
| web-hosting company. I love the ideas and valuable | | | | India. He could see my sister and me, but we couldn't |
| functions and tools that the Internet has brought to | | | | see him as he said the Indian computer devices |
| humanity (or was it humanity that brought it to the | | | | (webcams, headsets) in that town were looking a |
| Internet?). However, I have issues and challenges | | | | little bit crappy in design and also looked worse for |
| when it comes to using these awe-inspiring machines. | | | | wear. It was heaps of fun making funny faces |
| Currently I am away from home in a different city | | | | knowing that he would be seeing us. I think he's |
| visiting my girlfriend. At home (I am currently living | | | | getting lonely as he's only 19 years old and has been |
| with my parents-Mother and geneticist, as I'm going | | | | away from home for over 7 months. |
| to live overseas soon) all I have to do to get on the | | | | As you can see I've inherited beliefs about computer |
| Internet is open up my laptop and I'm on-line. If I'm | | | | from both of my Dads. I find things more difficult |
| at work, I go to my PC and all of my settings are | | | | than most, I believe, but I'm not going to give up |
| stored and ready for me to use. While in a new | | | | doing my best to get the things done that I feel are |
| place, things haven't been running as smoothly as I | | | | necessary. Over time I hope to get over these little |
| would've liked. The answers are probably simple and | | | | obstacles and hurdles and become proficient in all of |
| easy to do, but this is one of the kinds of challenges | | | | the cool aspects of this new realm of human |
| that cause me to stumble. Although I am deeply | | | | endeavour. I also have faith that the technicians and |
| interested and have a true faith in this new | | | | engineers are probably working hard to make things |
| technology, I am a real novice when it comes to | | | | simple for the rest of us. |
| getting things done on someone else's computer. | | | | Whatever happens, I'm going to stick with it, and |
| I brought my laptop with me. My girlfriend only has a | | | | when I go to see my genetic father next I'm going |
| dial-up connection which she uses with her laptop. I | | | | to do my best to inspire him to buy a new computer |
| could use hers' but she's Chinese so a lot of what | | | | with a Broadband connection. Then all I have to do is |
| comes up on the screen is illegible to me. I don't | | | | show him a few of the amazing things that this |
| know how to change her language configuration. I'm | | | | human created Internet tool can do. One of the |
| used to doing it quite easily on my Mac, but her | | | | aspects of the Web that affects me most |
| computer is a PC and I'm not as practiced in this | | | | profoundly is the simple fact that if you think of |
| other format. That's one of my problems. I only have | | | | anything at all in the known Universe, you can then |
| so much patience when it comes to working these | | | | look it up on your search engine like Google and in |
| technological issues out; it could be a trait passed on | | | | the time it takes to blink your eye, immediately start |
| by my ice-age father (No judgement is being laid | | | | to learn. It sure beats catching the train to the library, |
| here. He just doesn't feel that he can work new | | | | looking up a book in the card catalogue, searching for |
| technologies out. He's had a digital telephone | | | | it, then finding out that someone else has borrowed |
| answering machine for two years which he still hasn't | | | | it and is late bringing it back. |
| set up. He feels bad about it but his manual one does | | | | |