Hello I am Fobbie

Hello, my name is Fobbie. I am one of those unappreciated devices that make your life safer and easier. I am kind of like the security system for your home combined with the air bag in your car. Something that is needed to make sure you have a safe computing experience, and is there most of the time to protect you when you need me most. I spent most of my earlier life tucked away in a dark dresser drawer and was withdrawn on telecommute or travel days. In my later years, I was attached to a set of keys and would travel around with Owner in the recesses of his pants pocket. It's not an easy life. Competing for space with the keys and supermarket club cards, trying to find a comfortable spot away from sharp master key that constantly rubs and scratches on my face. Although I liked the earlier and more comfortable life of dark drawer living, it was not a life at all. Now I get to hear, and smell the experiences of Owner. I don't taste, but occasionally see Owner's life. If he decides to take me out and leave me on the desk, I get a chance to look up at him or maybe outside if I am positioned properly. A key fob that can see things - impossible you say? I do have a face after all, a front and a back, so it's not too far fetched for me to see what's going on around me. Use a little imagination and it will happen.

My job is very simple. I deliver a six digit code every sixty seconds. My creator developed the code and implanted it in me at birth. As with all codes, in order to prevent re-occurrence or the chance of a duplicate code, I have a limited life. After about eight years, I need to be replaced with a new key fob. It's a sad but necesary situation, the date of my death is printed right on my back. I know exactly how much time I have left and as I begin to fade away, I tell owner through a countdown number to the right of the code. My moment of fob-death is coming soon. You should feel thankful that your creator although he knows, did not do the same to you.

It don't have much time to tell you my story, but it is a full and rich one. Full of experiences, life, illness, death, travel, new languages, smells, and the occasional sight of a beautiful summer day in the desert southwest as I sit in comfort directly under the air conditioning vent. Who could ask for more. So please sit back and enjoy my story. There's no order of events and I might tell you something from the past or something that happened this morning. Like an aging grandparent waiting to die, I leave you with whatever legacy makes sense to me at the moment. Whatever you learn, I hope this blog leaves you with a special appreciation for your key fob and the life of this trusted and faithful friend.

Sincerely,

Fobby

The Life and Death of a Key Fob

As with most frustrated writers, I struggle with topics. Deep down I know there is something I need to tell others, to get ideas down on paper or in this case a blog. It's part of who we are. We want to get our message out to someone, but are not sure to whom or what our message is. It came to me the other day as I was ordering a new secure token key fob, that my current fob had a life of it's own. Well, not a life in the sense of how we live our lives. I mean, we make decisions about what we do from day to day, we are satisfied in our choices, or disappointed in the day depending on the outcome. Our key fobs on the other hand, live our lives vicariously. They are either left behind while we do all the exciting things like swimming, and are left to the boring task of sitting in a pocket or purse while we work and or play. When the time comes, they are removed from their lair only for one purpose, unlock the car, or provide the needed random code so I can telecommute another day. And if our fob does its job, it is rewarded by return to its place of safekeeping whether it be a drawer, handbag or in my case, attached to a keychain along with keys, supermarket club cards or in the worst case, another key fob.

So as silly as this may sound, I have decided to write the story of "Fobbie" the security key fob. His job is to present a six digit random code every sixty seconds whether I need the code or not. He does this to help me enter into my company network so I can work from home or if I am on travel from a hotel room. Fobbie has been around the world with me over the past eight years, and as is the case of all security devices, will soon pass away into fob heaven. He expires on February 28th 2010. A date clearly stamped on the back of him. Fobbie's replacement has been ordered and will arrive soon, but before he passes away, I thought of writing a bit of neither fiction nor non-fiction and as you will realize during this blog. Although Fobbie is a fictional character, he experiences the life of his owner, which for the lack of a better name we will just call Owner for now.

The relationship between Fobbie and Owner has been a sort of love-hate experience. Kind of like how parents and children struggle with each other at times, but have this enduring intimacy that is long lasting. Fobbie and Owner get along just fine as long as Fobbie produces the right code at the appropriate time, but is ignored most of the time while Owner carries him around in his pocket. But Fobbie gets to experience most of Owner's life in some way. He goes out to breakfast, goes for walks, hear's television, but never gets to taste the food, experience the beauty of the countryside, or see what's actually happening on the television program. Unlike most modern day electronics, Fobbie essentially lives with Owner and does not sit on a shelf or on a dresser, rather he is part of Owner most of the time. Fobbie has experiences limited to smells, sounds and yes, thoughts. Fobbie is nonetheless a working thinking computer as evidenced by his ability to compute and generate codes.

Fobbie never sleeps like the others. He is required to develop a code every minute regardless of need. A radio or computer for example, is asked to work for a few hours a day, and is allowed to sleep or at least hibernate most of the time. Although Fobbie has components similar to a computer and is essential to Computer's use, he has a very distinct and separate task. He holds the secrets to safe computing, the deeply kept special codes and formulas that are used to generate the six digits of productivity. Without Fobbie, Owner must leave the comfort of his home, endure the pain of a commute and sit in an environment of nagging and noisy co-workers, gossip and the occasional public service announcement. So you see, Fobbie has a very important job, he is responsible for improving the quality of life and safety for Owner, can keep a secret, and doesn't ask for much other than the occasional touch of Owner or in special circumstances an occasional latex gloved touch of the Transportation Security Administration employee or hotel maid. His loyal service and benefit to Owner deserves a sort of memorial, a writing to recognize the importance of his service and dedication. Much like the retirement of a long term but aging employee, I hope this blog brings you a little laughter, some silly but fun entertainment, and most of all, I hope this blog helps you appreciate your key fobs from a different perspective.

So enough of my rants, the blogs to follow are presented from the perspective of Fobbie the key fob . The once nameless, forgotten piece of electronic gear that lives with me from day to day talks about his life between now and February 28th where he will be returned to his place of origin and to an unknown destiny.

Enjoy,

Tradition Rider