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Dropping the metaphor. People don't use their network equipment to its full potential, because they think the web == internet. So they have all this crazy equi

Dropping the metaphor. People don't use their network equipment to its full potential, because they think the web == internet. So they have all this crazy equipment with functions they never even imagined, and only use it to browse a few websites. So I actually think the issue is even worse than what you describe and I'm frustrated about it too.

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xnyan 6y ago
>People don't use their network equipment to its full potential, because they think the web == internet I see that a lot of my fellow nerds have this feeling and I'm honestly, non-trolly curious about why this is. People have wants and needs (get email from boss, watch video, lookup a recipe) and they learn how to do that specific task. Most people don't know what the internet is, or what a even what computer is beyond a simple mental model that allows them to do what they think they want to do. For most things, this is exactly how you I and everyone else lives their lives too. Like everyone else I'm sure there are systems that you use on a daily basis which you don't understand beyond the specific steps that you need to know in order to accomplish your task. I don't have anything beyond the most basic pharmacological understanding of how the prescription drugs I take work, and I probably never will yet I depend on them daily. Most people will never understand most things. I see that as utterly normal.
- nefitty 6y ago
  To me, the unusual part is that there are people who live with and use systems on a daily basis without ever becoming curious about them. I mean, hours and hours of every day, dependent on the internet and people never stop and ask, “What is this thing? How does it work?” In that vein, I was pretty impressed the other day by the Wikipedia article on traffic lights.
Larrikin 6y ago
What kind of functionality are you referring to? Ad blocking at the network level? Local network of files? Wouldn't mind a weekend project for something cool.
- jacobwilliamroy 6y ago
  Yes all of those things. One thing about this network illiteracy that I actually like, is that I can go on craigslist and pick up some pretty kickass hardware for 10-20$, because no one knows what it is, its true power, what its worth.
  - Larrikin 6y ago
    I was hoping for more examples than the two I just thought of off the top of my head.
    - jacobwilliamroy 6y ago
      Try load balancing your internet traffic over an array of directional wifi antennas, all connected to different, legally accessible, networks.
    - nix23 6y ago
      https://freifunk.net/en/ https://freifunk.net/en/ It's actually a cool project, but never got really big.

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xnyan 6y ago

>People don't use their network equipment to its full potential, because they think the web == internet I see that a lot of my fellow nerds have this feeling and I'm honestly, non-trolly curious about why this is. People have wants and needs (get email from boss, watch video, lookup a recipe) and they learn how to do that specific task. Most people don't know what the internet is, or what a even what computer is beyond a simple mental model that allows them to do what they think they want to do. For most things, this is exactly how you I and everyone else lives their lives too. Like everyone else I'm sure there are systems that you use on a daily basis which you don't understand beyond the specific steps that you need to know in order to accomplish your task. I don't have anything beyond the most basic pharmacological understanding of how the prescription drugs I take work, and I probably never will yet I depend on them daily. Most people will never understand most things. I see that as utterly normal.

nefitty 6y ago
To me, the unusual part is that there are people who live with and use systems on a daily basis without ever becoming curious about them. I mean, hours and hours of every day, dependent on the internet and people never stop and ask, “What is this thing? How does it work?” In that vein, I was pretty impressed the other day by the Wikipedia article on traffic lights.

Larrikin 6y ago

What kind of functionality are you referring to? Ad blocking at the network level? Local network of files? Wouldn't mind a weekend project for something cool.

jacobwilliamroy 6y ago
Yes all of those things. One thing about this network illiteracy that I actually like, is that I can go on craigslist and pick up some pretty kickass hardware for 10-20$, because no one knows what it is, its true power, what its worth.
- Larrikin 6y ago
  I was hoping for more examples than the two I just thought of off the top of my head.
  - jacobwilliamroy 6y ago
    Try load balancing your internet traffic over an array of directional wifi antennas, all connected to different, legally accessible, networks.
  - nix23 6y ago
    https://freifunk.net/en/ https://freifunk.net/en/ It's actually a cool project, but never got really big.