Wires or wire-less
May 8th 2010 05:08
If you wanted to find a job - yes, right now - one that wouldn't cost you anything much to set up and would keep you busy till the cows come home, then all you'd have to do would be to knock on people's doors and ask them if they'd like you to sort out the wires connecting their
computer and all its peripherals, and do it in such a way that next time they had to move the computer or figure out which wire connects to what they'd be able to do it in a matter of moments.
Until we all go wireless, this is always going to be a major task. Years ago I worked in the International Telephone Exchange in London. This was long before fibre and push-button phones. Every night as we went to work we'd pass one part of the wiring section: it was a mass of wires. It wasn't exactly a tangle, but you'd have had to have been a very experienced technician to find your way through them.
I recently came across a site called TLC (which doesn't appear to stand for tender loving care) where they give five tips on how to deal with all the wires that make having a computer or other electronic equipment such a nightmare. You can use these tips for yourself, or wait until some enterprising student turns up on your door offering to do it for you - for a modest fee.
Firstly, label your wires. So simple, but few of us ever take the time to do it. How many hours have you spent trying to figure out what's on the other end of a wire you're holding in your hand in the dark under the computer desk?
Secondly: hide them. This may not be so convenient, but if you have the option, try it. The sheer fact of not seeing that horrible mass of wires can add moments to your lifespan. In the shop I used to manage a couple of computer geeky people set up the wiring in such a way that we hardly ever noticed its presence under the counter.
Thirdly: tie up wires that have relationship with each other. It will depend on how often you want to move them, but if it isn't often, then tying them (either with velcro or plastic wires or even duct tape) will save them running out all over the floor and pretending they don't each other.
Fourthly: get rid of any that you don't need hanging around. This doesn't mean you stop using an appliance, but try not to have its wire in your face, as it were. There are ways to stop having wires crawling across your desk, if you use just a little planning.
Finally: think about going wireless. I know I started out saying that we weren't at the wireless stage yet, but some computers and their equipment offer that option. (Personally I haven't ever been satisfied with any of the wireless mouses I've seen, but I'm sure there are good ones somewhere.)
So there you are. Get to it. It's Saturday (at least it is where I am) and it won't take you long - and it'll save you time and frustration in the long run.
Until we all go wireless, this is always going to be a major task. Years ago I worked in the International Telephone Exchange in London. This was long before fibre and push-button phones. Every night as we went to work we'd pass one part of the wiring section: it was a mass of wires. It wasn't exactly a tangle, but you'd have had to have been a very experienced technician to find your way through them.
I recently came across a site called TLC (which doesn't appear to stand for tender loving care) where they give five tips on how to deal with all the wires that make having a computer or other electronic equipment such a nightmare. You can use these tips for yourself, or wait until some enterprising student turns up on your door offering to do it for you - for a modest fee.
Firstly, label your wires. So simple, but few of us ever take the time to do it. How many hours have you spent trying to figure out what's on the other end of a wire you're holding in your hand in the dark under the computer desk?
Secondly: hide them. This may not be so convenient, but if you have the option, try it. The sheer fact of not seeing that horrible mass of wires can add moments to your lifespan. In the shop I used to manage a couple of computer geeky people set up the wiring in such a way that we hardly ever noticed its presence under the counter.
Thirdly: tie up wires that have relationship with each other. It will depend on how often you want to move them, but if it isn't often, then tying them (either with velcro or plastic wires or even duct tape) will save them running out all over the floor and pretending they don't each other.
Fourthly: get rid of any that you don't need hanging around. This doesn't mean you stop using an appliance, but try not to have its wire in your face, as it were. There are ways to stop having wires crawling across your desk, if you use just a little planning.
Finally: think about going wireless. I know I started out saying that we weren't at the wireless stage yet, but some computers and their equipment offer that option. (Personally I haven't ever been satisfied with any of the wireless mouses I've seen, but I'm sure there are good ones somewhere.)
So there you are. Get to it. It's Saturday (at least it is where I am) and it won't take you long - and it'll save you time and frustration in the long run.
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