If you really were Tech Man,

you would know your password,

you would save mail on the mail server so you could access it from any computer,

you would have your word processing program automatically start a new document when it starts,

you would leave your desktop turned on, as it's better for the hard drives,

you would get an external email account other than the one provided by your ISP

you would have a spam filter running

you would know how to paste without getting "gobbledygook"

you would turn on auto-save.

you would notice that your typewriter does not have a finished document -- you need to add more time to that section.

Overall, a pretty LAME column.

Daniel: Thank you for taking the time to read and respond to my TechMan column. I am sorry you didn't find it entertaining. I take the title of the column as somewhat facetious since I see myself as an average user trying to comment on the experiences of the average technology user.

Perhaps TechEveryman would be a better title.

However there was a serious message embedded in there. Your email lists numerous things I should have known or done. My point is why does the average user have to have so much specialized knowledge and do so much preparation to accomplish what should be a simple task.

In my opinion the greatest failing of the computer industry, particularly in software, has been in lack of usability. People want a tool to accomplish their ends. Some people like to make a hobby out of the tool, but not everyone.