I'm a profession Luddite and can barely put up with technology at times.

I cannot tell you how many meetings I attended where someone would pull out the 'latest' new machine before the meeting and ended up waiting for the imprompt training session - usually the first 20-30 minutes of the meeting - where the techheads would teach each other how to cut and paste, reroute, configure and set up their cellphones/Crackberrys - to end so we could get on with the task at hand?

I had to wait for my boss to answer all the questions and give the pros and cons about the 'rollup keyboard and stand' to her PDA. (This happened at every meeting because she was the 'pro' - the big boss spent thousands of dollars buyin her the best and latest tech - and all that tech ended up in her car on her last day of work....)

I had to fight to get money for equipment and hours to make my job easier when the budget was being spent on purchases to allow my bosses to work from home or be off site and get a phone call?

Back in the early to late 80's (VHS vs Beta sound familiar?) I had to endure the Apple Vs. MS wars when a media 'swap' wasn't so user friendly.

And what is it with people camping out for days to get the latest Apple product?

I did spend the night in sleeping in a Sears parking lot waiting to get David Bowie tickets - that pretty much let me know that there is shiat on the planet that I really don't need to see or have AT THAT MOMENT.

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Now, do not get me wrong, I love FreeCell, Email and Pet Talk.

I do love my home page and the ability to look up facts/trivia/information that has me baffled, bamboozled and just plain curious.....

But, in the early 90's I was being sold an idea that 'in the next few years' a doctor will be able to walk around with a Note Pad and do all his charting, order labs, prescriptions, look up EKGs, X-rays and the results of any scans or tests they ordered.


During a recent hospital stay I was secretly pleased to see a doctor reach into their pocket and pull out a paper and pen and make a few notes to themselves.

Steve Jobs, the Woz and all the people who have pioneered computers, operating systems and applications have paved the way for us to dream.

We all dream about the machine or app that will make our lives easier. But we are going to have to put up with people walking into poles or getting run over because they are not paying attention to the world around them.

Companies will have to put up with lost productivity - Who doesn't want to peek in on their pets via the internet while they are at work? Check on the balance of their internet poker pot or shop at Overstock.com because someone sent them an email about the three day sale?

The day when the words "the computer is down, can you wait while I try to get it working?" become obsolete will be the day to celebrate.

The guy that fixes that problem should have a shrine built in their honor.