Description

I own no land, instead I have wheelestate. I’ve been a full time RVer since 1997. Working summers as a Park Ranger takes me to many beautiful places and playing during the winter takes me to many more. This blog is simply the story of my life's adventures.

Moved

Thank you for stopping by. Just to let you know, I'm still blogging but have moved to Geogypsytraveler. Hope you'll follow my adventures. Just click here.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Computer Bug


Just hanging out on my laptop
Not a virus just a visitor. Yet after six months of DSL being back on dialup moves slower than snail. Oh yea, that’s not a bug. Oh well.

Time for a little rant, I have to get this off my chest. Feel free to leave right now, that’s OK. I’ve been spending an average of 15 hours a day online, no phone access at that time. Why so long? It can take several minutes to upload a blog page to read and then possibly another 2-3 minutes for word verification while I click and wait sometimes three times. What’s up with that? Some verifications are worse than others. I can’t watch videos so sometimes miss the best part of a post. Music comes in spurts so why bother. Some images are posted so HUGE they flow off the edges of my screen, can’t I have the option to click and enbiggen? And isn’t there a limit to how many posts are on a page? If I quit writing comments it’s only because there aren’t enough hours in a day to get to everyone. Oh, and I didn’t even mention the hour it might take to download pics for my own blog.

Thank you for allowing me to get this out of my system. Please know this is not directed at anybody in particular. Now I can go back on line and try to read over 300 posts on Sky Watch Friday.

31 comments:

Loran said...

I only tried one time to read all Sky Watch posts and gave up. Trying to do that on dial up would send me screaming from the room!

Lorac said...

Food for thought. I usually try to remember those fellow bloggers out there that are on dial up,, but occasionally forget and as well put in big pics! Sorry Geogypsy!

Anonymous said...

Not guilty in one area Gaelyn...I do not know how to big up my pics, and lord knows I've tried.

You would be forgiven if you just let it go till you can get to an Internet Cafe perhaps.Truth is my love, a lot of us would glady swap to be where you are. I for one will not desert you all the while you are around somewhere in space.

Small City Scenes said...

Oh man I feel the same way you do. this word verication thing with some people it take about 5 different things to go through. If they are worried about spam well I'm sorry but I can't be bothered. sometimes while I am waiting it will say 37 more pic to download--wah--I am outa there.
So I feel your frustration!!!

I don't get cable oup here so I have satellite but it's slow too. but I must say sometimes faster than dial-up.
I'm ranting with ya. MB

Lisa Wilson said...

Ditto mountain mama!!

I love all of your Death Valley photos! My in-laws are on their way there for the first time. They have been to almost all of the national parks and didn't really have an interest in Death Valley until the Ken Burn's series!

Janie said...

Your computer bug is cute -- much better than the virus I expected to hear about when I saw the title.
Oh, man, did I ever hate dial-up. Can't imagine the frustration of trying to do blog posts that way, not to mention reading and commenting.
I gave up the comment verification awhile ago. I agree, it can be an aggravation to the commenters.
I do get a little spam, but it's not that bad.
I think I have my posts set on 3 to a page. Is that too much? Let me know if my pics come out too big.
I enjoy your posts so much. I hope you can find some faster service...

Carol said...

I have a verizon data card..I spend a lot of time on the boat or when we head out with the camper. It's a bit pricy..$60 a month..but I have internet most every place we go. There are a few springs that I cant get on at anchor but once in the lake I have access. I also had one when trucking and could get on most any place in the country. I also do my posts on "windows livewriter" and then can post when I connection. The pics load faster and it posts faster.

www.wildlifearoundus.blogspot.com

A human kind of human said...

I do not work on dial-up, but I also have a problem with posts with videos, but not the fault of the person posting. Megabytes are very expensibe in SA and I simply cannot afford to watch videos. Well comments on my blog is straight forward so I hope you will continue to leave comments. Bug looks remarkably familiar, we get them here also.

Pat said...

I feel your pain. We had dial-up until last June when we got a Verizon air card for high speed internet connection. Dial-up is torture!! I did an on-line traffic school in March to get a speeding ticket off my record and it took me SEVEN HOURS to complete the class do to the slow connection.

Jazz said...

I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say, we totally understand if you don't leave comments when you're in such a situation. Don't sweat it Gae...

And here I just put word verification back up because suddenly I've been getting spammed 10 times a day...

Unknown said...

I don't have the problem with things being slow on this satellite internet that I am being provided with for free, just have to watch the mb of data, so I can't get to all my blogs, either. What a pain in the arse to have to deal with!

Jo said...

Aye, Gaelyn, never fear, I'll always look out for your blog even if I don't hear from you for ages. I've been in a similar boat for the past 2 months back here in SA. not on slow dial up (my DSL is very quick and effecient) but we are 7 people in one house and four of us share two computers, desk space etc. BTW do you reduce your photos? I have a good program which you can down load from the Internet called Photo Razor. Check out their web at www.stormdance.net perhaps this will help. Oh and I LOVE the bug! Blessings. Jo

Sunny said...

If I had to go back to dial up, I think I'd give up the computer entirely. I got really spoiled by cable and even DSL, dial up would drive me bonkers!
Good Luck.
Sunny :)

Anonymous said...

I am off to shorten how many posts are on each page. :)

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Gaelyn: That is part of the reason I limit my visiting and I have fast internet. You just have to chose who you enjoy and spend time with them. I'm on the team and can't visit everyone on SWF.

Diane AZ said...

I sure can understand your frustration with using dial-up for blogging. You brought up points worth considering about image size, number of posts per page and word verification. We all enjoy your blog and hopefully you'll still be able to post even if you can't comment as much as you'd like.

Martha Z said...

I think I would give up blogging if I had to go back to dial-up.
I have no idea what would be the optimum size for a file. I try to keep each photo to about 250kb or less (I do see that one today was 350). I'd be interested to know how this works for people with slow connections.

On another subject, I enjoyed the tour of Furnace Creek.

Jenn Jilks said...

You are right. At least, with an embedded video you can choose not to use it.

My pet peeve are those who put music on their site. just turn it off, but it does lessen the speed.

Thanks for visiting me, though! Excellent rant!!!! A pat-on-the-back!

Arija said...

Gaelyn, don't think you are Robinson Crusoe, we live on a arm and although we are suppoaed to have optic cable onnection, it only goes along the highway nt the last two miles down our little by-way. It hakes ages to upload anything and so much of my time is wasted restarting the whole kit and caboodle when it freezes up with blank page. I would like to vist so many ther sited but the hours in the day run out...
Modern technology is not all it is made out to be.

RuthieJ said...

oh I feel your pain Gaelyn! I'm so glad I don't have dial-up anymore but my home computer is still way slower than the one I use at work. And I have the problem too where some blogs seem to take AGES to load all the big photos and full screen spreads (that always causes a few growls of frustration!)

Tash said...

I like the bug & love the title! nicely done rant.

Ms. Fiddlesticks said...

We all feel your frustration. I have just the 1st level of DSL and sometimes it is slow and videos are always stopping. My Mom has dial up and seems just fine with it, well she does not do that much with the internet. I was there the other day and thought I would pull my hair out, ouch. I have not been on the road yet with a laptop so I am not sure if there are alternatives out there. There is a new service called "Clear" but I do not know in what area out west it is available. Hang in there girlie. If I don't hear from you I know you are on the floor pitching a fit, ha ha.
DF

Rambling Woods said...

Oh Gaelyn..I remember dial-up. Don't feel you have to leave a comment on my blog. I try to read every meme post that I participate in..but not SW. I visit the bloggers I know as it is toooo many people....Michelle

Maria Berg said...

I am lucky I have a fast connection - but I do understand that it can be a problem.
During week I may get more the 100 comments and It DO take a lot of time to try to answer them all.

Thank you for telling me about the Josho Tree.

Is the any problem with my blog, that I should know about?

I use a webbhotel where I put my photos and then get the code from there so I can have as many photos I like.
It is a very different kind of life you live, I was a ranger for a few months in New Zealand 2000.
MB

Firefly the Travel Guy said...

You are such an awesome ans dedicated blogger. Even with ADSL, I feel for your problems. Its such a waste of time when a blog takes too long to load, which means I leave before I'm even in. Although my Port Elizabeth Daily picture blog has bigger pictures, I keep my Firefly Photo Files picture small and limit the page to 7 or 10 posts so that it loads quicker. I also hate word verification so I don't have it on. Once or twice I had a spammer and added it till they went away, but took it off again. There is no way that I would have time to look at all the Skywatch posts. I barely have time to look at the blogs that I follow. I do try to pop into all the blogs I follow every day as far as possible, specially those who visit my blog. And I do believe in leaving a comment if I have visited.

Pat said...

I found one of these bugs in my bathtub the other evening...(!)

I of course never gave a thought to having trouble viewing photos, but I do now remember the woes of dial-up....so sorry; I'm guilty for posting large photos....

Anonymous said...

OH, how I feel your pain! This is why I have not been good at keeping up with blogs. Often it just takes me too long. I do feel bad, not keeping up as well as my friends such as you do. But I lack the patience some times.

I too was feeling like I had to make it to everyones blog, and keep up. I finally released myself from this stress by saying "This is a process I want to enjoy. I will make it to as many blogs as I can while I have the patience and energy. If I do not make it to everyones blog for every post, I know they will understand."

Dawn Fine said...

Yeah..I know what u mean about dial up..this whole summer I had very slow connections...could not view blog photos ..forget the videos..So i didn't bother to read blogs..couldnt..
I appreciate it when I have a good connection.

Yes I am annoyed when I have to do word verifications..I really dont see much point in them.

As far as the amount of posts on a page..yes we all can limit that..I tend to have quite a few..but that is because most people have hi speed internet and it isnt an issue..
I feel your pain and will change the amount so it isnt as difficult.

The average person with hi speed internet does not know your pain..dial up is long gone in most places now..replaced by high speed internet.

I can appreciate what u are going thru..traveling around the USA..i have many areas of limited or no internet..it can be extremely frustrating

The Giraffe Head Tree said...

I love rants. You'll likely never get to this comment but know that I'm right there with ya, Gaelyn. Hang on Sloopy.

Craver Vii said...

I feel your pain. We still have dialup at home.

Dawn Fine said...

just had to add word verification a few weeks ago...bunch of crap spam! i see you have had to add it too..
bummer.

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