Techknowledge if you’ve ever become frustrated trying to overcome a technology challenge, today’s Tech Tip will give you advice on taming the tech beast and discovering ways to fix it yourself.
With a little self-drive, curiosity, and perseverance, you will be amazed how some simple daily troubleshooting on your part can help you gain the techknowledge you need to solve many issues yourself.
Think about the multitude of new technologies that have launched during your lifetime and how you felt when you first used them. Remember the first time you used a DVD player? Got your first cell phone? Streamed a movie on your TV? Heard about “cloud” storage solutions? Do you remember how long it took you to get up to speed? I’m guessing your answer is “no.” Today, most of those inventions are probably essential to your everyday life and as simple to use as electricity. My aim is get you to feel as confident as possible to solve other technology snafus.
If you are trying to overcome a frustrating issue, devote some time to identify the exact steps you took to solve the problem. Write down the steps you took in the order you performed them. For example, say a wireless printer won’t print. What actions did you take to fix it? Powered on/off? Shut off you connected computer, etc.? Reset your modem?
Once you’ve written down the order you performed those steps, and the result, you can further tackle the issue by visiting online forums. Just Google the problem, like: “Epson Printer WF-7610 won’t print.” The resulting links will likely include community forums where users had similar issues. Often, step-by-step solutions will be posted. Not only is this an easy fix, but the more you educate yourself through these forums and advise postings, the better you will be able to think through similar issues in the future.
If you hit a wall and just cannot figure out your issue. STOP and WALK AWAY! Do something completely different. Time away will allow your subconscious to continue to work though the issue. After some rest and distraction, hit the problem again head-on. More often than not, I find the answer presents will present itself.
When you master a tech problem through you own trial and error or via some great online resources, pay it forward by posting your success to help others. From how to troubleshoot your internet connection to how to access your email away from the office or home, it takes a special kind of person – and a bit of patience – to stick with it and exercise the needed brain cells to deal with the ever-changing technology landscape.
When you share your expertise online you may become a resource to others. It may take sometime, but don’t be surprised if, when you least expect it, someone will find your help online and thank you for making them more techknowledgable!