Smile-breaks
So there, Microsoft!
I got 'em. I fixed that Microsoft sneak. Turns out I wasn't the only one mad at Microsoft for its uncalled for attack on our lives—for taking hours out of our morning and hours out of our evening and alienating us from our e-mail, our banks and who knows what else?
If you missed last week's Smile-breaks, Microsoft forced a download and installation of what it most sacrilegiously called an "upgrade." Upgrade, hah! The upgrade messed up my e-mail, my online banking and my mind. Three for one. I got even.
You maybe noticed that last week's Smile-breaks was in a slightly different format. You'd think "copy and paste" would do just that—not "copy, change all around and paste," but no, of course not. Life would be too simple. Try as I might I could not get the format back to the way it was when I copied it. The new—forced on me—Microsoft Edge browser couldn't keep its paws off my stuff and the new upgrade wouldn't let me change to my ol' browsing friend, Google Chrome.
I tried. I changed the default browser to Chrome in my settings, but when I logged into Gmail, I was told: "This browser is not supported by Windows 10." What? I thought this was a free country.
The next morning on my Samsung Galaxy phone, I happened on words from angry Microsoft users, all ripping into that latest "upgrade." Indignant, angry, frustrated kindred spirits with plenty to say. See, Microsoft? I was not alone.
In the dark recesses of my limited brain cells I plotted revenge. I would go to "Settings" and kick out Microsoft's Edge browser and put my own back. If I couldn't get rid of Edge, I could at least tag my own beloved browser as the default browser. Not that Google Chrome never wronged me, but it knew how to "copy and paste" the right way and it had never alienated me from my e-mail or my online banking.
So what if Microsoft wouldn't support it? What terrible thing could happen? I'd never needed e-mail support before, why would I need it now? So I went to "Settings" and changed the default browser to Google Chrome—without a squawk from Microsoft, by the way—and then I went straight to my e-mail. No problem—and, funny thing, the non-support message was no longer there. Vanished!
I went to check my online banking. Again, no problem. Good ol' Chrome browser was recognized by the online financial gurus. Hah! I bet Microsoft saw all that angry reaction. Public opinion wins! So there, Microsoft! Story over. Humans win.
This morning I picked up my Galaxy phone. What's this? A message square filled the screen. Not my normal beautifully designed—by me, of course—Home screen. Of course not. This time it was Android, the phone's operating system. The message was that I had to download and install a certain cleaner or my battery would die— and die quickly. No way! No more changes!!!
I swiped to get the uninvited message off the screen. Nothing. I swiped more firmly. The square stayed right where it was. I pressed the "go back" arrow—twice, before it brought up another square. Now I had two options: cancel or install. I canceled.
Up popped the first square. "You have to. . ." Nope! I'm not playing this game. It took two tries to get rid of that square, but instead of taking me Home, it took me straight to PlayStation to download that cleaner that was supposed to save my dying battery—which wasn't dying, by the way. I pressed the Home button. Finally! No more bossy messages.
Microsoft and Android must be in cahoots, but for now, Humans: 2 Microsoft/Android: 0. So there, Microsoft—and you, too, Android.
