Okay, it is a bit of a stretch since it is not really a metaphor for life and I am not really talking about Windows Live so much as Windows the operating system, but the metaphor applies quite well to life also.
A stinky city huh? Yep, a stinky city. I think most cities have a bit of a smell to them. Some are more noticeable than others. I remember one-time returning to Cleveland after being away for years. The city really stunk. I had lived there for years before that and had not noticed the smell but when I came back it was about enough to take your breath away. I have noticed the same thing in several other cities too. I just can’t remember particulars.
To be fair the country can stink quite a bit too. Reminds me of a couple of college kids who brought a city slicker friend back home to the country with them for spring break. When they got of the train the kids from the country took in a deep breath and exclaimed, “Ahhh, there is nothing like the smell of fresh air!” The other kid was impressed by the size of the cows walking by but didn’t think the smell was all that great. They walked on over to the farm and as they were about to go in the house the city slicker yelled, “Yuck… Oh… Gross….” the friends looked at him in shock and asked what the matter was. He replied, “I just stepped in a whole pile of that fresh air.”
The worst smell ever though, is the smell of a paper town. Paper manufacturing is a rough smelling business. I really do not know how people can live in a place like that, but they say that you get used to it. From experience I do know that if you are around (or in) a certain smell for a little while, you will get used to it. And that is where the metaphor part comes in.
I used a Windows PC for about two hours of presentations this morning. It was not my machine and the person who loaned it to me had apparently downloaded a patch/update/bug-swap or something that required the machine to restart right before bringing it. That is not the end of the world, I have done a few installs on the Mac where the program or at least the update would not be available until after a restart. So, at the end of the install, it stops and ask if you want to shutdown then or later. On my Mac, If I say “later,” it just sits there patiently waiting without any more interruptions.
But this machine would have none of that waiting. It took it upon its self to remind me every five minutes that I needed to reboot. The catch was that I did not have a break long enough to shut-down the computer and restart it. So I just kept going, and it just kept reminding me. It was not really a big deal but it did smell just a little bit off, and if you multiply all the little quirks and design blunders throughout Windows it really makes Windows smell really bad. I found myself wondering how people could put up with all the weirdness and problems of Windows.
The fact of the matter is that most people do not even notice how buggy Windows is. They just think computers are supposed freeze up all the time, spit out random errors and do other inexplicable stuff. They may also just assume it is their fault. That they are not smart enough to use a computer, when in reality the OS was just designed poorly. It’s like a stink that you have gotten used to it and then you never notice it unless you can get away from it for a little bit.
Windows (Live) is also like a stinky city in that it is really hard to pick-out what exactly is wrong. It just stinks in general. There is something you can’t quite put your finger on, and probably would not want to. I have often been asked about the difference between Mac and PC and was just not able to explain the difference. It is just something you have to experience. You have to use a Mac for a few months and then go back to the PC for a day then you will notice the stench. A hundred little things that you cannot identify separately all come together.
These features of Windows also apply to life. A metaphor for life after all! There are a bunch of small things that can make life really stink. You can’t always identify what those things are. They just stink. Also like Windows and stinky cities, it really helps to get away for a bit and get a fresh perspective. It will help you in business and in all life’s relationships if you can get a view (or a whiff) from the outside. In business you want to make yourself aware of common sources of stench so that you can eliminate them immediately. If you do not, you will stop noticing, but every customer will notice it every time they stop by.
So stop and smell the roses even if you have to go out of your way to do it. As a matter of fact, going out of your way to get away is exactly what you need to do. Get a fresh perspective and try to see things the way someone new would see it.
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I had no idea that OS was a poorly designed program. I definitely was one of those kids that just got used to the stinky city. Good food for thought.