ome into my parlour -ome into my parlour -
ernese International
As a complete Computer Illiterate, I was forced by the circumstance of becoming Secretary to the People and Dogs Society to abandon my old steam typewriter - which only did one clear copy of everything, and left me high on Tippex and sweating over a hot photocopier - and to venture into the world of the PC. New language, new skills, new swear words!
After a while I became quite proficient at finding the particular file I wanted (most of the time), and being able to change what I had written without resorting to bottles of white stuff or merely tearing up the offending piece of paper and starting again began to appeal. To someone for whom Technology had been an electric tin opener this was heaven on a stick.
Then Daughter suggested that I might like to go ‘on the Web’. Over some years I had been writing a series of stories about my Bernese Mountain Dogs (I have owned 3 at various times) and although these had all been printed in Pawprints and Berner magazines she thought they might appeal to a wider audience ...... the world’s net-surfing Berner owners! Since she designs Websites professionally she offered to help and ‘The Bernese Chronicles’ came into being.
I learned new things, too. That ‘wallpaper’ is not just covered with paste and festooned around your house, that you can leap from one page to another at the touch of a button and back again, and that other people are interested in your ramblings ... for I must admit, perhaps a little grudgingly, to a bit of a thrill when my visitor counter reached one hundred; at least someone was having a peek other than me. Then she set up a visitor’s book, and I got my first comment...from Australia, no less, from someone whose Berns were the same line as my first. I have to admit this Internet lark is exciting stuff!.
The next stage was, of course, inevitable. A special occasion came up (our 40th wedding anniversary) and we were offered connection to the Internet as a present. After a few teething troubles and a load of totally incomprehensible instructions incorporating words like ‘search engines’ (I’m on one of these, British Rail eat your heart out), rings, hyperlinks, home pages, in-boxes and out-boxes’ and sorting out the difference between email and website addresses, I can finally say that I am beginning to find that I can now face my computer without a total and complete feeling of dread.
The sense of achievement when I sent my first email ALONE was tremendous, even though I wasn’t absolutely convinced that it had gone until I got a reply - OK, you can stop sniggering behind your hands, I know that a child of five taps in and surfs effortlessly - but I’m not five, and it’s not my generation.
In fact, the only real complaint that I have (apart from when my PC goes all temperamental and won’t continue on my designated course) is that most of the Bernese material is from abroad. Where are you, British Berner owners? This is not good enough. I am keen to start a British Bernese webring, but need at least 5 people to open, so if you are interested, please email me, or leave a message on the Guest Book.
I will get back to you. Yes, I really will.
[Since writing this, I have set up my ring. See my webrings page for details.]
July 1999
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