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The Impatience of the Google Generation
profBill writes "As a fifty-something professor who teaches introductory computer science, I am very aware that the twenty-somethings in my class are much more at ease with computers than any other generation. However, does that mean they are more adept at using those computers? Apparently not, according to the researchers at University College London. Their research indicates that while more adept at conducting searches, younger users also show 'impatience in search and navigation, and zero tolerance for any delay in satisfying their information needs'. Moreover, these traits 'are now becoming the norm for all age-groups, from younger pupils and undergraduates through to professors'. The panel makes two conclusions: That libraries (and I wonder what a library will become in the future, anyway) will have to adapt, and that the information processing skills of todays young people are lacking. Why are those skills lacking and, if they are, what can be done about it?"
i'd rtfa but that page is taking forever to load.
It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
I'd write an insightful reply but I'm in a hurry.
I'm concerned about the narrowm view of the world IT people and engineers
have these days. I think the problem starts at college -
There's a culture that somehow science is more rational and usefull
then the humanitities. Lecturers encourage students to joke about arts
students, and humilaite them whenever possible. This encourages
eliteism, and I for one am sick of it.
Let's tell it like it is. 'science' is just as much about opinion as
the humanities. Research simply follows the fad of the day. Take
dieticians for example. These men and woman believe that just because
they have degree in medical science that they are all knowing. Why,
what they recommend one day may kill you the next! (see the DDT story
for more information.) Science is 95% opinion then facts, lets face
it. What about astrology, the most rediculious of the sciences! But I
degress...
Another example is music. We know what sounds good. Everyone aggreed
that Valves for instance sound great. But knowitall engineers use
trensastors with inferious sound quality just to save a few bucks.
They argue with numbers. Hey, I don't want to do maths just to listen
to music. I know what I like. You cannot apply objective reasoning to
a subject which is intristically subjective. But try telling those
recent grads with their useless piece of paper that and they go all
mightier--then-thou.
The problem with you technical guys are that you are all so eliteist.
Whilst you want to trun collage into a trade school with yore narrow
minded views that collage should be a job training centre, humanities
are focused on making you a well rounded person who is auctually
interesting to be with, not a boring focuesed geek. Really, it makes
me so mad when people say "oh, he's doing a humanities degree, that's
easy". I have to read *3* *books* *a* *week* on average. Not picture
books either I assue you. It is a lot of work, but the upshot is
improved grammer and spelling skills that are lacking in the
technical. As for those that say "you will be working at mcdonalds" ,
I'm going on to so a PhD in socialolgy where I'll be line for tenure
where I have a much more rewarding job then beeing a science freak or
an engineer. Anyways, all I have to do to be a engineer wold be to get
my MSCE and how hard couyld that be? techincal stuff is simply
whatever fad the market thinks is hot at the moment, but all great
things were done by humanities.
You technical types are far to narrow minded and cynsical. You should
learn to enjoy life.
Ah, you must be part of the "I'm not part of a generation" generation. A post-hippie, basically.
Who ever wrote the article is obviously jealous of the fact that back in his day he had to hand write his plagiarisms and couldn't copy and paste.
I'm glad those pesky kids are impatient. They'll get off my lawn a little quicker.
just because I am from the Google generation doesn't mean I am impat
The issue is that these kids know what computers are capable of and they've seen and used web apps that exhibit good design. i'm nearly 50 myself and i have the same impatience w/ craptastic programming myself. If i'm using an app and ask it to do a simple 2 dimensional search or other simple task i wanna see an immediate response. no excuse for long delays if i'm not rendering the next 3-D blockbuster. I'm doubly frustrated and angered when i'm using an app to perform a common task and have to click 5, 6, or more times to get to where i need to be. HEY, APP DESIGNERS: one, two clicks tops for common tasks. no more than 3 for everything else. I'm using the app to get somehting done, not to click around my desktop like a f'ing monkey.
The point is, we're constantly reminded that little gadgets we pick up at the 7-11 checkout counters now have more processing power than an Apollo moon mission. It follows then that those big honkin' boxes under the desk should be capable of much more than the crap they give us today. If these kids are impatient w/ crap they have every right to be.
Nah, just wait until we're in our 60's and 70's, and we can rename ourselves the "Greatest Generation." Since we'll be old and annoying, people will cut us slack and let us do that.
Bah.. You're doing it the hard way; almost all my thesis was written^W found via Ask Slashdot.
Proof by very large bribes. QED.
Ah, you must be going for one of these degree programs:
BS - Bullshit
MS - More Shit
PhD - Piled High and Deep
-mcgrew
mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
You have to be very careful. It's easy to imagine a situation where there are two opposing views, but only one of them is put on the web.
You haven't read very many blogs, have you?
If they say they're a man, they're a man; if they say they're a woman, they're a man; if they say they're a teenager, they're a cop.