a switch

On or off.  A computer is a series of switches that are either on or off.  As un-romantic as that sounds, it is the true nature of computer hardware and software.

Consider what a switch is:  In the elementary state, a switch, for example in your garage, turns the overhead light on or off.  That is a simple switch.

A computer processing unit is made up of a conglomeration of switches that are either on or off at any given time.  Any single switch within this collection may turn on and off quite quickly (with every machine cycle), but the fact is,–  it is never half-off or half-on. 

Computer-wise, each switch controls a bit.  Aha, — you’ve heard of those!  And a series of bits is known as a byte*.  That’s why we have 32 bit processing (32 bits in each series) and 64 bit processing, etc.

Usually, there are 8 bits in a byte, though that can vary.  The bits could all be OFF such as 0000 0000 — or they could all be ON —  1111 1111 — or in some combination — 1010 0101.

Lest you think this would be terribly limiting, may I point out that there are 256 combinations possible in an 8 bit byte.  Ahh, — now we know why the alpha-numeric/special characters you can put into your computer document have a number associated somewhere between 000 and 256!

Computer Basics

If you are yawning at this point, you don’t need Computer  Basics.  But trust me, — to someone,– who loves to stay connected, but doesn’t often think about computer architecture,– this is truly a revelation.

The trouble with switches, is that they are not intelligent.  They cannot read your mind.  They do not think for you.  Whatever you have instructed them to do through your software,– that is exactly what they will do.  That is why you can take a Word document, with a certain type of code, — and paste it into a WordPress editor, with it’s own interpretation of code, and end up with a mess.

The output is just exactly what you have requested, but it has eaten all the double spacing, or the page is blank.  What to do?

simplify your input

Eliminate ambiguity whenever possible.  Compose in Notepad or a text editor before pasting into your blog editor.   You could also cut and paste your Word composition into a text editor, and then copy and paste this text into your blog editor.  This will ensure that all of the special effects take place in your blog editor so that it is not getting mixed signals.

…a word about plug-ins…

Use plug-ins sparingly.  Each plug-in adds code to the basic code of your application.  At the least, they slow down response time as machine cycles are added to the execution of every request to the processing unit.  At the worst, they mess with your application and produce unstable or undesirable results.

Machine cycles are so quick now-a-days that plug-ins usually add functionality to the basic version of your software, and that’s a good thing  if you need that functionality.  However, plug-ins that just add bells and whistles had better be left alone.

your brain

So, with just the simple ON and OFF described above, consider how far we have come with computer applications in our history!

A computer processor is often compared to the human brain, but — the computer, seemingly complex,  is so simple by comparison that the contrast is almost laughable.

Remember,— you are the one with the brain!

*”Byte” is “bite” purposely misspelled so that it could never be confused with “bit” [Dr. Werner Buchholz, July 1956].