Electronic vs Manual

Call me old fashioned (ok I'm old fashioned), but there are times when incredibly old technology has a distinct advantage over new.  One of our secretaries was in tears yesterday, because modern technology failed her.  She is responsible for printing off and collating all the reports for the senior classes.  Technology, which is supposed to make her life so much easier, failed to do its job.  The program that was supposed to generate the reports screwed things up so badly it reduced this incredibly strong (and I'm not talking physical though she may be that as well) woman to tears.  I know the feeling well.  There have been a number of times I've felt like grabbing the computer tower, or laptop, and tossing it out the window, off the balcony, or the roof, of whatever building I happen to be in.  Actually, I find that threatening to do so will often correct the problem (unless there is a nasty virus, then not even the strongest of meds poured down its virtual throat will help).  However, back to electronic vs manual, which is where all this began.  In the olden days, you know back in the days of the dinosaurs, there used to be manual typewriters.  Yes, you actually had to not use electricity, press firmly (and I do mean firmly) on the keys, replace the ribbon once in a while (depending on how many times you'd used the cloth ribbon) and what was there was there.  Unless you made a mistake, then liquid paper (or a similar thing on strips of paper) was used.  Wayyyy before liquid paper, if one made a mistake, one had to take the sheet of paper out and retype everything.  Accuracy more than speed was the key, though being able to type 50 (yes 50) words per minute error free was the ultimate goal.  I never did reach that.  I think the highest I ever got was around 37 (kind of like my bowling scores).  No matter.  It was very tempting to suggest someone find her an old, manual typewriter to use - just for this occasion, or to take both the computer and the programmer up to the roof of the school and huck both of them off, just to make herself feel better.  Well ok, maybe not the programmer, that would cause all sorts of other problems, but the computer for sure. Until next time I feel like tossing the computer (is there a competition for how far a person can throw a computer, or how fast it will drop off the top of the roof, and where do I sign up?) I'll leave modern technology alone and go sit on my balcony where the birds are using even more ancient technology to soar through the air.