I began this course with truly little knowledge about computers in general and with almost no knowledge of how to use my own computer effectively. Over the past couple of weeks, my confidence in using my computer has increased dramatically. Previously, I feared trying anything new or using any sort of shortcut because I feared breaking something on my computer or accidentally downloading something that would harm my computer. Now I know a handful of shortcuts I can do consistently without fear of harming something. I know now that if I do something wrong, I have the knowledge to fix it or can use a search engine to find a way to fix it. An example of this comes from creating a journal file every day for class use. I know the exact steps that I must complete to create my file correctly if it does not work, I can look at what I typed into Gitbash and recognize where I typed something wrong or did not ”cd” into the correct file.
This course has also impacted the way that I view editing and digitally published pieces of work. I have worked in student publication over the years and have done both physical and digital publishing. This course has shown me how little I knew about digital publication and the possibilities that arise when using technology to one’s advantage. Using markup language and different tags can impact the editing process and make the organization process easier. Now when I am personally editing, both digitally and on paper, I pay more attention to how different things are digitally.
This course has drawn my attention to the things and the people that are doing the work “behind the scenes.” When we learned about all the women who worked to help make great technological advances and receive no credit it stood out to me. This is a common historical thread that I have noticed is often talked about in other classes I have previously taken and classes I am taking now. As this course progressed, I began to think about the programs on my computer that I consistently use to operate certain things, yet I never realized I was utilizing them.
Through learning these new concepts and noticing different things in my daily life, I want to learn more about my own personal computer. I personally use a windows machine from a brand that I do not often see other students using, it is not as common as something like a MacBook. I have had this same computer for many years, but I still do not know much about the distinct traits that it has. I recently learned that there was a way I could connect my smartphone to my computer and receive text messages and phone calls through my computer. I hope to continue to educate myself on how to use my own computer more effectively and to learn things that make my use of technology easier.