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GeekNights 080225 - Computer Literacy

RymRym
edited February 2008 in Technology
Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss exactly what constitutes computer literacy. In the news, The Sharper Image has declared bankruptcy, and decryption keys may be more accessible than you thought.

Scott's Thing - Phun
Rym's Thing - I'm Mad as Hell, and I'm Not Going to Take this Anymore!
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Comments

  • StarfoxStarfox
    The feed, it does nothing!
  • Linkigi(Link-ee-jee)Linkigi(Link-ee-jee)
    I don't see it on the front page either...
  • VigaViga
    Just click on the GeekNights
  • StarfoxStarfox
    Old and busted - clicking on the link
    New Hotness - Automatic downloading via an aggregator
  • ChrisChris
    Scott really did look crazy sick the few times I saw him in the game room. Oh and for future reference if it's to dry for you the best place to sleep was behind where your table was set up near the door/window. there was a nice meeting of the warm and cold air that was nice and not so dry.
  • Victor FrostVictor Frost
    edited February 2008
    *sigh* I work at The Sharper Image store in Providence. Well, "did", I quit yesterday because I'm moving to California.
    I'll tell you though, I sold a shit load of those interactive R2-D2's.
    Post edited by Victor Frost on
  • AprecheApreche
    Once thing we should have added in the show is that you need to understand the concept of an Internet service provider. If you can't get your computer connected to the Internet without help, setup a consumer-level wireless router without help, connect your laptop to wireless, etc., then you have a problem.
  • KieyKiey
    It seems like most of the people I know who were at Katsucon got sick afterwards, and yet somehow I didn't. Not sure how I pulled that off.
  • ClassicClassic
    What model was Rym's new laptop? I failed to hear him say it again while fast forwarding through the podcast when I was finally near a computer.
  • ChrisChris
    What model was Rym's new laptop? I failed to hear him say it again while fast forwarding through the podcast when I was finally near a computer.
    Lifebook p8010
    Once thing we should have added in the show is that you need to understand the concept of an Internet service provider. If you can't get your computer connected to the Internet without help, setup a consumer-level wireless router without help, connect your laptop to wireless, etc., then you have a problem.
    I agree if you can't get that hooked up you've got a problem. But it's not always a computer literacy problem. Some of the so called consumer-level wireless routers aren't exactly consumer friendly and require certain setting during install using a words that the casual computer user would definitely not understand, even if they are versed in most other things you would consider computer literate.
  • jccjcc
    edited February 2008
    Sick Scott = moé.

    Rym's trying too hard to get a hit on The Other Thread.

    I'd say that recognizing phishing sites is more about recognizing phishing emails, since I'd suspect that most people who don't live on the internet (assuming they aren't looking for porn or pirates) mostly encounter phishing sites as links in phishing emails.

    "Mad as Hell" guy sounds more like he's trying to convince himself than anyone else.
    Post edited by jcc on
  • RymRym
    What model was Rym's new laptop?
    The Lifebook P8010. I got the high-end setup with 2G RAM, a 120GB hard disk, and the best of everything else.
  • am_dragonam_dragon
    edited February 2008
    I have this theory that some people have a computer phobia. When you set an adult in front of a computer for the first time and show them something they remember only that instruction. It's like you just gave them a tool to do that one task. When something happens that is outside of their training they lockup, they are incapable of seeing past the one job. I think that the best cure for this is for corporate training (where most of these people learn to use the computer) teach basic computer skills, the file system, error handling, and basic trouble shooting. If someone asks them to open Netmeeting, or map a share they should at least know how to open Google and search for how to do those things if they can't figure it out for themselves.

    A word on Scott's Screen Resolution annoyance. My brother-in-law as a degenerative eye disease, he has a 24 inch monitor and has it set to 1280x720. On a recent visit I asked him why he doesn't change the resolution to the native for the panel and increase font size. He said many applications, and websites don't take accessibility into account when they code. He said it's really a tossup for him and he finds that just decreasing the resolution proves to be less of a hassle than setting font sizes in every application, or trying to use a magnify tool. He used the built in Windows calculator as an example of an application that doesn't follow the Windows theme for font size.
    Post edited by am_dragon on
  • Conan-SanConan-San
    edited February 2008
    Sharper Image strikes me as an American version of the Gadget Shop.

    It went the way of the dodo (And got picked up by The Entertainer, a toyshop chain that's only known thanks to their Christian beliefs blackspoting Harry Potter and thus preforming an act of economical suicide that only failed thanks to, and I'm not making this shit up, the bastard son of Light Bright and etch-a-sketch) about three years back.
    Post edited by Conan-San on
  • AprecheApreche
    A word on Scott's Screen Resolution annoyance. My brother-in-law as a degenerative eye disease, he has a 24 inch monitor and has it set to 1280x720. On a recent visit I asked him why he doesn't change the resolution to the native for the panel and increase font size. He said many applications, and websites don't take accessibility into account when they code. He said it's really a tossup for him and he finds that just decreasing the resolution proves to be less of a hassle than setting font sizes in every application, or trying to use a magnify tool. He used the built in Windows calculator as an example of an application that doesn't follow the Windows theme for font size.
    Solution: Linux where people actually think about accessibility.
  • RymRym
    My brother-in-law as a degenerative eye disease, he has a 24 inch monitor and has it set to 1280x720. On a recent visit I asked him why he doesn't change the resolution to the native for the panel and increase font size. He said many applications, and websites don't take accessibility into account when they code.
    The other problem, which I actually ran into a lot back at IBM, was the large number of people in this country with uncorrected poor vision. They have insurance: they just don't get or wear glasses. They're effectively blind when it comes to computers.

    I had to set up more "vision-impaired" terminals than normal ones. It was somewhat frightening.
  • AprecheApreche
    Solution: Linux where people actually think about accessibility.
    Addendum: I just played around in my vmware at work trying to make the icons and fonts really big while also having the resolution set normally. The problem seems to be, at least in Windows XP, that there is no one place to set all the font sizes. You have to set the menu fonts, title fonts, message box fonts, icon sizes, etc. all separately. There should really be a single checkbox that says "make everything big". Maybe a slider to control the degree of bigness.
  • AprecheApreche
    I had to set up more "vision-impaired" terminals than normal ones. It was somewhat frightening.
    Were people lying about being vision impaired because they figured out it was a secret code word to get a bigger monitor?
  • ......
    Oooh, Scott, what's your rant on people using small resolutions to get larger fonts and icons?
  • AprecheApreche
    Oooh, Scott, what's your rant on people using small resolutions to get larger fonts and icons?
    Don't do it.
  • RymRym
    Were people lying about being vision impaired because they figured out it was a secret code word to get a bigger monitor?
    Oh, they didn't get bigger monitors. They got the ass resolution on their otherwise nice LCDs.
  • NeitoNeito
    edited February 2008
    Did anyone catch the clip after the outro?
    Post edited by Neito on
  • laiklaik
    I am computer literate, I feel accomplished, My life is complete at 13.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    I am computer literate, I feel accomplished, My life is complete at 13.
    Your life is about to take a sharp and permanent down turn.
  • ThaedThaed
    It's nice to have R&S back.
  • laiklaik
    edited February 2008
    I am computer literate, I feel accomplished, My life is complete at 13.
    Your life is about to take a sharp and permanent down turn.
    I might be 13, but I have a lot of things going for me.
    Post edited by Andrew on
  • HungryJoeHungryJoe
    Apparently, grammar is not one of those things.
  • Conan-SanConan-San
    Hum, It's nice and all to expect that list, but I know plenty of people who can barely use their VCR Properly, never mind use a PC.
  • am_dragonam_dragon
    edited February 2008
    There should really be a single checkbox that says "make everything big". Maybe a slider to control the degree of bigness.
    There is, it's the resolution slider. ;)

    The VCR along with being obsolete, isn't a job requirement anywhere.
    Post edited by am_dragon on
  • RymRym
    Hum, It's nice and all to expect that list, but I know plenty of people who can barely use their VCR Properly, never mind use a PC.
    And those people are computer illiterate. They won't be able to find skilled work in the coming decade, and will increasingly be marginalized from society.
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