Yeah, I can't think of anything bad, per se, about the ease of which someone can go about using a computer these days. Hell, that's part of the reason I told my mom to get an iPad -- she had enough trouble using a regular desktop computer, but the iPad does everything she needs a computer to do and I get far fewer tech support calls.
However, I feel like the ease does mean a potential shortage of people with computer expertise going forward. Granted, it potentially means bigger paychecks for folks like me, Rym, and Scott, but barring some insane technological breakthrough (machine bodies! wee!!!) we're all gonna die (or at least retire) at some point and who's going to replace us? If computers were as easy to use then as they were now, I don't know if I would've developed the same interest, let alone skills, that led me to my current job. Sure, the underlying root of the interest would be there, but it may never have blossomed if I never needed to monkey with my machines to get them to work right. Then again, one of the earliest library books I can remember checking out was called How to Make Your Own Video Games (consisting of a bunch of BASIC programs for relatively simple games as well as an explanation of how the code worked), so as long books like that remained available in libraries I probably would've turned out more or less the same. However, I also know some recent CS graduates who also seem to know far less about computer than I did at their age and part of me wonders if it's because they had it so much easier than I did.
So I like to download the audiobooks for books I'm reading so I can listen to it while I'm at work and then pick up on my kindle when I'm at home. So I got the audiobook for 1Q84 and it has this soft spoken lady reading the Aomame chapters and I have to say it's really... uncomfortable hearing her read some parts.
Why would we want to simulate the frustration of making DOS game work?
You know, there was only ever one DOS game I never managed to get working, some Cyberpunk game, can't even remember the name.
According to this, I've played a much larger percentage of my Steam Games than I thought I have, having launched just over 54% of them.
Also, hilariously, I own more games (214) than either Rym (101) or Scott (165).
I've got more games that Rym, but not Scott or yourself, and I've played 72.3 percent of them - though, I feel that might be skewed by some games with multiple entries, like ArmA, because it's got five separate links, and yet, I've played all the expansions I have so far - you can simply do that from a single link, rather than having to use any particular one.
People know too much collectively for everyone to know everything. What's so bad about people being able to specialize?
Nothing. But certain knowledge is so important that everyone, even deep specialists, need to know it.
For example, literacy.
I still hold that, in the coming decade, computer programming is one of those skills. Computers are so important to almost every field, yet are currently deeply under-utilized. Every specialist should also be a proficient user and programmer of computers. Computer literacy is rapidly becoming tantamount to literacy.
I still hold that, in the coming decade, computer programming is one of those skills. Computers are so important to almost every field, yet are currently deeply under-utilized. Every specialist should also be a proficient user and programmer of computers. Computer literacy is rapidly becoming tantamount to literacy.
I'll amend that by saying that by "computer programming," we're not talking kernel hacking here (and I assume you mean the same as well). At the very minimum, you should be familiar with some form of scripting language, whether that's Python, Perl, Ruby, Bash, DOS Batch (with its Windows NT and later enhancements), VBA, MS PowerShell, etc. Familiar enough that you can write some simple scripts to automate your work and utilize your computers more.
Kernel hacking can remain the domain of the kernel hackers. Complex webapps can remain the domain of the web programmers. However, there's no excuse for being unable to whip up a quick script to automate some repetitive task that you find yourself doing frequently. To use a personal example (although, since I am a programmer, it may not be a completely fair example), the year I ran Otakon panels I pretty much did everything manually, not realizing how much of a tedious workload it would be (they just kinda threw me into the job without any real warning). It took me on the order of hours to mail out notifications to all the accepted panelists. One of the first things I did afterwards (and I used this when I took over Anime Boston panels) was write a bunch of scripts to automate the process. What used to take hours now only took a couple of minutes. Similarly, as I learned more and more how much stuff involved in running panels was tedious and repetitive, I added scripts to my repertoire to automate those processes as well. Now pretty much all the time I spend organizing panels is on evaluating and picking time slots for those panels -- everything else has been pretty much been replaced by a collection of scripts.
Oh mah god. I'm eating a buffalo chicken salad sandwich. It takes everything I love about buffalo chicken, mixes it with everything I love about chicken salad, and... what's this!!?! ...contains bacon!
People know too much collectively for everyone to know everything. What's so bad about people being able to specialize?
Nothing. But certain knowledge is so important that everyone, even deep specialists, need to know it.
For example, literacy.
I still hold that, in the coming decade, computer programming is one of those skills. Computers are so important to almost every field, yet are currently deeply under-utilized. Every specialist should also be a proficient user and programmer of computers. Computer literacy is rapidly becoming tantamount to literacy.
I agree that everyone should learn a reasonable degree of computer literacy (including, say, a scripting language) but that is an issue with the education system, not user-friendliness.
The bacon was just the cherry on the delicious sandwich sundae, though. The real charm was the combination of spicy buffalo sauce with the creaminess of delicious chicken salad. I'm a man who loves his chicken salad.
It could be worse. You could be waiting in the office with your legs all spread eagle in stirrups "revealing" yourself and waiting for the doctor. :P
Sounds like Tuesday :P
I'm surrounded by old people, and they're all bitching and sick. I'd like a waiting room for otherwise health people who just can't see out of one eye But seriously, I do a lot of winking lately.
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However, I feel like the ease does mean a potential shortage of people with computer expertise going forward. Granted, it potentially means bigger paychecks for folks like me, Rym, and Scott, but barring some insane technological breakthrough (machine bodies! wee!!!) we're all gonna die (or at least retire) at some point and who's going to replace us? If computers were as easy to use then as they were now, I don't know if I would've developed the same interest, let alone skills, that led me to my current job. Sure, the underlying root of the interest would be there, but it may never have blossomed if I never needed to monkey with my machines to get them to work right. Then again, one of the earliest library books I can remember checking out was called How to Make Your Own Video Games (consisting of a bunch of BASIC programs for relatively simple games as well as an explanation of how the code worked), so as long books like that remained available in libraries I probably would've turned out more or less the same. However, I also know some recent CS graduates who also seem to know far less about computer than I did at their age and part of me wonders if it's because they had it so much easier than I did.
According to this, I've played a much larger percentage of my Steam Games than I thought I have, having launched just over 54% of them.
Also, hilariously, I own more games (214) than either Rym (101) or Scott (165).
For example, literacy.
I still hold that, in the coming decade, computer programming is one of those skills. Computers are so important to almost every field, yet are currently deeply under-utilized. Every specialist should also be a proficient user and programmer of computers. Computer literacy is rapidly becoming tantamount to literacy.
Kernel hacking can remain the domain of the kernel hackers. Complex webapps can remain the domain of the web programmers. However, there's no excuse for being unable to whip up a quick script to automate some repetitive task that you find yourself doing frequently. To use a personal example (although, since I am a programmer, it may not be a completely fair example), the year I ran Otakon panels I pretty much did everything manually, not realizing how much of a tedious workload it would be (they just kinda threw me into the job without any real warning). It took me on the order of hours to mail out notifications to all the accepted panelists. One of the first things I did afterwards (and I used this when I took over Anime Boston panels) was write a bunch of scripts to automate the process. What used to take hours now only took a couple of minutes. Similarly, as I learned more and more how much stuff involved in running panels was tedious and repetitive, I added scripts to my repertoire to automate those processes as well. Now pretty much all the time I spend organizing panels is on evaluating and picking time slots for those panels -- everything else has been pretty much been replaced by a collection of scripts.
The bacon was just the cherry on the delicious sandwich sundae, though. The real charm was the combination of spicy buffalo sauce with the creaminess of delicious chicken salad. I'm a man who loves his chicken salad.
Also my pooping experience.
I'm surrounded by old people, and they're all bitching and sick. I'd like a waiting room for otherwise health people who just can't see out of one eye