This is my set up.
I get internet through my landlord's line.
He has forgotten his password ages ago.
I can plug in, but can't do wireless.
I use my laptop to work wirelessly at eateries, etc.
When I wish to access my Gmail account from the laptop—boom, I'm there.
To access my gmail account from my desktop, as of a month or two ago, has taken about ten minutes, with multiple entries of address and password and getting kicked out.
I'm not playing this game. The time it takes me to get to my Gmail account is now equal to writing a small article. I'm a writer. I'll write.
My desktop is 8 years old and is having problems warming up. But, it gets me to the back end of my site and other places as quick as the laptop. But with Gmail it keeps getting slower. Now, I have spent three days drying to upload to Google Doc my end of an interview Kevin Michael Grace did with me.
I am now being blocked from my own Google account through the desktop.
I will get a flash drive in a couple of days and snail mail Kevin the file.
I am writing this to let readers and writers know that there will be a three-four day lag between you sending an email or an article and me getting to it.
Sorry for any inconvenience.
James
6/21/17
Skulker Jones: A Tale of Dark Deviltry at the End of Caucasian Time
Skulker Jones is the sequel to A Hoodrat Halloween and an urban horror tale of a failed man looking for a final saving grace.
James.
I know you are not much interested in spending time on computer tech stuff, but your recent post about your home computer issues got me thinking.
You had to snail mail a thumbdrive? That sucks.
From what you said, I think the situation is: you are running a relatively 'old' machine and probably use a relatively 'old' version of microsoft windows (note: 'old' in the computer vernacular means only a few years old). In my experience, windows has a habit of collecting and storing useless crap from the internet that ends up slowing the computer down progressively over time until it becomes ultimately unusable. Then we are expected to scrap our old computers and buy a new ones or wrangle with microsoft for "service". I suspect that this is a baked-in, intentional design/feature AKA: planned obsolescense.
There are several ways you might easily and quickly fix/work around the problem long enough to use the old computer until you can arrange for a replacement.
1. You could try running firefox browser with the "no script" addon. It might work to allow you to get to your email account and use it.
2. You could obtain a LIVE DVD version of some distribution of linux.* Pretty much all you need is the ability to boot from the DVD ROM drive on your home computer (or from your CD ROM drive on the home computer if you have no DVD ROM drive, but your options will be more limited if you have only a CD ROM drive). It won't change anything on your home computer unless you specifically direct it to do so, and it costs nothing other than your time and the download bandwidth which you can do from a cafe using bittorrent with your laptop so that if it gets interrupted while downloading, you can restart it again later at another location rather than having to start the process all over again from scratch.
3. You could, but I cannot recommend, reinstall windows. This is a difficult and time-consuming pain in the ass even if you have all the secret microsoft code numbers, disks, files, and the special telephone number(s) where you can call microsoft and beg for access to your computer. Best to avoid this one, IMHO.
*I have some extensive experience in this area and could provide you with links and names of distributions and versions that should work well. I could do this via email or could post them publically in a follow-up comment here if you would prefer that.
I would offer to help more extensively but I am being evicted by the end of this month of June and I don't know if I will have internet access for some time.
I will check my email as I can. And check here.
carry on.
best wishes,
Rick,
Thanks so much for this.
I don't check comments anymore but my editor alerted me to this.
My email is jameslafond dot-com at gmail dot-com.
If you need a rental in Baltimore County call me at 443-686-0598
Good luck with the eviction.