I am not Larry Lamb18 May 2017
"Are you sure you’re not Larry Lamb?" There's my passport, letter from the hospital with my diagnosis and a utility bill. "He does look like him".
For the last time ladies I am not Larry F@#king Lamb. SECURITY! That’s how the day started. I spent a good hour on the laptop this morning trying to apply for a disabled freedom pass I was told last week I could have had five years ago.
I took the advice from last time “You need to apply online Sir”. So off I went. On to the Lewisham Council website. I started ticking boxes, as you do, and answered all the questions. Then it all went to shit! Or did it?
Those of you that know me well think I'm grumpy and moaning all the time. When I taught my friend Dave how to use a computer it involved a lot of shouting “Read what you’re doing” “Slow down a bit and listen to what I'm telling you”. Back me up Moyles you know.
“Do it online” “Do it online” that’s all you hear these days. Great if you’re a spotty teenager or middle aged iPhone user. Not so good if you didn’t learn to use a computer and rely on others to do things for you. The media ram so much negativity about computers down our throats on a daily basis while the other side advertises the latest ‘phones and iPads. It’s a way to keep the population under control. I said it last night if you don’t know!
Hackers, online banking, full of porn and paedophiles. That is what the media want us to believe. You will see a story about these all the time. Is it any wonder people don’t use them?
You maybe go to work and use them to look at spreadsheets and write emails. The last thing most people want to do is go home and do the same.
As I am now classed as ‘retro’ according to the hipsters, or ‘past my sell by date’ I suppose I am now officially old. I must now go to my local library and ask someone else to show me how to do it. Or ask a family member to help. You have to remember that most bits of modern technology is now bought by younger people who will also buy the latest ‘phone for grandma at Christmas, and then leave them to get on with it. I come across this nearly every day and it usually results in me having to change passwords for them and show them how to do things. I met someone last week who has lots of nice toys at home - Apple TV, Sonus System. Still sat in boxes because it might be too complicated for them to understand. We live in a digital world but there are still a lot of analogue people out there.
I was reading a blog earlier about someone who is doing the same thing as me and has a passion for it as well. You can tell by reading his blog that he has come across many of the same out dated ideas.
Older people and most of the ‘phone buying public don’t really understand any of it. Searching for the latest game or app that all their friends have told them about. Hey - if you want to spend your life wiping out rows of coloured dots that’s up to you but older people now have to learn as everything will soon be on line.
I knew a guy who would get on the train every Thursday and go to Bromley in Kent to his building society, pay some bills and draw out the money he needed for the next week. I know of others that have no interest in learning anything. “Oh my daughter does all that”. Unfortunately it’s not just them that have their heads buried in the sand, it’s local councillors, it’s doctors, magistrates, police forces... the list goes on.
The hackers proved to a lot of people that follow what's going on just how bad the system is. If they don’t understand and they have no interest in what we are trying to say what chance do we have. I tried to explain about today’s society and how it all works. It’s all LinkedIn and networking these days. But with more managers and stupid rules less and less is spent on IT. It’s all very well upgrading the software but if your machine is ten years old it’s not going to run it as fast or as well.
They want him to jazz up the website. Some of the community forum think it’s too plain - it hasn’t got 50 tabs of adverts and crap on it. Well I back him – it’s not really for them, it’s for us to show how easy it can be. Simple, Stupid. Millions of pounds are spent every year buying licences for XP software updates and patches. But as I mentioned in another blog. managers are more important.
I count myself lucky because I kind of know what I'm doing. if we bow down and let people who know nothing about the subject take charge it becomes complicated and hard to understand. I love the fact we aren't allowed to talk to anyone anymore. We spend hours held in queues on the ‘phone – “press 1 to stand here for another twenty minutes”. To be told “Oh you need to do that online now”.
So I tried this morning to do it online. No luck. Their system doesn’t recognise my postcode.
So off I went again to Lewisham Council. It doesn’t work. It will not recognise my postcode even though the same computer system pays my housing benefit. “How can this be?” I asked Windows XP. I left laughing realising that everywhere is the same and I hope you see it yourselves. The Lewisham Council website is so confusing and out of date is it any wonder it cannot cope?
Now this whole blog had to be re written because after I left there I went to my local library and sat down and started to write about what had happened. I was angry and upset that simple things had been made so complicated. I saw this coming years ago. And now it has, time to act.
I was laughing whilst I wrote and someone came over and asked what I was laughing at. I showed him the blog and he introduced me to Darren who owns a computer recycle company, but he is also passionate about what he does. Lewisham Council, as part of the Government’s cost cutting measures, had closed many libraries around the borough and Darren took them on and they now have volunteers from the local community running them. Any money made goes into building maintenance and keeping them open. They are responsible for doing what the council used to do and offer a greater amount of services. It has become a local hub for many things and he is to be applauded.
There is no Citizen Advice anymore, all online. You used to be able to walk into the council office and get advice. There were phones in the lobby that you could talk to people on. All gone - all online. On the same computer system I tried today. Anyway Darren gave me a number and I rang.
Tomorrow morning I have to go and see Lewisham Council about becoming a digital champion for older people. Basically something I have been banging on about all this time. I have been through so many emotional ups and down over the years but to finally be able to talk to people that do understand and going out of their way to help others, because they also saw it coming is a great feeling. I feel so happy tonight.
I said before the best job is one you’re passionate about and love to do. I never thought I would write a blog. I did what I said I was going to do and left the book of face behind. And I am enjoying life. So if anything I have written over the past blogs has made you think, let me offer some words of advice. Being the retro old git I have become, get rid of things that bring you down, Be nice to everyone you meet. If you care about something and it’s a great idea follow it up, never give up. If you have an addictive personality get rid of things that are addictive. It takes so much willpower to succeed in anything you’re passionate about.
Sean Ryan
98 Brockley Grove London SE4 1EQ
07482 988 316
"Are you sure you’re not Larry Lamb?" There's my passport, letter from the hospital with my diagnosis and a utility bill. "He does look like him".
For the last time ladies I am not Larry F@#king Lamb. SECURITY! That’s how the day started. I spent a good hour on the laptop this morning trying to apply for a disabled freedom pass I was told last week I could have had five years ago.
I took the advice from last time “You need to apply online Sir”. So off I went. On to the Lewisham Council website. I started ticking boxes, as you do, and answered all the questions. Then it all went to shit! Or did it?
Those of you that know me well think I'm grumpy and moaning all the time. When I taught my friend Dave how to use a computer it involved a lot of shouting “Read what you’re doing” “Slow down a bit and listen to what I'm telling you”. Back me up Moyles you know.
“Do it online” “Do it online” that’s all you hear these days. Great if you’re a spotty teenager or middle aged iPhone user. Not so good if you didn’t learn to use a computer and rely on others to do things for you. The media ram so much negativity about computers down our throats on a daily basis while the other side advertises the latest ‘phones and iPads. It’s a way to keep the population under control. I said it last night if you don’t know!
Hackers, online banking, full of porn and paedophiles. That is what the media want us to believe. You will see a story about these all the time. Is it any wonder people don’t use them?
You maybe go to work and use them to look at spreadsheets and write emails. The last thing most people want to do is go home and do the same.
As I am now classed as ‘retro’ according to the hipsters, or ‘past my sell by date’ I suppose I am now officially old. I must now go to my local library and ask someone else to show me how to do it. Or ask a family member to help. You have to remember that most bits of modern technology is now bought by younger people who will also buy the latest ‘phone for grandma at Christmas, and then leave them to get on with it. I come across this nearly every day and it usually results in me having to change passwords for them and show them how to do things. I met someone last week who has lots of nice toys at home - Apple TV, Sonus System. Still sat in boxes because it might be too complicated for them to understand. We live in a digital world but there are still a lot of analogue people out there.
I was reading a blog earlier about someone who is doing the same thing as me and has a passion for it as well. You can tell by reading his blog that he has come across many of the same out dated ideas.
Older people and most of the ‘phone buying public don’t really understand any of it. Searching for the latest game or app that all their friends have told them about. Hey - if you want to spend your life wiping out rows of coloured dots that’s up to you but older people now have to learn as everything will soon be on line.
I knew a guy who would get on the train every Thursday and go to Bromley in Kent to his building society, pay some bills and draw out the money he needed for the next week. I know of others that have no interest in learning anything. “Oh my daughter does all that”. Unfortunately it’s not just them that have their heads buried in the sand, it’s local councillors, it’s doctors, magistrates, police forces... the list goes on.
The hackers proved to a lot of people that follow what's going on just how bad the system is. If they don’t understand and they have no interest in what we are trying to say what chance do we have. I tried to explain about today’s society and how it all works. It’s all LinkedIn and networking these days. But with more managers and stupid rules less and less is spent on IT. It’s all very well upgrading the software but if your machine is ten years old it’s not going to run it as fast or as well.
They want him to jazz up the website. Some of the community forum think it’s too plain - it hasn’t got 50 tabs of adverts and crap on it. Well I back him – it’s not really for them, it’s for us to show how easy it can be. Simple, Stupid. Millions of pounds are spent every year buying licences for XP software updates and patches. But as I mentioned in another blog. managers are more important.
I count myself lucky because I kind of know what I'm doing. if we bow down and let people who know nothing about the subject take charge it becomes complicated and hard to understand. I love the fact we aren't allowed to talk to anyone anymore. We spend hours held in queues on the ‘phone – “press 1 to stand here for another twenty minutes”. To be told “Oh you need to do that online now”.
So I tried this morning to do it online. No luck. Their system doesn’t recognise my postcode.
So off I went again to Lewisham Council. It doesn’t work. It will not recognise my postcode even though the same computer system pays my housing benefit. “How can this be?” I asked Windows XP. I left laughing realising that everywhere is the same and I hope you see it yourselves. The Lewisham Council website is so confusing and out of date is it any wonder it cannot cope?
Now this whole blog had to be re written because after I left there I went to my local library and sat down and started to write about what had happened. I was angry and upset that simple things had been made so complicated. I saw this coming years ago. And now it has, time to act.
I was laughing whilst I wrote and someone came over and asked what I was laughing at. I showed him the blog and he introduced me to Darren who owns a computer recycle company, but he is also passionate about what he does. Lewisham Council, as part of the Government’s cost cutting measures, had closed many libraries around the borough and Darren took them on and they now have volunteers from the local community running them. Any money made goes into building maintenance and keeping them open. They are responsible for doing what the council used to do and offer a greater amount of services. It has become a local hub for many things and he is to be applauded.
There is no Citizen Advice anymore, all online. You used to be able to walk into the council office and get advice. There were phones in the lobby that you could talk to people on. All gone - all online. On the same computer system I tried today. Anyway Darren gave me a number and I rang.
Tomorrow morning I have to go and see Lewisham Council about becoming a digital champion for older people. Basically something I have been banging on about all this time. I have been through so many emotional ups and down over the years but to finally be able to talk to people that do understand and going out of their way to help others, because they also saw it coming is a great feeling. I feel so happy tonight.
I said before the best job is one you’re passionate about and love to do. I never thought I would write a blog. I did what I said I was going to do and left the book of face behind. And I am enjoying life. So if anything I have written over the past blogs has made you think, let me offer some words of advice. Being the retro old git I have become, get rid of things that bring you down, Be nice to everyone you meet. If you care about something and it’s a great idea follow it up, never give up. If you have an addictive personality get rid of things that are addictive. It takes so much willpower to succeed in anything you’re passionate about.
Sean Ryan
98 Brockley Grove London SE4 1EQ
07482 988 316
Comments