Reliability

Yesterday my big screen television stopped working. I think it is fixable but I'm not that skilled at working on electronics and since it cost more than may first car, I'm going to wait for the guy to take a look at it. Since I bought the extended warranty I might as well use it in this case.


My whole incident with my television has got me thinking about reliability. We value reliability. Up until yesterday, my TV was reliable. The Barenaked Ladies sing about how if they had a million dollars they would buy you a nice reliable automobile. But, what makes something or someone for that matter, reliable?


I think reliability comes down to a combination of two requirements, performance and timing.


To be considered reliable the item or person must perform as advertised.  It must do what it is supposed to do.  It is supposed to do it in the manner that is expected.


To be considered reliable the item or person must perform when called upon. It must meet the deadline or start the activity when demanded.


Without both components someone or something cannot be considered reliable. A car that only starts when the outside air temperature is twenty degrees Celsius, does perform as expected but not necessarily when requested and we don't consider it reliable. The whole thing is probably more important when you apply it to people. Good but late work may no longer be relevant and poor but on time work isn't much use but if you can do good work and be completed on time the world will become your oyster. Sometimes you are in the groove and sometimes you are not but if you keep working back towards being reliable, people will put up with a lot from you.


It's a bit of a surprise to me that my television not working made me think about how to be a better person but the world can be funny that way. You never know what may strike you as funny, sad, or important.