US Presidents and Their Technology

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According to the CNET, the incoming team at the White House found their usual high-tech work habits halted due to an email server outage that lasted almost 24 hours. Uh oh.

It probably is pretty jarring for the Obama team (well known for their use of technology for communicating such as blogs, text messages and Twitter accounts) being forced to revert to cell phones and pink “While You Were Out” notes.

Technology has long made communication easier for each succeeding presidential administration. President Wilson’s administration used telegrams. President Roosevelt (that’s FDR, not Teddy) used radio for his “fireside chats.” Every administration uses the latest communication innovations to keep them in touch with the world around them – the world they help manage.

Of course technology makes our lives easier, but what should the average person do when their technology fails? The first step: take a deep breath and calmly assess your situation. Look for both the cause of the issue, possible resolutions and even alternatives to keep you going until everything is fixed.

If the issue comes from an error message on your computer, make sure to record everything the alert said so your support team can better assess the issue. Then, try rebooting the system to see if it’s merely a temporary glitch or something more.

Of course, never be afraid to reach out with questions about your technology issues, which Geek Squad can help you with. We have self-support toolsavailable on our Web site, a 1-800 GEEK SQUAD number for phone support and Geek Squad Agents in every Best Buy.

We’ll be waiting… just in case the Obama team wants some help with that BlackBerry.