“I don’t know how you have the patience for this stuff! I could never work on computers like that.”
This is an actual quote from one of the many users I’ve worked with in one of my previous IT support roles. I’ve worked a few jobs like this in my career, supported thousands of people both over the phone and in person, and I’ve heard lots of variations of this quote from many of those I’ve helped. Depending on the day, my response to this can be anything from “I couldn’t do what you do either,” to “It just takes a special type of person,” or even a joking “Some days I don’t have the patience for this either!” However, no matter what day it is or what I choose to respond with, there’s only one real answer – I do it because I love it.
Who am I?
Hello world! My name is Kenny Bloom, and I’m what you might call a nerd. That’s probably not surprising at all given my career choice, but it truly has been part of who I am since day one.
I grew up in an area known as Path Valley, which is the epitome of the rural, small town in America. More specifically I grew up in the mountains of Spring Run, Pennsylvania where our closest neighbor was almost a mile away. I’m proud to say I grew up in this area, but it’s definitely best suited for more outdoorsy activities like hiking, hunting, and fishing. I’ve spent my fair share of time doing all of these things over the years, but most of my life was always spent indoors with more “nerdy” activities. Things like playing video games, watching Star Wars way too many times, or working on computers and any other electronics I could get my hands on.
I’ve had an interest in technology my entire life. I remember as a young kid wanting to play the original NES on a Saturday morning but not wanting to wake up my mom who was still sleeping. While this sounds pretty simple, it took some figuring out for a young kid not knowing what he was doing – anyone else remember channel 3?
Eventually, my grandfather (who I think may have given me the nerd gene) gave us our first family computer with Windows 95 and I was obsessed. I don’t remember the exact specs of this PC, but I do remember being amazed at everything that could be done from this crazy device. I could paint, write, record audio, play games…you name it! I spent lots of time with this computer trying to figure it out and unknowingly developing a lot of the skills I still use today.
Ok, but why?
Being a self proclaimed nerd and loving technology is one thing, but why on Earth do I enjoy working on some of the most annoying and anger inducing pieces of equipment out there? While it may not seem like it to most, this stuff excites me. There’s a certain rush that comes from problem solving and there’s definitely a lot of that in this field.
I can’t remember what game I played that morning way back in the day, but I definitely remember the excitement I felt after figuring out how to make the NES work all by myself. With our first family PC, I don’t remember anything about the machine itself, but I remember the time spent trying to just make things work. When we replaced that PC with a “new” one and got internet access for the first time, I remember the excitement of learning how to use it and having the knowledge of the world at my fingertips. Despite the many memories I have like this, I can trace my entire career back to one core memory.
When we bought our first actually new computer back in 2008 I was extremely excited. This was mainly because I wanted to use this new machine to put all of my CDs on the MP3 player I got for Christmas that year. However, it was also exciting because we didn’t have much money growing up and this was a fairly big purchase. After we got it home and got everything up and running there was a problem…
None of those USB ports that I needed for my MP3 player worked. I ended up opening the case and looking around, even though at the time I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Eventually, I found a few pins on the motherboard labeled “USB” and a loose cable that looked like it might fit. I connected it and turned the computer back on. To my excitement, all my USB ports now worked and I could copy my music! I can’t explain the feeling, but this was the exact moment I first thought to myself, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.
TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read) Why does this matter?
To most, this look back my upbringing as a nerd probably doesn’t mean much. To me, it represents everything I set out to do by starting my own business.
My love for technology and problem solving is what got me into my IT career. My love for helping people is what keeps me going despite the frustration that this career can bring. While my day job lets me do this on a professional level, I still want to use my skills to help those around me with their personal devices.
Bloom Computing – Home computing technology from the ground up!
My goal with Bloom Computing is to help people with any of the problems they might experience with their personal electronic devices. We live in a world that likes to throw things away as soon as there’s a problem. However, this isn’t a sustainable practice and for some folks it’s just not doable.
Technology is expensive, and just like everything else in the world, it’s not getting any cheaper. Sometimes – actually a lot of the time believe it or not – it’s much more cost effective to fix what you have rather than buying something new.
Whether it needs a clean-up, repair, or something else, I can help you get the solutions you need at a price that you can afford. Even if it actually is time for an upgrade, I’ll gladly help you find the right device for your specific needs without breaking the bank. If that sounds like something that interests you, feel free to send me a message through the Contact Us! page.
Coming soon to an internet browser near you!
This site may not look like much at the moment, but I promise this is just the beginning! While the rest of my website is geared towards giving folks a way to reach out to me for help, I want to use this blog space to help those I can’t necessarily work with locally. I’ll be writing how-to articles, product recommendations, and maybe even more storytelling like this, all in hopes of helping others with their tech.
This is just the first of what I hope will be many posts to come. So stay tuned to see what the future holds, and if there’s anything I can do for you please feel free to reach out!
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