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What Should People Understand About Computers?
counterexample asks: "It seems to me that there aren't very many good books out there that explain to the layman what is really going on with computers. My mother cannot go to the bookstore and pick up a book that will make her understand the strange language that we IT people speak, or why her computer would be susceptible to a virus. So, I intend to write such a book. I have a fair idea of what should be in it (history of the Internet, how computers talk to each other, what a hard drive does, etc.), but I'm interested to see what you all have to say. What do you wish your users knew? What kind of questions are you so sick of answering because you hear them every week? What does the general public think they understand, but really don't?"
"What does the general public think they understand, but really don't?"
Women.
"When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back!" -- Cave Johnson
Design a mechanical arm that comes out from between the pages and stabs the reader in the face every time they confuse "memory" with "disk space." You'll be doing us all a great service.
... but I'll only provide them if your book is to be released under the Open Document license.
The Death Penalty: Killing people to show others that killing people is wrong.
The big box that you put the CDs into is not a CPU.
I can explanate how to administrate your network. You must configurate and segmentate it, so it can computate.
I think "general public" includes women themselves....
You must be new here.
When I was 8, I got a computer for Christmas. My granny said to me, "Ask it who the Prime Minister is!"
Stick Men
Homer: Now then... computer.. kill Flanders!
Ned: Did I hear my name? My ears are burning!
Homer: [whispering to mouse] That's a good start, now finish the job!
Ned: Oh, you're busy. Catch you later, compu-tator!
Homer: Oh, five thousand dollars for a computer and it can't even handle a simple assignment!
Developers: We can use your help.
Page 1: reference list of book opcodes ...
Page 2: program to produce page 2 text
Page N: md5 sums of pages 2-N used to check for possible reading comprehension problems
Epilogue: "Now grasshopper is one with computer."
Now that's a book that will let them know what computers are all about.
People need to understand that computers are magical boxes that run on white smoke and fairy dust. Never, ever open your computer, or even risk hooking new devices up to it; you might cause the spell to fail. Understanding how it works is of course beyond any normal mortal; computer geeks are a different breed of human utterly different than you or I.
All software installed on the computer when you get it is part of a complex enchantment; to attempt to remove any bundled software or to even look at configuration options is to destroy the enchantments and render your computer a worthless heap of metal.
The internet is an evil place where every website is either a lie or an attempt to lure children to molesters. Of course, email from your friends is always safe - after all, your friends would never send you a malicious file.
Son, a woman is a lot like a refrigerator. They're six feet tall, 300 pounds... they make ice... umm...
>>>shudder at the possibility of the history of computers being taught to my parents.
:)
I agree.
The book should take on the angle of driving a car.
ANALOGIES
Controls: keyboard and mouse
Engine: OS
Bumpers: AV software
Crooked mechanic: Windows update
Lemons: Windows (please pass a lemon law for this crap OS)
Mclaren F1: GNU/Linux (or is linux an original VW which became a porsche?)
Car Jackers: script kiddies/spyware/adware
Of course You need road signs, maps, short cuts, scenic routes and many other things. "Drivers training" should be a requirement.
(copywrite Ken Wood 2006)
The government which is strong enough to protect you from everything is strong enough to take everything from you.
People need to understand that computers are magical boxes that run on white smoke and fairy dust.
Reminds me of that BOFH issue where the BOFH got a user to fry his power supply. "See that puff of smoke? Your computer doesn't work any more because you let the magic smoke escape!" Priceless.
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
The less they know, the more I can charge for my services. :0)
Me: Ok, tell me what the screen says now. ..." ..."
Mom: It's blue.
Me: What do you mean "it's blue"? What does it say?
Mom: It says, "9F D8 34 7B
Me: Um, that's ok, ma, I don't speak hex.
Mom: "... FA 25 3C A2
What kind of computer program does that?
Modern computers have a little screen that pops up if the OS crashes, that tells you in 5 or so languages to hold down your power button for a few seconds, and restart the machine. They also ask you on reboot if you want to send a bug report back to the manufacturer so they can fix the problem.
Conversation from last week:
Me: Ok, now that I've installed your first DVD player and shown you the play and stop buttons, let me explain the menu.
My Mother-in-law: No, I really don't need to know about that.
Me: Oh, it's simple, you just move these arrows around, and you can select the scene you want to jump to, and so on.
M-I-L: No, I think that will just confuse me.
Me (remembering that she didn't know how to work the thermostat after her husband died): Yeah, OK, maybe all you need to know is the controls that work like the VCR: fast forward, rewind, play,...
M-I-L: Which, frankly, I never really understood...
Six score characters.
Brevity being wit's soul
I have enough space.
You must be new here.
The fact he didn't know enough about women to know they are part of the general public makes it obvious that he is NOT new here.
Having to work for a living is the root of all evil.