Indeed, experience doesn’t seem to be teaching me the lesson either. I don’t know how many times I’ve put together a new computer or put in a new piece of hardware, only to run into something that is seemingly insurmountable… until I pick the manual up and read where it says something like “you MUST do X or this will NOT WORK!”

So it’s not just me that just sits there, looking at the computer guts, thinking, “Well, hmm… this is bad. Maybe I should do the unthinkable and look at the manual?”

You’re not the only one to have not read the manual though. It’s amusing to think that even experience doesn’t necessarily teach you lessons. I’ve put together a number of computers, quite a few in fact and despite that I made a similar mistake. Newer mobos require two power cables from the PSU. Sometime in November I sold my old computer and built another one and alas I forgot to plug in the second power cable. I didn’t read the manual of course but sat in despair, because it wouldn’t work, just staring at the motherboard until I saw the socket and remembered :).

And indeed, the shame (and sheer feeling of stupidity) can be painful. I felt quite stupid when I saw the STOP!!! sticker on the anti-static bag. Plug the card in, genius.