When confronted with a problem, try the simplest solution first.
That’s a policy I should have remembered from my experience with a certain automobile. It was more than 20 years ago that this car – whose make and model will remain anonymous because an editor I was working with back then said it would offend advertisers – had a habit of either running extremely rough or just knocking off outright.
I took the American-made vehicle – no wait, I can’t say American ... I took the vehicle produced somewhere on earth to a number of automotive shops. It received a new timing belt, an electronic modular unit and I don’t know what all else.
Then, after it had come to a stop on Highway 22 somewhere close to Climax, I was about ready for a major overhaul. I called a friend of mine who has a mechanical mind and asked him what I should do.
“Before you do anything else,” he advised, “get a fuel filter and try that.”
I did as he said, found a fuel filter for $4.15 and replaced the old filter. That solution was about as simple as they come.
Lo and behold, it worked like a charm.
Fast forward about 22 years. My computer slows down to a crawl and I start trying complex solutions to speed it up.
I tried programs specializing in file cleaning, virus destruction and wreaking havoc with other “malware.” I even deleted a host of programs I deemed unnecessary for my computer, stuff downloaded by video game playing grandchildren.
After several days – and late nights – of working to trying to convert my computer into a clean, mean, data-processing machine, it still made the easiest jobs seem like major productions. Compare a 30-second commercial to a C.B. DeMille epic movie with a cast of thousands and that’s the way my computer was working. Flipping from one page to another, normally requiring a few seconds, could take minutes.
Then I stayed up til 1:30 one morning while my overworked computer struggled to download a fix for two “security holes.” It was enough to make the most mild-mannered reporter wish he had hair to yank out.
The next morning I told my editor, Patricia Edwards, about the problem.
“Sounds like a connection problem,” she said, advising me to call my service provider and seek their help.
It didn’t take too long before the techie on the other end of the phone call was telling me to unplug my modem for a minute, then plug it back in.
Since I was at the office and not about to get any work done until I could test his solution, I immediately left for home. I unplugged the modem, counted off 60 seconds and plugged it back in.
After booting up the computer, I performed several operations that ran so smoothly I almost thought I had drifted off and awakened in PC heaven.
I was so pleased that, despite severe sleep deficiency, I was able to accomplish huge amounts of work that day and then had enough residual energy left over to exercise like a 25-year-old that evening.
All because I was reminded to keep it simple.
Larry Penkava, who has written Now and Then since 1994, has resolved to always be simple-minded.
Larry Penkava
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Simple really is better. Larry Penkava
Discussion
Larry Penkava: Simple is better
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