Rage Against The Machine

I thought her head would explode or that she would reach through the screen to strangle someone. Emily sat fuming, increasingly irritated at the computer which wasn’t doing her bidding that day. Or rather, the school’s server refused to respond. There was really nothing she could do about it except wait for the IT people to do whatever it was they needed to make things work again.

Emily has a short fuse when it comes to technological glitches and as it became clear to me that this one was not going away quickly, I had two choices – hunker down for the storm, or try to help her through it. I ended up doing a little of both which really didn’t leave either of us happy, so we went to the beach for awhile.

By the time we returned, her school’s server was doing its job again and Emily was able to complete her class posts.

These things don’t happen often, but they are a dreaded occupational hazard.

For a few hours for each of the past two days, I encountered the same thing. Unknown server problems caused slowdowns which led to being unable to save my work or move an article along to be edited. Since my main writing source requires me to be logged into their website, server errors can stop me dead in my tracks.

With less anger than my wife, I too click in vain as if by force of will I can make the server on the other end work. In reality, I should take a break and walk around town. Instead, I usually check email and resume my willful clicking.

Luckily, unlike Emily, my work recently got easier and I can get caught up faster these days. Last week I was accepted to a project that supplies articles for Business.com. They chose most of the same writers as the Hearst/Houston Chronicle project I worked on in July and August.

Only while this project has the same higher pay, the articles have so far – knock on wood – been easier. I have more fun with them and polish them off faster. Instead of educating people about the fine points of anti-discrimination law, I now tell them how businesses benefit from making donations to non-profit organizations. Not more exciting – but it’s actually way easier.

Even better, because of the higher pay, I can do fewer of them per day than some of the other kinds of articles and make the same or more money.

Still, no matter how you cut it, our ability to support ourselves rests on two things: reliable Internet and working servers on the other end.

That’s why as we’ve spent time planning our next few months’ travel, we’ve spent so much time researching and communicating with hotels. We can see the end of our time here in the Mediterranean – or what we call Region 1 – coming to an end.

On November 1, we make the jump to Region 2 – Nepal and India. Region 2 is a whole different game. While our cost of living drops dramatically, our ability to readily access appropriate infrastructure also drops dramatically. The key is that Emily must have high speed internet in our room for her four weekly online live lectures which are required by one of her four online universities. While most of her teaching can be anywhere, anytime – when it comes to lecture time, she needs quiet. We really can’t have students in the US hearing a bunch of loud voices speaking Nepali while Emily tries to enlighten them about how people identify with different social roles.

Nepal, a country which didn’t even have broadband when I was there five years ago, took a lot of research. Wireless broadband is there – but mostly in nicer hotels and a few guest houses. We opted for a nicer hotel than we might have otherwise chosen in part to be sure our means of livelihood is reliable. And I’m kinda’ fine with a more comfy room in hectic Kathmandu.

Aside from a few server glitches, we have had no difficulty at all in accessing reliable wireless internet throughout Region 1. In room, at cafes and at restaurants – Internet is truly ubiquitous and usually free. Distant as Patmos feels, it is still Greece and part of the first world.

Sure, our days would be more fun if we didn’t have to work. But if you’re gonna’ have to work either way – this is definitely the place and way to do it. Region 2 may present new challenges which include Emily wishing she could toss aside the computer, bust out the doors and let the Kathmandu wash all over her. That’s also why we’re going.

In short, work is good and when the servers work, Emily is the sweet, nice person everyone knows and loves.

God bless the IT people.

Sent from my iPad