All That Newfangled Wizardry
My mom recently asked me to create a website for her. (Ps. Use Weebly. It's FANTASTIC. And so easy to get a custom domain)
I mean, I knew enough to stray away from questions like "Do you want breadcrumb navigation?", but I thought it would be safe to ask "What other pages do you want?", and "What colours are you thinking?". No, no. I continually overestimate her ability to understand "the internet"
But you know, eventually I asked questions more along the lines like "what will people be trying to learn if they come to this site?" and "how would you describe the mood of the site: sombre, optimistic, ruthless, aggressive..."
So instead of studying, I'm working hard at making a quite nice site, if you ask me. She doesn't really know how she wants it to look, so I'm sort of just winging it. However, this morning I did get one more piece of advice:
"Nana gave the advice that it would be good to keep it very simple because it should not just appeal to young computer savvy people."
Oh GOOD TIP, Nana! You know, here I was adding media that requires Active X version 8.0 plug-ins. Oh, you can't see the text? That's because you have to highlight the screen while pressing shift F6! You don't understand the font? That's because I wrote it in L33T. Duh! Mh-hm. Oh that bit? It's just a reference to some Chuck Norris meme that everybody young and hip has received WAY TOO MANY TIMES. You wouldn't get it though. Of course you can't see pictures. You didn't access the external server of the custom domain!
Yeah, thanks Nana. I just received an email yesterday from you that said "Happy Birthday Lindsay", so, I'm always ready to hear your ideas.
(For some reason whenever my grandma even says "computer" I want to scream. I know I should relax, but it's... yeah, it's insulting!)
17 comments:
Hahaha! Parents and grandparents and computers can be pretty frustrating at times. I think it's really cute that you are making a site for your mom though, you are so sweet!
I am only 26 years old, but I don't understand a word of that! You young'uns and your computers today. Send me a telegram by pony express.
I KNOW!!! Every time B's grandpa asks about something from the computer area, I leave the room because otherwise I'd go crazy.
mi madre? her idea of turning off the computer?
unplugging it.
yes. i've since given up on teaching her how to email. or check her voicemail on her cellphone. apparently, step by step instructions do not work for her.
frustrating? an understatement.
Hmm. Sometimes family is a pain in the ass, no?
my nana sends me emails at work. She's so hip and with it!
my fave is when im talkin to my mom on msn though and she signs it as a letter when she's signing off.
"Talk to you later, Love, Mom"
Wait...it's your birthday, Lindsay?!? Well have a good one!!
Hey, you got my happy birthday email? Well I must have got your email then - it says:
(lots of blank space)
LOVE NANA.
i'll forward it to you, if you want.
You are making a site for your mum, that's so sweet.
all the best (you will need it)
frustrating - tell me about it.
I've trained my Mum to actually turn the computer on and use the internet. Which is good because it also means that SHE can sit with Dad and navigate through hours of campervan websites.
It can be frustrating, especially to start with, but in a few months time, her progress will be a great reward :-)
My mom's pretty good about the internet. Yet why she insists on paying $23 a month for AOL when we have high speed internet access is beyond me. She claims its because her e-mail; I think she's afraid to venture out into the big bad internet.
Also. My grandparents IM me occasionally from time to time. I had an away up about eating jew food and they IMed me to chastise me! So I have to be careful of what I put up now. Geez. So I hear your pain.
My parents can manage decently and my grandma is addicted to the internet. My dad always used to get mad at me and blame me for all the viruses that our computer got. They never stopped happening after I got my own computer and now I laugh in his face and tell him to buy a Mac every time the computer goes down (which is a lot).
Hehe! This was so funny. And so cool of you to make her a website!
Ha!
The best question I've ever been asked by an older person was...
"The internet... is it good or bad?"
That Nana. I like her very much.
And thanks for the weebly tip. Some people might be thinking of dot-comming in the new year.
The people I'm living with right now have no concept of technology. They had me transfer pictures from their digital cameras to my computer, then I transfered them to a DVD. They also took movies on the camera and wanted multiple copies of different pictures to send to various places (church, home, family, horticultural society). I could have easily done it with Cds, and they would have worked fine, except that the lady hears one thing and misinterprets everything I say. Very thick. They don't even have a computer but she's willing to say that some things can't be done when she doesn't understand them. oi!
my parents need tutoring sometimes, but are generally independent now. They still run Win98, with a computer that is likely a P-1 with 5.5GB hard drive. If I use my USB key on their computer, I almost double their hard drive space. They get on fine with that.
lol. i hate it when non-design/tech people try to give input on web design. or any design for that matter. makes me cringe.
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