Other than your writing, for what do you use the computer? I travel a lot so the supply of newspapers is a nightmare. I get a huge amount of news and information from the net. I also do much factual research online. Email has practically taken over my life! I log on to my computer upwards of a dozen times a day. I'm a keen user of Family Tree Maker and I've spent a long time gathering old family photos. I'm planning on getting a good scanner and sending the pictures to relatives so they can't get lost again!
Microsoft? If Bill Gates were a car manufacturer he'd be arrested! It's a scandal that systems are put out without being properly tested. Software systems are so important now, our lives are based around them! A lot are released too soon for commercial purposes, and require updates and security patches!
Is the ebook dead in the water? I'm interested in new ways of publishing but the experience of ebooks has been poor. They keep talking about "reader-friendly electronic screens" and so on, but the tactile nature of a book beats the pants off any electronic book. So many people have had bad experiences trying to publish electronically that I remain to be convinced.
Has the computer changed the way you write? Yes, very much so. I started off beside a pool with a pad, pencil and bottle of wine. Nowadays, when you sit in front of a screen it does change the way you approach writing. Your mental processes are different. The great thing the computer allows you to do is experiment. I'm very keen on the pacing of books and writing, and sometimes computers can be a huge help in getting that pacing right. Bog-standard things like spellchecker are an enormous help, too - if humiliating!
Government online? As long as the quality of what you're getting is good then there are a lot of services that could be made available online much more effectively. So many things come online before they're tested properly. You still can't get on to the 1901 census site properly. Even Nectar had a nightmare launch though the commercial sector often overcomes technical problems more effectively than government does. Maybe it's time the computer world made sure they can actually do things instead of just saying they can!
Is the net replacing the library? As a first-stop resource possibly, but it does not come close to matching a library for the quality of information. I use the net to push the door ajar - it's like the road map; the library is still the destination.
Favourite sites? www.bbc.co.uk; www.easyjet.com; www.alltheweb.com; www.churchill-society-london.org.uk; www.winstonchurchill.org ; and www.ebookers.com.
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