Seemed harmless enough – uninstall Norton in order to run my new anti-virus/anti-spyware software.  A few clicks later and Norton was history, but so was my ability to log into Facebook, Gmail, Picasa, and even my bank site.  Had the issue just been annoying, I probably would have tolerated it for days or weeks before resolving it, but no Facebook or Gmail?  This had to be fixed immediately.

After hours of investigation, consultation with co-workers and eventually paying a computer “guru,” we found the culprit.  When Norton uninstalled, it took with a key piece of software – Windows Script Host.  Why?  No clue, but my guru reinstalled it and now everything is running smoothly.

This little inconvenience made question a few things.  First, how could a simple uninstall — something that seemed so harmless — cause such a mess?  Also, how is the average user supposed to be able to untangle such chaos?  What responsibility does Norton have when their software breaks something on the way out?

Mostly, I questioned my reliance on the Internet.  Just a few hours (not days) without my email and social networking sites made me feel out of touch.  I don’t even know where my checkbook is, I write all my checks online.  I can’t remember the last time I called a friend just to chat.  Maybe fate was telling me something by crippling my Internet experience. 

Well, I listened and have both renewed appreciation of my online conveniences and a commitment to maintain my offline relationships.  First step – send an actual card to my Dad for his birthday.  

Filed under: Off Topic, Social Marketing on Friday, June 6th, 2008 by Koren Henderson | No Comments
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