How Good is Your Relationship... With Modern Technology?

By Tim Fraser & Marion Yas
We can all accept that challenges will arise when dealing with new devices in our homes. But can we expect these challenges to be healthy, creative, and affordable? Possibly even fun?

For anyone interested in a more positive interaction with technology, from beginners to expert, a non-profit society has been established in James Bay to address this issue. Integrating advice, assistance, and educational technical services, the Computer Circuit's mandate is to make home technology user-friendly.

From the huge (purchasing and setting up a new computer system) to the small (programming your DVD player, clock radio, microwave...), as challenges arise you can call on us for friendly, dependable, low-cost, daytime and evening service.

And how well do you communicate... with your techie?

When you need help, you also need the right words to describe the problem. Each month, we'll update you and add to our growing Computer Circuit techno-vocabulary.

Are the following sets of nouns synonyms, antonyms, or totally unrelated?

Cursor--Pointer; Enter--Return; Icon--Shortcut; Taskbar--Toolbar; Browser--Grazer; Monitor--Screen-Desktop; Click-Right Click.

And the following sets of verbs?

Save--Save As; Start--Restart; Open--Turn on--Tune in; Shut down--Turn off--Tune out; Close--Quit; Backup--Give up; Search-Find.

Please check out our website for answers and for holiday season computer-shopping advice: www.computercircuit.shawwebspace.ca. You'll also find more information about the society as well as some of the positions we're looking to fill (advisors, members-at-large, technical/instructor trainees and volunteers).

Happy Holidays! From the Board of your local Computer Circuit. You can contact us via our email address computercircuit@shaw.ca, and cellphone 250- 885-1566.