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Yes, it is different. With a car, no matter how modern, you still (used to) command where it drives you. In a smartphone, someone else makes this decision for y
by choeger 5y ago
Yes, it is different. With a car, no matter how modern, you still (used to) command where it drives you. In a smartphone, someone else makes this decision for you. (Or at least someone else limits your options.)
There is obviously a difference between not knowing what a URL is and not being able to read assembly. Both could be seen as "arcane details of computer knowledge" that enhance your autonomy when using a computer, but one is in principle accessible to 95% of the world's population without much effort, the other is a highly specialized technical skill.
- DeusExMachina 5y agoI don't think that metaphor works. On roads, other people already limited your options: where you can go, how fast, where you can park, etc.
- wolrah 5y agoThere's also a weird thing with computers where people are a lot less willing to think a problem through. If you put someone in an unfamiliar car and ask them to drive it somewhere, the most trouble they're likely to have is if they need to figure out how to turn on the wipers in the dark. The controls may vary but they're close enough that people figure it out. Put that same person in front of their work computer, but rearrange all the desktop icons and change the color scheme. There's a non-zero chance that they immediately freeze up and act like there's no possible way for them to do anything. They act like human macros, any slight change throws everything off.
- chrismcb 5y agoThe issue is, cars used to be all analog. You pull this wire that thing moves. But nowadays cars are more digital than analog.