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Hello, I think the article is not very good, however its main point still stands. Part of my activity is teaching basic word processing and basic html/css to

by guggle 7y ago

Hello, I think the article is not very good, however its main point still stands. Part of my activity is teaching basic word processing and basic html/css to non-IT students. And it's quite a struggle because most (I say most because of course there are exceptions) students don't know how to use their computer for the most basic tasks. Most have no idea how files are organized on a computer, ignoring the concept of file system. They simply can't navigate their file system and end up stuck between their "Documents" and "Downloads" folder. They routinely "lose" their files. Once they've been introduced to the notion of file system, most don't understand the difference between regular folders and files and zip archive. Arguably, Windows is to blame here since it tries to hide the difference. Then they try to edit the files directly from the archive and don't understand why they can't save them right away. Most don't know how to use a keyboard. Basic shortcuts (ctrl+c/ctrl+v and the like) are ignored. Most rely on the mouse and the menus for everything, and of course are terribly slow to achieve their tasks. So we have to explain all these things before we even start with our subject, to the point where I wonder if they've been exposed to desktop computer before. I think most have only been using phones and tablets. So, from my point of view, the conclusion of the article is right: teachers and parents should not assume their children and students know how to use a computer, because it might not be the case.

bambataa 7y ago
That's because the aim of computer design in the few decades has been to turn such things into implementation details. If your primary computing device is a phone or a tablet you have no idea, and /no need to know/, what your photo's filename is. It's just there in the app and can be easily shared, edited or printed from there. The question is -- is that a bad thing? For the majority of people a computer is a means to end and the fewer implementation details exposed the better. Just as I don't really want or need to know how a car works in detail in order to get from A to B. What I see happening is that computing knowledge becomes more and more the preserve of specialists and that's a good thing. When I started to learn programming I read about why the command line was so useful and people were saying things like "you can batch rename files really easily!". But the only times I've ever really had to do that are programming-related tasks such as log files etc. Most people simply don't need to do that often enough to justify learning how.
- guggle 7y ago
  > The question is -- is that a bad thing? My answer is yes, because once you enter the job market, you probably won't be working with a phone or a tablet. And obviously if you can't use a keyboard you'll be slow at your task.

by guggle 7y ago

bambataa 7y ago

That's because the aim of computer design in the few decades has been to turn such things into implementation details. If your primary computing device is a phone or a tablet you have no idea, and /no need to know/, what your photo's filename is. It's just there in the app and can be easily shared, edited or printed from there. The question is -- is that a bad thing? For the majority of people a computer is a means to end and the fewer implementation details exposed the better. Just as I don't really want or need to know how a car works in detail in order to get from A to B. What I see happening is that computing knowledge becomes more and more the preserve of specialists and that's a good thing. When I started to learn programming I read about why the command line was so useful and people were saying things like "you can batch rename files really easily!". But the only times I've ever really had to do that are programming-related tasks such as log files etc. Most people simply don't need to do that often enough to justify learning how.

guggle 7y ago
> The question is -- is that a bad thing? My answer is yes, because once you enter the job market, you probably won't be working with a phone or a tablet. And obviously if you can't use a keyboard you'll be slow at your task.