I come from era of typewriter and adding machine, and computer was really intimidating to me at first. When I first entered business world, I lived in constant fear of losing my document or crashing my machine. The word processor was my enemy, as was business email. The only thing I could figure out was how to open incoming messages. This was fine for trading those cute stories about angels with my friends, but it had my boss in a rage. Now, those of you who know difference between an attachment and a hyperlink can stop reading, but if you’re as confused as I once was, read on. I’ve got some useful tips.

First, face your fear. The computer is just a machine. It’s not going to yell at you or blow up. Don’t be afraid to press a key or click on an icon (those little picture boxes that link you to programs and things.) Quite often I would end up staring at my screen afraid to move, because I didn’t know what to do next and I was afraid of consequences of making wrong decision. I wasted so much time. Just dive in. If you end up doing something that looks funny or wrong, you can almost always find a solution.

Personally, I read more sensible "Quick Start" guides and then only skim those to get key points. The way I use software is usually different than that envisioned by designers and even other users, so it really only makes sense to look up stuff when troubleshooting.

If I read manual for my digital watch, my cell phone, my two-line digital cordless phone, my PDA, my printer and my ebook, I'd never use them for lack of time. What do I need to know more about my software for if it is serving it's purpose? What I need is for everything to be a hosted app on web and universally accessible wirelessly with built-in voice recognition troubleshooting software.

That way I could just say "Diagnose error" and it would fix itself. I don't care HOW it works, just THAT it work. If it isn't relevant to me, it isn't relevant.