Computer tales, October 31, 2004 By Skip Schiel In this set of tales I hope to give a few folks--mainly you big-time users of computers--some small idea of life on the road, life in Palestine, life under Occupation, without necessarily separating which of these factors led to each tale. All thru the lens of my computer experience. Tale number one: try to write as any English speaker would write, left to right. Not always possible, this is the land of Arabic, written right to left. So from time to time, whimsically as far as I could tell, various computers would insist on the right to write from right to left. Or in Arabic. Or not properly adding the paragraph breaks. Even a staff person from the Birzeit University computer center couldn’t figure this one out. Tale number two: you’re doing your email, you click on “Send,” seconds go by, minutes, nothing much happens, the usual signals do not appear. In short, life here is stretched out, maybe the computer is slow, maybe the connection is slow. Granted, the connection I make is often half way around the world, Palestine to United States, and it must go thru Israel. Here in the Occupied Territories, everything—everything—goes thru Israel. Is the connection slow because of Occupation, probably not, but one wonders. Tale number three: I work on multiple computers. Let me list them: a computer I can usually use in the Human Resources department of Birzeit (but not always, maybe a consultant gets higher priority). Yasser’s computer, when he’s not in (he’s the staff photographer at Birzeit), or Helen’s computer, when she’s at a meeting (she’s the coordinator of the Right to Education Campaign). Or maybe the computer at the Photo Unit ( if not I’m not bumped by a student), or at one of the three or so internet cafes I use (depending on hours, I might use any one of them). Now what this means is, I don’t always remember where my files are, despite using a USB memory device (which is another tale). One computer has most of my photo files, another my writing, one computer has Photoshop, luckily all have the ubiquitous Microsoft Word, one glory of monopoly. Only one has software for working on my website. The settings vary on each computer, only on one do I have my own login so I can determine the settings myself and know they’ll be there when I return. Tale number four: saving files. I brought Zip disks and CDs, hoping I’d find at least one Mac to use them on. No luck. All the Zip files are worthless (for now, maybe magically I’ll find a Mac. The CDs, more or less, did work.) I saw a photo student using a USB memory device, bought a Sony Microvault, over the no name cheaper alternative. Poor choice. After about 2 weeks and maybe 40 saves with the Microvault, it started to corrupt files during copying, and then would only copy empty folders, no actual files. Because of trade problems in Palestine, the seller wouldn’t or couldn’t exchange for another. He promised to try to have it repaired in Tel Aviv. I bought a second storage device, a no name, I hope for the best. I now hope for the best. Tale number five, of interest possibly only to website designers. I use the website generator program, Dreamweaver. I brought a copy on CD to install in case I couldn’t find it in Palestine. Indeed, the Photo Unit where I hoped to base all my photo computer work did not have it. I tried my CD. Nothing there. And I’m sure I checked it after I made it. (Is this because I wrote with a Mac and here I use a PC? One mystery not solved.) However, luckily the University had a copy of Dreamweaver, but not the latest version that I use, not even the version just before it which I also used. But a “Preview edition,” differing in key aspects from what I’ve used, mostly in not supporting a browser preview of my local files. I fumbled my way thru. Tale number six: how to connect with my website server back in San Francisco? First day, I gave it a try, holding my breath. Nothing. Error messages. I wrote the server administrators, they wrote back promptly with a host of suggestions. I tried each, failing, until reaching the last—the firewall. Is there a firewall at your establishment? they asked. I called the computer center, indeed, they had a firewall. Now, each time I need to upload to my site, I have to call the center and ask them to disconnect the firewall. Not convenient, but I get thru. So these are my tales of discombobulation. (In passing I’ll mention the sometimes bumbled translation I have to do from the Mac life I’m used to to the PC life on the road. Or the fact that my prime photo computer does not compute date and time accurately, setting everything in the year 1478 or so, probably needing a new battery.) A little anxiety, a little confusion, a lot of delay, but I’m managing. Some computers are faster, some write English as expected, I usually find my files, the Birzeit computer center is top notch, there are plenty of cyber cafes. I write a fair amount. I can process my photos in Photoshop. I am in close touch with my beloved community. I am happy with my new digital sound recorder, downloading from recorder to sound editing program (tho installing the software proved to be another tale, not to be told here.). I send out my weekly paired photo with commentary emails. I put new photos on my site regularly. I burn CDs, hopefully to safely bring back home (thru the various Israeli checkpoints and security fences.) And I do not spend a fortune doing this (roughly $1.30 per hour for the internet cafes). On Monday, November 1, I move from Birzeit University, my photo project ended, to the Friends School in Ramallah, renting an apartment from them, continuing my photography there—and hopefully establishing a new computer base, one a bit simpler than what generated these computer tales. Maybe for my next journey away from home and the superb computer support some of you extend to me I should bring my own computer, plus a satellite dish. Then while on the road I can cheerily engage one of my prime passions—cyber reality. Paired Photo set #7 Occupation: ordinary life |