i'm not a computer geek

but i'm really trying to be.

this week as a result of the knee/ankle discomfort (to put it mildly) i self-imposed isolation. this has had it's advantages. i've done a lot of reading, watched more movies than blockbuster online thought i could, and done a little research.

lately i've become aware of how clueless the older generations can be about technology. unless they are forced to use computers in a professional setting, they often find it difficult to even send an email. in giving this some thought, i realized that i could just as easily fall prey. granted, i'm pseudo-savvy when it comes to using a computer, but when i'm 60, everything i know about computers will be fairly archaic. so in an effort to avoid the fate of my forefathers (and mothers) i make a semi-concious effort to at least be aware of advances in technology. i will never be a computer geek, but i am actively seeking, at least, to remain in the mainstream.

my exile allowed me to do some research that i have been wanting to do. i've been seeing this whole 'rss feed' and 'atom feed' thing on various websites, and was completely confused. after doing a little browsing, i have a little bit better understanding. from what i can tell, it's basically a program that alters how a website appears so that it is more readable, allowing for broader syndication.

so, i figured out what my atom feed was, and thanks to feedburner, made it broadly compatible with rss as well. notice the new 'subscribe' menu to to the left. i also happened on various sites, like this one, that allow easy access to all the sites i 'subscribe' to. the firefox extension, which adds a button to my toolbar makes it even easier.

basically, this does me no productive use for the time being, but it sure makes it a lot easier to get to all my favorite 'entertainment' sites.

next on the list: podcasting. someone want to explain to me how that works?


closer = 3 popcorn buckets (as in, not good)
red eye = 1 1/2 popcorn buckets (as in, very entertaining)