Jan 28 2009
my best friend is the backspace button
That’s part of a Facebook conversation I had today with LS, another really friendly Aussie. We were talking about the weather and how we both suck at typing because we have “fat fingers”. She responded with the title and like the great “thief” that I am, I pounced on it. A lot of my story ideas come about this way.
And what is it with the Aussie ladies? That’s the third one this week that has shown me how “refreshingly easy” they all seem to be.
OK, get your mind out of the gutter. I already have dibs on it and it’s not big enough for all of us to fit anyway.
What I mean by “refreshingly easy” is the ease in which these three really nice people have accepted me in conversations that we are having on the Internet. As you may know I am Canadian and like most Canadians, well we are pretty harmless. We have an army of sorts but we are more like the welcoming committee in a new neighbourhood. Most of the weaponry belongs in some museum and that suits me just fine. War is really outdated anyway. It might be best done in computer simulations and the “winner” gets reward points from the loser. That’s another story for another time.
The “fat finger” syndrome is more about how all of us are with sharing our thoughts on the computer. We are in such a rush to spit out and share what’s on our minds that the keyboard just gets in the way. When you really look at, the computer keyboard and its predecessor, the typewriter makes no sense really. The QWERTY concept of a keyboard was something that others have tried to change with pretty much no success.
I guess I’ll have to write the “What will replace the computer keyboard” story some time soon but like the other what-will-replace stories I never have the answer, just more questions. I don’t think voice recognition software is the answer either.
It can’t get into your mind and heart and figure out what you are really saying. It has trouble with people who have speech impediments and with background noise so don’t be using that software for your next business presentation with the latest porno thing playing in the background.
If somebody is developing the next level of that software, pick me as part of your beta testing program. If it can figure me out, it’s got a good chance of figuring out a lot of other people, too.
The thing I am learning in my most recent Internet adventures is that people all around the world are full of surprises. Sometimes all it takes, is a passing comment about the weather at the coffee shop.
That’s how I see Facebook and the news feeds now. LS accepted me as friend as part of my “recruiting” game (another story for later) and now we are starting to get together over a cup of coffee.
Mine was double-filtered. I had to run it through another filter because I screwed up and got some grounds in the “finished” cup. Maybe I’m just a fat head then (lol) Some advertising guy in a coffee shop somewhere is probably writing a new ad for their coffee now. “Try the new and improved double-filtered Java Gigantico for those that need that special break that only the best blends can provide.” That’s not a cup of coffee. This is a cup of coffee. G’day mate!
