Thursday, December 11, 2008

Technology Has Its Merits

Writen by Carine Nadel

Many's the time I have cursed technology. This week has been no exception. But it has it's merits as well as its de-merits.

I'll start with the "de-merits". According to a free-lance website, they have purchased 3 of my articles-I'm actually getting paid! Sort of...

I had to sign up for a paypal account. Following the directions seemed easy at the time, really. Whatever paypal said to do, I did it. Then they sent me an e-mail to "verify" my account. I clicked on and tried, a lot. It kept telling me my e-mail address was incorrect. If it was incorrect, how did they sent me the request to verify the account? I had my husband and son look it over. I decided maybe I wrote my password down wrong and sent them a request to send it to me. They in kind, told me how to re-set my information. I printed it out and followed it to the letter, again (okay and again, several times). No matter what I did, it was not letting me verify my account and get my money! I sent them two e-mails requesting their help, no reply.

Figuring I might be able to get some help from the website that was paying me, I sent them an e-mail, after 5 days, no response from them either!

My husband said, the piddling amount they said they would pay me wasn't worth the time I was putting in to try and get what was rightfully mine.

Now it's the principle of the whole thing! I wrote the articles, I sold the articles, I want the money for them. Is this too much to ask? Not when you work hard at something. Hopefully, someone from either site responds soon-seems I only have 30 days to get remittance and then the website takes back the offer! Maybe that's their idea and I'm too much of a technodweeb to admit it.

Now on the flip side: the good part of technology.

Our daughter and son-in-law just had a 3-d ultrasound DVD made of their baby-to-be. Our eldest child e-mailed me six pictures of my grandson. Also, they will be coming over tomorrow so I can see the DVD of the little one in action. Who would have thought even 10 years ago that you could experience such an event? Think of it-it's not just a murky shot of something in a black and white Polaroid that no one really can identify, but a movie of a baby playing in it's mother's womb!

25 years ago, we didn't even get a Polaroid of our daughter in-utero! That was reserved for only pregnancies that were high risk. Now parents-to-be have parties to watch a baby before it's even viable!

And this DVD is supposed to be in color! How can anyone not marvel at such a miracle? Technology will probably always frustrate and anger me, but I also love the idea that humans have such creativity and skills that can make life so exhilarating. Truth be told, I would dearly love to take a class to learn more about the technological sciences, just so I can have an understanding on how the miracle of watching this new life can actually be happening. Plus maybe I could get those same geniuses could help me get my money!

Carine Nadel is in the mist of rejuvenating her writing career. To read more of her work log onto: http://www.Carine-whatscooking.blogspot.com or http://www.fabulously40.com

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