Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

[Marybeth Lackey <mlackey AT raleighcvb.org>]

I've had to explain to our President/CEO how to attach a file to an email.
He knew how to click on the little paper clip, but he didn't know he could
click on the file directory and go to another place on his computer (i.e.,
if the file he wanted to attach wasn't in that first directory, he didn't
know you could attach it).

I think the concept of "trying things USUALLY doesn't make the computer blow
up" is a good thing to teach too. So many people are truly scared to click
on something, in fear that it will mess the computer up.

We used to get calls from people who were typing our web address in the
search box of a search engine (not in the address portion) and they were
angry about getting a list of results instead of a web site. I doubt there
are many people out there that still would make this mistake, but you never
know!
---
Mary Beth Lackey
Internet Manager
Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau
http://www.raleighcvb.org

> ----------
> From:         Lisa Linn
> Reply To:     InterNetWorkers
> Sent:         Monday, May 14, 2001 2:32 PM
> To:   InterNetWorkers
> Subject:      [internetworkers] RE: basic computer documentation
> 
> > You're learning how to use a computer. You're learning about 
> > this thing 
> > called the Internet. What basic skills and basic terminology can you 
> > remember having to learn/wonder about as a complete and total newbie?
> > 
> 
> > *saving/naming files
> 
> i did a lot of training of computer novices at one point.   a huge,
> difficult thing for them to grasp is file & directory structure &
> management.   because we were working either on a mainframe or on a UNIX
> system (yes-- i had to train novice computer users how to use UNIX!), an
> understanding of directory & file concepts was crucial.    It seems that
> folks starting today with Windows systems can often cruise along without
> truly understanding the directory structure contained in their PC, and
> this will work most of the time but eventually it's going to come back and
> cause problems, especially once you start needing to map drives, access
> networked servers & the like.
> 
> i think the method that worked best for us was to explain the filing
> cabinet metaphor to them first, then show them how it applies to their
> computer.
> 
> 
> -lisa linn
> 
> 
> ---
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