#Computers - P.J. MacLayne

Is It Clutter Or Pleasure? #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne August 9, 2026 August 9, 2026 Open Book

August 10, 2026

Do you collect anything in particular?

I’m going to assume that books don’t count here.

Sadly, I don’t have as many as I used to because I needed to pare down when we moved after I retired. But I’ve been adding new books to be bookshelf.

At heart, I am a minimalist. Unlike my husband, who would buy many collectibles if we had an unlimited amount of spare money. We’ve learned to compromise.

I have allowed myself to gather fake flowers and put them all over the house. No fancy arrangements, just flowers stuck in a variety of containers. They make me happy even in the dreary days of winter.

I do have a weakness.

I admit to harboring far too much outdated computer equipment during my years working in IT. And technology changed rapidly. I ended up with outdated RAM, old motherboards, graphics cards that no longer meet current standards. That’s not mentioning peripherals – old mice, cables of all sorts, even used battery backups. I also ended up with old but updated computers. But my pride is a Windows 3.1 laptop that still worked the last time I checked.

My stash proved useful more than once at work. When maintaining legacy equipment, it’s handy to have old equipment around. But when I retired and moved, I had most of the equipment recycled rather than hauling it across country.

There is one thing more I kept. (Besides the old laptop.) I have an almost complete collection of Windows installation media. Yep, even Windows 3.1 on computer discs. Windows 11 is on a USB stick. The rest are on CD. The one I don’t remember collecting is Windows ME.

Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay

That’s my collection. It may be weird, but it brings me joy.

What do the others on this hop collect? Join me in exploring their answers by following the links below.

As always, please stay safe until the next time.

August 10, 2026

Do you collect anything in particular?

Writing vs Creating vs AI #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne March 23, 2025 March 23, 2025 Open Book

Do you suffer from Automation Anxiety?

(the fear that advancements in technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, will lead to widespread job losses, rendering people’s skills obsolete and potentially leaving them unemployed, causing significant worry and stress about the future of work.)

Before I dive into the post, I want to mention that the topic was suggested long before the breaking news of Meta using a pirate site to train their AI. More on that to come.

In the early 1800s, workers in England were upset by the increasing automation in wool and cotton mills, worried that the new machines would do away with their jobs. They began protesting, including destroying the new equipment, with the center of the movement being in Nottingham. (Yes, of Robin Hood fame.) Their leader was purported to be Ned Ludd.

The movement was eventually ended by the use of the legal system, which included sending protesters to Australia. But it left the legacy of the Luddites, a term applied to people opposed to new technology.

I’m surprised that the term hasn’t crept into today’s many discussions on the use of Artificial Intelligence in the areas that have long been considered part of the human fabric, the creative arts. While computers were viewed as enhancements to the fields of science and math, no one saw them as competing with most other fields. After all, their input and output could be shaved down to a string of 1s and 0s.

I was along for the ride as that changed.

I started with WordPerfect on a DOS-based personal computer and made the switch to Word on Microsoft a few years later. It’s transformation from being a fancy typewriter to a computing tool happened rapidly, faster than most users could keep up with. The addition of spell check felt revolutionary, a boon to writers at all levels.

Then came the flurry of on-line tools to assist writers. Hemingway, Grammarly, ProWritingAid and others. Now, those programs may suggest changes to not only spelling and grammar, but phrasing as well. (A simple form of AI.)

Through all of that, writers felt secure in being creators. Surely, machines would never replace the spark of creativity that was humanity’s alone. But AI didn’t remain in a static form.

I have mixed emotions about its current state. It’s gotten so much better at mimicking human creativity, but it’s still not perfect. It depends on a skilled human entering information for a computer to manipulate. Even then, the programs don’t always get it right. (Check out the problems with six fingers.)

Enter Meta’s AI

First, my thanks to Author Angel Nyx for alerting me and other authors to the information in regards to the current issues with Meta’s AI tool. Meta (Facebook) made the business decision to use a pirate website (LibGen) to train the tool. It’s an ethics issue as well as a legal one, because that means Meta used copywritten works without the author’s permission. Several law firms have already tackled the possibility of lawsuits. (FYI – I gave up pursuing pirate sites some years ago, tired of playing whack-a-mole. And yes, several of my books are on the above-mentioned site.)

Back to the original question – do I suffer from Automation Anxiety? It bothers me, not for myself, because I don’t support myself with my writing, but for other writers, I worry. Heaven knows, I don’t get enough attention on this blog to be concerned that AI is going to become my competition. However, there are fields in which it could affect jobs. (I’m thinking of technical and other non-fiction writing.)

But I don’t believe that AI is ready for prime time. I’ve read a few pieces I suspect were AI generated and found them boring, repetitive, and filled with all those phrases that an editor loves to hate. I’ve also heard the precautionary tales of AI generated legal briefs that made up the sources they sited. Not a good thing for a lawyer to present to a judge. That means AI can’t even be trusted for basic research.

How about the other authors on this hop? How do they feel about AI? Find out by following the links below.

And, as always, until next time, please stay safe.

March 24, 2025

Do you suffer from Automation anxiety? (the fear that advancements in technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, will lead to widespread job losses, rendering people’s skills obsolete and potentially leaving them unemployed, causing significant worry and stress about the future of work.)

Writing Tools – What’s Your Favorite? #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne February 13, 2022 February 13, 2022 Open Book

Feb 14, 2022

We talked about the tools we use for our blogs awhile back. How about for your writing in general? What are your favorite tools?

The list keeps growing as new tools come on the market and more people discover that they can make money helping authors achieve their goals. But my forever favorites are what I started with—the simple paper and pen, but I don’t use them often.

I wrote the first draft of The Ranger’s Dog tags entirely by hand, a luxury I rarely allow myself. It took fifteen tablets, single-sided, and five or six pens. I took the picture when I was about two-thirds of the way through the rough manuscript.

But as much as I love it, writing by hand is more time-consuming. Did I name that character six chapters ago Derik or Daryll? Finding the right tablet, let alone the right page to confirm, is problematic. And everything has to be typed before I can begin editing. Seeing the words on the screen provides a different perspective.

Before I get into the computer process, I want to mention two other tools—a dictionary and a thesaurus. Sure, I know they are available on-line, but the act of turning pages in a paper thesaurus helps me track down words in a way that a computer can’t. I use the computer more for spelling and definitions, but the paper dictionary is kept close.

Moving on to the computer—let’s start with basic word processing programs. I use LibreOffice, a free program similar to Microsoft Office. It’s fine for basic writing, although it doesn’t mimic some of the profession tool of MS Office. I don’t use them anyway, so it doesn’t matter. The one thing I haven’t mastered in LibreOffice is paragraph indents throughout a whole document. I have instructions, but I can’t make them work.

Another often-overlooked tool is Notepad. I use it for quick research notes, and to copy things that have annoying formatting attached that won’t go away. It’s fast and easy and comes with no strings attached.

I’m a big fan of ProWritingAid. I received a lifetime subscription to it for Christmas a few years ago. After having used the free version, I can testify how much easier it is to use the full program. No word limits! Sure, there are things it gets wrong, but I love how it helps me track down repeated words and phrases.

What else? I use the website Canva for quick graphics. I don’t claim to be good at it, but I can throw together something easy, even if it takes me too long. Two websites I use for free pictures and graphics are Pixabay and Pexals. I use Inlinkz for this hop. (They provide the script that links our websites together. Sadly, it isn’t free.)

CritiqueCircle is my go-to site for on-line critiques. The quality may vary, but I have received some excellent help on there from other writers.

Which leads me to my final ‘tool.’ Perhaps a better word would be ‘resource.’ Here’s to all the wonderful people I’ve met along the way who have helped to support me, especially other writers. They’ve help me find the confidence to try my hand at this whole writing thing.

That’s why I’m looking forward to everyone else’s post this week and finding what treasure they may share. You can too, by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

Feb 14, 2022

We talked about the tools we use for our blogs awhile back. How about for your writing in general? What are your favorite tools?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

When I Was A Child #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne December 12, 2021 December 12, 2021 Open Book

Dec 13 2021

How did you picture your life as a kid versus how it turned out so far?

When I was a child, I measured the world in a different way. How high could I climb up the oak tree? How far up the hill could I pedal my bike? How far could I go in the back pasture before I lost sight of the top of the willow trees beside the house?

I remember standing in the kitchen when I was 8 or 10, trying to figure out how old I would be in the year 2000. Couldn’t make the math work. Decided it didn’t matter; I’d probably be dead by then.

What I wanted to be when I grew up changed on a regularly. I had a short-lived fantasy of being a hermit. Then I was going to be a librarian or forest ranger. It upset my high school teachers that I had no desire to get into one of the science or math fields.

It turns out that the field I eventually excelled in didn’t exist at that time. Computers took up entire rooms. I discovered my passion for ones that fit under the desk. Now we hold them in the palms of our hands and call them phones. I can see and talk to my 93-year-old mother with a simple device that allows her to bush one button to communicate with her children and grandchildren across the country. We are living in the age of science fiction.

When I was a teenager, I had an accident on my bicycle and spent nearly a week in the hospital. One of my injuries involved my left ear. A few years ago, I was undergoing a series of test for vertigo, and the technician asked about my inner ear injury. I explained it to him, and he asked “Didn’t they do an MRI?” I smiled and said “MRIs didn’t exist back then.” We are living in the age of science fiction.

Once upon a time, authors laboriously wrote their books out by hand or typed them on a typewriter. Then they repeated the process to make corrections. Once finished , they stuffed the final copies into oversized manila envelopes or boxes to mail off to an agent or a company’s slush pile. Now they can see their edits on a screen and never have to touch white-out or correction tape. Instead of mailing them, the documents can go electronically to their destination. We are living in the age of science fiction, and there’s no going back.

I wouldn’t want to, either. Go back, that is. It’s not all roses and sunshine, but I have too many friends and family members who wouldn’t be alive today if it weren’t for the advances in science and medicine. Maybe I wouldn’t have made it to the year 2000 if it weren’t for the changes. My life doesn’t resemble what I expected as a kid, and I’m good with that.

What about you, reader? Has your life turned out differently from what you expected? Tell us about it in the comments. And to see how the other authors on this loop feel, follow the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe!

Dec 13 2021

How did you picture your life as a kid versus how it turned out so far?

You Never Know Where It Will Go #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne September 19, 2021 September 19, 2021 Open Book

Sept 20, 2021
What is a side skill that has been useful in your life? Where did you learn it? Have you written it into any of your stories?

My career with computers started as a side skill. It began back in the dark ages, when personal computers were new to business and the bulky machines had less capacity that the smart phone you got rid of three years ago. Back when the only way to reach out to another computer was by dial-up. The company I worked for decided that I should have one of those bricks since I was stationed remotely. (Yes, even back then remote work was a thing.)

Unfortunately, the device they provided me was buggy from the get-go. Things didn’t always work the way they were supposed to. The organization was tired of me spending time on the phone with our supporting techs, so they sent me to classes so I understood more about the magic behind the system. That’s when I was introduced to the mystical and arcane language of DOS, and discovered I had an affinity for computers. I went on to take a variety of computer-related classes and eventually changed careers.

Does my career show up in my writing? Heck, yeah. I have no problem with casting my major characters as being in the computer industry; everything from your everyday techs to computer programmers to owners of software companies. Despite the prevailing stereotypes, there are plenty of folks in the field who are romantic hero or heroine quality.

Take Gavin, my hero from Wolves’ Pawn. I tried to figure out what how a wolf shifter pack could exist and survive in today’s world and stay hidden. Computer programming was the perfect fit. All the real work can be done in the background and only a few select people need to interact with the public. Although Gavin isn’t a programmer, he’s second-in-command of the company and helps keeps it running.

Then there’s Eli from The Harmony Duprie series. Not only does he own a computer software company, he’s the genius that writes the basic code for the company’s programs. And possibly hacks into other systems to help Harmony solve the mysteries she’s faced with. (Legally, of course. <cough>)

When I think about it, getting into the computer field may have influenced my desire to publish as an indie author. Since I understood, at a basic level, what goes into the process, I was comfortable with tackling it.

So, there you go, That’s how a side skill ended up changing my life. How about you?

Other authors are blogging on the same topic. You can find them by following the links below, And, until next time, please stay safe!

Sept 20, 2021
What is a side skill that has been useful in your life? Where did you learn it? Have you written it into any of your stories?

Growing Up #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne April 5, 2020 April 5, 2020 Open Book

April 6, 2020

What did you want to be when you grew up vs. what you are today?

Once upon a time, I posed that question to Harmony, the main character in my mystery series. Well, Jake, the anti-hero, asked.

“You know, when I was a little kid, I wanted to be a cop when I grew up.” He glared at me. “Don’t laugh.”

I swallowed my chuckle with a sip of coffee. “What happened?”

He grimaced. “Life, I guess. I still think I would have been a good one.”

It was surreal, having a conversation with a renowned jewel thief about being a police officer. “Sometimes dreams just don’t work out,” I said, thinking about Janine and the library job.

“What dream hasn’t worked out for you?”

I picked up a section of the newspaper so he couldn’t see my eyes. “It’s not important. I’ve got a good life and good friends and that’s what matters.”

“Let me guess, you wanted to be an astronaut but your eyesight’s not good enough.”

“Worse. I wanted to be a cowboy. Not a cowgirl, mind you, but a cowboy.”

Jake snorted into his cup, spraying coffee everywhere. He snatched a handful of napkins from the holder and blotted the liquid from the newspaper. “Yeah, I can see where that might be a little hard to accomplish.” He eyed me. “You don’t have the right parts. But I must say, I like the parts you have.”

I crumpled up an insert from the paper and hurled it at him. I needed to find a way to keep him busy and out of my hair, and soon.

Now, I never wanted to be a cowboy. Daniel Boone, maybe. Or a hermit. There was a time I wanted to be a singer-songwriter, but only knew the basics about music. Or maybe a writer. Then I decided to be a librarian.

Those of you who have followed this blog for awhile may remember I actually got to be one. Part-time, in a small library in a small town. But it was everything I wanted. I got to be surrounded by books, I got to do story hour for kids, I got to help pick out new books to the collection. Best of all, I got to read when there was nothing else to do!

Life happened, and I had to leave that small town and small library. Eventually, I was introduced to computers and fell in love. (I won’t talk about the many jobs in between.) Yes, I’m old. No one had a personal computer when I was a kid.. And now I’m a Windows server administrator. A job that didn’t exist when I was growing up. (And one that certainly wouldn’t have been suggested to a teenage girl.)

The best part is, I’m a writer too! Which may seem like an odd combination. One is mathematical and the other creative. In the whole right side of the vs the left side of the brain theory, I’m using both equally, but not at the same time. And loving it.

I tell people I didn’t decide what I wanted to be when I grew up until I was over 40, and it’s the truth. Better late than never!

To find out what the other folks on this hop wanted to be when they grew up, follow the links below.

Be safe, everyone!

April 6, 2020

What did you want to be when you grew up vs. what you are today?

Tag: #Computers

Is It Clutter Or Pleasure? #OpenBook Blog Hop

Do you collect anything in particular?

I’m going to assume that books don’t count here.

I do have a weakness.

Writing vs Creating vs AI #OpenBook Blog Hop

Do you suffer from Automation Anxiety?

(the fear that advancements in technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, will lead to widespread job losses, rendering people’s skills obsolete and potentially leaving them unemployed, causing significant worry and stress about the future of work.)

I was along for the ride as that changed.

Enter Meta’s AI

Writing Tools – What’s Your Favorite? #OpenBook Blog Hop

When I Was A Child #OpenBook Blog Hop

You Never Know Where It Will Go #OpenBook Blog Hop

Growing Up #OpenBook Blog Hop

Newsletter

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Archives

Meta