I use a significant amount of software every day in my job and hobby. This post is focused on what happened when my technology failed me and what I will do going forward about it.

I am an amateur radio operator (also known as ham radio) and each week one of my (many) ham radio clubs conducts an on-air “net”. We check in during roll call, receive announcements and training and report on hours spent in ham radio public service the preceeding month. In this case, we were asked to participate in an exercise where we were to check into the weekly net on a different frequency than we normally use, and in a different way. I won’t bore you with the technical details, but my very aged mobile transceiver’s means of making that switch was broken and I had no idea that it was until I tried it.

I don’t use this particular radio for much more each week than checking into this particular net, but it took me well over an hour to resolve the problem, and my resolution was a workaround, nothing more. That feature on that radio is broken and the company no longer supports this radio. This kind of thing happens all the time with outdated software and hardware and because it is outdated, the OEM will simply not help you.

This experience happens to me too often, and I have made a decision: life is too short for outdated technology. Here are the six steps I will take in the future each time this happens.

1. Determine if the problem is a failure on the part of the technology or my failure to understand it (RTFM!).
2. If it is my problem, read up, make notes in Evernote or other appropriate system, and permanently implement the change so the problem doesn’t waste my time going forward.
3. If it is the technology that has failed, time for a repair or replace decision. If the cost of either exceeds the value of the service provided, make a conscious decision to live with it.
4. If repair is the answer, get it fixed immediately and simply pay the price. Life is too short to agonize over pennies in cost that wastes dollars in time.
5. If it is time for new technology, spend a time-boxed research period finding an appropriate replacement. I may have to buy more than one solution to find the right one and there may not be a “right” one. If the service provided is mission-critical, lengthen the time box and consult with those you trust. Then invest, implement and document.
6. Always keep in mind that the promise of technology is almost always a lie. Sometimes technology is a blessing in life but frequently it is simply expensive and time-consuming and the best solution is to sell it on eBay and find a simpler solution. When technology is needed, keep it up to date by paying for upgrades, the same way you keep your car reliable by buying a new one after about 100,000 miles.

What would you add to this list? Do you have a good workflow for managing your technology?