How can I be so smart and yet so dumb?

[algeh]

Today he told us what the breakdown of scores was for the automata midterm. Median was 82, mean was 79.4 (mode was not disclosed, nor was high/low). I got a 92. So some part of me must be good at this computer thing, right? Right? RIGHT? I mean, I did well on a grad school midterm in some part of the damn thing, I must not be completely thick at it. So why the hell can't I figure out what is wrong with my own damn computer? It's been mildly broken since the beginning of November or so, and it is starting to piss me off. Also, I open way too many support requests, considering that I am a priv and should really know some of this crap by now. (Granted, I'm a gunk and embedding priv, and I'm opening cust requests, but still...) I am feeling more and more than I am good at computer science except for the part that involves an actual computer. Bah. I want to find a new field, but I have no idea which one.

I'm so sick of technology, mostly because every part of it is someone else's IP, so I'm always using something that can be limited or taken away from me at any time, and I'm inherently supporting a system that I don't really agree with. It scares me how much of our lives are spent interacting with other people's IP now. Everything I do for fun is copyrighted by a corporation. That's just wrong and I don't know what to do about it. I've been settling for using things like LiveJournal that are somewhat less evil than most, but I'm not sure that's enough any more. I want to run away and live in the wilderness, but I'm fat, out of shape and all the land is already owned by someone else anyway. I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up anymore. I don't think the world really has places ready for people like me, and I don't think it wants there to be any.

Comments

[diantha.livejournal.com]

My dad likes to say that being good at software doesn't imply being good at hardware. So, don't worry about it too much. And also, congrats on the midterm!

[clipdude.livejournal.com]

I don't think you are as bad with computers as you think you are, sweetie. Also, not being able to get specific software working does not necessarily imply that you are bad with computer science in general. As far as the customization thing goes, its mainly because you haven't much experience with CSS, not some general incompetence with computers, that you are having problems. By the way, I posted an answer to your request. I hope it gets unscreened, since I did it in a hurry. (Or can you read unscreened answers to your own requests if you have the I1 priv?)

[clipdude.livejournal.com]

What's with all this whitespace. I must of hit the [Enter] key too many times!

[algeh]

Actually, I have I2 in cust, since I'm a gunk priv. Yeah, I can see all the screeneds and internals even though it's my request, although I can't leave anything other than comments just like any other person who opens a request. (That is, not only can I not leave screened answers, I also can't leave internals.)

I am so not messing with my style any more tonight. Also, I think it'd be better if I wait until an answer gets unscreened before I go applying stuff from one, so yeah. Does look sensible, but so did GFM's, and I'm too tired to deal with it any more.

[clipdude.livejournal.com]

Yay! Someone approved my answer!

[algeh]

Yay!

[qousqous.livejournal.com]

Gah. I don't know about the computer stuff, but I can agree with the part about the world not wanting you/me. There's just no room for generalists in this world, and I'm a generalist. There aren't a lot of careers for people who can converse in five languages but are fluent in none, who can throw in a network card or install an OS but not administer a network or program, bla bla bla and so on. Boo.