by Jayne Oates, CTO of NotQuiteSettled.Com
I appear to have accidentally taken on a new job as my own CTO (Chief Technology Officer). Stepping back from the corporate merry-go-round throws up many challenges. Not least of which is not having a whole team of people to sort out your technology issues. From forgotten passwords to jammed printers, there is no ‘nice chap or chapette’ to magically appear at your desk with a solution.
My blog seems to have morphed into a technology company. When I set out on my writing journey, I didn’t realise I would need a website, a newsletter, a publication platform and a raft of social media accounts.
Then there is home technology: Wi-Fi routers, TV streaming boxes and smart lighting systems. We experience frequent power cuts, and I fail every time to reset the microwave clock without having to Google the instructions.
Upgrading your phone, laptop or tablet causes untold pain. Yes, those nice people at Apple have made file transfers and app installs easy with some weird moving multi-coloured blob to scan, but they can’t help you with getting access to your finance apps. What follows is 2-3 days of live chat, phone calls with friendly customer service people who cannot actually help you and the curse that is the dreaded OTP (one-time passcode) sent to a mobile number you left behind 10 years ago. Not forgetting Microsoft Authenticator, which you use so rarely you have no idea how it works.
Like it or not, I have unretired. The job description includes:
- Website design (otherwise known as doing battle with WordPress and GoDaddy)
- Domain registration and renewal (including email)
- Substack deployment
- Firestick troubleshooting
- Desktop support
- Tech procurement and setting up new gadgets
- Fountain of all knowledge on all things Microsoft 365 related
Occasionally, I find time to write the content as well!
Please share your thoughts and experiences.