‘Wrapped in plastic!’:

9.00 am. The new term. On Saturday, having downloaded a WIFI app (which turned out not to be compatible the the latest Mac IOS ) and having attempted to uninstall it, several components related to third party programs and the IOS itself were crippled. It necessitated a major reinstallation of software. In the background to this calamity, I began to implement my ‘turf-out’ policy. Stage 1 of my disposal of the burdens and encumbrances of the past is to throw out all dead paper work related to admin, research, and teaching. It was liberating. One must change that which is in thy power to change, and be patient for the rest. Every so often, an immaculately preserved remnant of ‘old tech’ was drawn out of a file folder (from the days when such things were actual rather than notional). In this case, it was one of many floppy discs used to install MS Windows 3.2 (c.1993):

Is there a museum of defunct software?

9.15 am. On with the residue of Abstraction essays. There’s light at the end of the tunnel. I continued, doggedly, throughout the morning and into the afternoon. The one software suite that I’d not been able to restore on the weekend was my Adobe Design Standard package. Moreover, I’d lost the disc and the license code that I’d purchased in 2013. My younger son found the Adobe download site for the software and the university’s Information Services relayed a copy of the code. It’s a good job they don’t bin their admin, as I’m doing. I continued marking until 5.15 pm.

7.15 pm. Back into the fray:

9.15 pm. I cannot do one more essay without compromise. I’ve read a number of very solid scripts today, and have been impressed by not only the exhibition of their understanding but also the rigour and heart-felt commitment that some have brought to the task. I suspect that they’ve each exceeded their personal expectations. That attainment is its own reward.