Techno-Empowerment: Computer Maintenance for Non-Techies
To be a computer user in the 1970s and into the early 1980s required you to be if
not a programmer at least knowledgeable enough to tell the PC what to do on the command line that was the entire interface. Artists and other creatives were not able to use the new generation of tools until Apple pioneered the Graphical User Interface (GUI) in 1984. The Macintosh hid all the operating system (OS) activities behind a utilitarian point-and-click desktop look and kept it simple enough that at least until System 8 arrived in the mid-1990s you could maintain your Mac without professional assistance.
Times have changed and you can't maintain your computer whether running Windows or Mac OS X without at least a few tech skills. The first step is to understand the parts that combine to make the whole. Many people speak of computer systems or networks in the singular even though there are many individual pieces. Sometimes one of those pieces has a problem that affects the system as a whole but we cannot fix the whole unless we know what part has the problem. When your office computers don't work and the failure or bottleneck arrives unexpectedly, it suggests (but doesn't always mean) that you haven't been doing regular maintenance. It could also mean that it may be time for some computer hardware or software upgrades. Despite your being an artist, the more you know about keeping your PC or Mac running right, the better. And you will have less downtime if you can keep things going and figure out the problem rather than wait for the computer repairman.
Getting virtual assistance
In larger firms there are IT departments and/or computer repair personnel that are constantly updating both hardware and software, taking care of everyone's PC and staying on the leading edge of computing and networking technology. If your firm is small, and lacks in-house systems expertise, you could consider a remote diagnostics service to monitor your systems from offsite. Special scanning software will alert the online service firm if there are problems with computers, servers, routers or connections. Upgrades, maintenance and/or repairs can then be performed on any hardware that is not performing as required. Software that has become corrupted can be reinstalled or restored from a backup depending on the particular application. As time goes on, on the software side, you will also be dealing with both major and minor upgrades as well as occasional patches and plug-ins.
Over time, of course, all the components of the network will be replaced as new technologies debut and old ones are abandoned. The hardware elements involved in creating and maintaining your network environment include the servers and routers but the components that need replacing most often are computers and their parts. One of the most common computer upgrades today is the installation of larger internal or external drives to keep up with all of the data being generated in today's businesses. Creative firms by their name and nature produce large numbers of documents, many of which are multimedia-based and are quite large. It is not uncommon for artists to have 10 or 20 terabytes of local storage, as well as RAID arrays and other heavy-duty storage devices.
Details, details
On the computer hardware side of the equation, you would also have to know about RAM, video cards, 802.1 wireless protocols, monitors, cables, Bluetooth connectivity and so on. If you need technical expertise, you can also find it at the larger creative firms where certain employees are expected to stay abreast of every component in the computing and networking environment. Some of these firms actually branch out to include technical services along with their other creative offerings.
Upgrades, whether of a common computer hardware component or something more involved, are in the cards for everyone who works with the high-tech tools. And everyone wants to get any problems solved quickly and cost-effectively. The fact is, if you want to keep on going so you can keep on growing, you either need to develop the in-house capabilities for doing so or bring someone in to handle it. This latter alternative can be managed in many ways, from hiring an individual consultant or large firm to contracting for remote online monitoring and other help on an a la carte basis.
It is the first option, however, that you should explore seriously. You or one of your colleagues likely has a feel, perhaps a natural affinity, for working with computers, hardware, software, peripherals and networks, and could potentially become expert enough to manage a small firm's systems with a little targeted education and training. This could cost a little, perhaps for some junior college courses, or next to nothing for a motivated person with the time and desire to read, study and master computer and network maintenance. Even if you can handle only the common problems (crashes, connection problems, software issues, etc.), these low-level disruptions account for over 80% of productivity loss. The more you learn, the less you have to pay for solutions from someone else. It's call techno-empowerment, and it's a good thing.
Techno-Empowerment: Computer Maintenance for Non-Techies
By: Gary Klingsheim
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