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Of fans and excrement

Modern technology is wonderful (usually).

Despite the many millions of tiny semiconductor junctions inside every CPU and the billions of memory cells inside memory chips -- the systems built around such devices tend to work flawlessly - day in and day out.

Until... they don't.

When the excrement hits the rotating air agitator and the unspeakable happens -- our reliance on modern hi-tech can turn around and bite us on the backside, big time!

Let's look at two of the most recent examples of such horrific (to some) events.

The other day, Twitter crashed and remained down for several hours.

That's no way to tweet an internet user!

Apparently, many millions of anxious Twitter users were left to go cold-turkey as the lifeline to their "fix" of tweets and tweeting was unceremoniously cut.

Quite frankly, I'm surprised there weren't more suicides reported -- or perhaps they tried but those "I'm slitting my wrists" tweets were lost in the ether.

Okay, right now I can hear hundreds of angry Twitter users typing away to berate me for my snarkiness and my lack of understanding about just how useful Twitter really is. Don't email me - tweet me instead!

Let's face it, being detweeted for a few hours isn't the end of the world -- but far greater "technology failure" problems have been experienced in the UK during recent days.

A major snafu in the computer systems of Britain's NatWest Bank, has meant that for the past four days or so, many account holders haven't been able to get access to their money.

Being unable to send or receive a tweet is one thing -- not being able to get at your money to buy food or pay the bills is something altogether different.

So, I wonder what contingency plans readers have put in place to protect them if the air around here is filled with the aroma of excrement due to some unforeseen technical melt-down.

Do you keep a cache of cash in the mattress just in case the EFTPOS and ATM systems suffer some hideously protracted failure?

Do you keep a backup of your mobile phone's SIM card -- in case that phone is lost, stolen or erupts in a ball of flame due to a faulty lithium battery?

Or, like most people, do you just cross your fingers and hope that the scent of hi-tech remains ever-sweet in your life?

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