If It Ain't Broke

Whatever happened to the adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."? It seems these days everyone is trying to fix things or improve them only to the detriment of the users of said things.

Take for example Google and Gmail, earlier this year Google and Gmail (part of the Google family) revamped everything. The new look on Gmail was very stark and difficult to read; one had to change backgrounds or themes in order to tell where the email box started and ended. If that wasn't enough, blogger dashboards changed, again making it difficult to navigate and really read. Our eyes deteriorate over time and with all this starkness and inability to see where one line ends or begins it makes life a little more difficult. The idea behind any of these updates or improvements is to make life easier, or at least that is my understanding.

I've adapted to a couple of those changes but then Yahoo has to jump on board making changes and making things more difficult. If you belong to any of the Yahoo forums and have signed up for the daily digest as opposed to individual emails to be kept updated on what is happening in the group, you may be aware of the change in the look of the digest. Again, this change has not made things easier but more difficult. My generation has enough difficulties without adding more to the mix. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I wonder who will be the next on board to make changes that supposed to make things easier but only complicate or worsen things. If you don't like the changes Yahoo has made to their digest, let them know. Maybe they will go back to the old version. Not much can be done to change Google's blogger dashboard or email back to the old version but it never hurts to try. Let them know that everything was fine the old way and you want it kept that way.

In writing, it is the same. If you have ways that work for you and someone suggests a new and improved way that is supposed to make it easier for you but doesn't, then you don't have to fix what you are already doing to appease someone else. If whatever you are doing is working for you and it's not broken and doesn't need fixing, then don't fix it. If on the other hand, the suggested change really does make a difference, makes things easier on you or fixes the problem areas you are having, then by all means, definitely embrace the change and make the most of it. Only make changes that are really fixes to broken ways or that will really make things easier on you.

SPECIAL DEALS: I've got some specials running through the month of July, all of which can be found over on my blog - ebooks, afghans and crocheted kindle or nook sleeves and/or tablet sleeves, pluse I've decided to reduce the cost of the chances for the red, white and blue afghan drawing to $1 each. This will be a permanent change and will be posted on both my main website and the JGDS blog soon.

See you all in the postings - E :)

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Elysabeth Eldering
Author of FINALLY HOME, a middle grade/YA paranormal mystery (written like a Nancy Drew mystery)
http://elysabethsstories.blogspot.com
http://eeldering.weebly.com

6 comments:

Donna McDine said...

Hi Elysabeth,

I hear you loud and clear on this! It's so frustrating that things (especially technology) get revamped when they work fine in the first place. It's not that I'm resistant to change, it's just that it's not necessary.

All the best,
Donna

Anonymous said...

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Totally agree with what you said.

Mary Jo Guglielmo said...

Sometimes fixing it, breaks it!

elysabeth said...

All so true. Sometimes the fixes are really not fixes at all. It's more frustrating than anything - thanks for stopping by ladies. - E :)

Elysabeth Eldering
http://elysabethsstories.blogspot.com
http://eeldering.weebly.com

Karen Cioffi said...

Boy, I hear you, Elysabeth. Unfortunately, I don't think the powers that be are interested in catering to the middle-aged and older crowd. The young seems to rule for these entities.

It's so true, every time we turn around there's some kind of annoying 'improvement.'

Anne Duguid Knol said...

Hi Elysabeth--sadly it seems to be the way of the world these days--loads of theories for change with no practical performance information behind them. We're behind you all the way.

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