My Suggestions...

I enjoy technology. I think it is fascinating, helpful, purposeful, and necessary. Yet, it bothers me how technology feels the need to change every other second and not alert anybody prior to, or give any subsequent notice.

I consider myself a novice, and no matter how learned I become, I will probably always consider myself a novice. I never want to know everything because the fun is in learning it and sharing it. Being over-experienced is boring. I just want to be able to consider myself adept, yet expert is a title that I don't have to have.

Here are some suggestions to those who are not as enthused as I am about technology, but still feel like it's important.

1. Always make a hard copy. Technology sometimes lapses on you.

2. Buy the phone that functions primarily as a PHONE! The phone with the latest technology is the one that will probably cost the most and tear up the quickest. You can use your computer to check email and your TomTom to navigate. Use your phone for phone calls.

3. Free is not always better. However, in this case, most of the time it is. (I learned this in class) Consider open source software before you begin any technology based project.

4. Put a lanyard on your flash drive. Losing your flash drive is like losing your mind, literally.

5. Before you take the class, buy the book. Before you buy the book, check out the online tutorial. Before the tutorial, ask somebody. Before you ask somebody, try it yourself. Technology can be self-explanatory at times.

6. Don't rush to get the newest version... of anything. To me, Windows '98 is the best version yet. Street release date means the pre-debugged version. Wait until the company fixes their mistakes.

7. Get the "Stupid People" insurance on your laptop. You know, the one where they will replace it even if you were the one who messed it up.

8. If you don't have a laptop, go to the computer lab and stop asking to borrow other people's computer. The minute something goes wrong with their computer, your friendship crashes. Rebooting is difficult.

9. Learn how to use every Adobe product you can. It'll be worth it at some point.

10. Use Google everything. Google applications make life much easier.

11. Take a deep breath and calm down. ctrl+z=undo

12. Just because you clicked spellcheck doesn't mean that Jesus proofread your paper. Learn how to spell!

Just a few thoughts. Take 'em or leave 'em.