MANY CAN PROBABLY remember that screen on TVs … “Please stand by, we’re experiencing technical difficulties.” It would usually happen
at the best part of whatever show you were watching. Now, we just get the spinning wheel of death, or a flashing “buffering” as our program reboots. A modern update to a frustrating event.
I wish we had something similar in life when we’re just not functioning the way we want to. For those off days, when we didn’t get enough sleep, or we’re feeling under the weather, or overwhelmed … “Please stand by, Dee is experiencing technical difficulties. She’ll be back as soon as she reboots.”
There’s a quote from Ann Lamott that says “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” And isn’t that the truth? While proofing this issue, InDesign, the program we use to lay out the magazine before sending it to the printer, went kaput on me. I have no idea why. One minute it was working, the next I couldn’t do a thing. It took me nearly a day, and several emails to people more familiar with it, to get it up and running again. Not a great feeling when you’re on a deadline.
But that’s the thing, life doesn’t slow down when you’re experiencing technical difficulties, literal or figurative. The best you can hope for are some resources to help you solve the problem. And that’s what we strive to provide in each issue, including this one.
If you’re looking for a short cut to what’s new at VEE, we got you on page 42. Has your business suffered from a bout of bad press? Or worse, no press?? Then visit our DIY PR special feature on page 50 for how to get out the good word. And of course, our Manager’s To-Do (page 22), Columns (page 60) and Tip Sheet (page 56) are crammed full of their usual great advice and creative ideas.
Remember, glitches are temporary — and nothing that unplugging for a minute or two can’t fix.