by Rex Trulove

Created on: September 09, 2007

A better question would be, "How do I keep from being intimidated by and frustrated by my computer?" Believe it or not, there are things that you can do to lessen the feelings of intimidation, frustration, and even fear, regarding computers.

The greatest tool for this is to gain knowledge. Okay, sounds simple, but in practice, it isn't, right? After all, in an age when many children in the first grades of elementary school seem to know more about, and are more comfortable about computers than their parents and grandparents, it can be intimidating to even ask what might seem to us to be "stupid questions". What's worse, every field including the ones having to do with computers, there are always going to be those individuals who are so filled with themselves that they can't seem to wait to find ways to make you FEEL stupid.

The good news is that it doesn't have to be this way. You, the reader, are not stupid, to begin with. The fact that you are reading this and trying to learn more is testament to that. It takes intelligence and courage just to make the effort. Always remember, too, that the people who try to make you feel brainless are simply trying to cover up their own lack of knowledge. The problem isn't yours, it is theirs.

As for the 'stupid questions' part, I've always loved a quote from my grandmother: "The only stupid question is the one that isn't asked." The greatest computer genius in the world at one time had no computer knowledge and had to learn it. I daresay that they didn't do that without asking questions.

Intimidation is caused by a lack of knowledge coupled with fear. Nearly all computer users, regardless of skill level, have gone through a time when they were worried about doing something that would "mess up" the computer. While to a point, this is a legitimate concern, it is only in a minor way. The simple fact is that there aren't that many things you can do to a computer that can't be repaired. Sure, components burn out, but the same can be said about any mechanical device, from computers, to cars, to butter churns. There are some things that you shouldn't do, naturally; don't move a computer while it is plugged in and turned on, don't let it get wet, and so on, but that is pretty much the same for any electrical machine. The software is even harder to destroy by accident. Consider the worse that could happen, software wise...the software might need to be reinstalled, and you could lose your data (letters, emails, what have you. How is that

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