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

[Calvin Powers <calvin AT cspowers.com>]

At 02:09 PM 5/14/2001 -0400, you wrote:
> Hey list,
>
> As seasoned computer pros, I thought I'd ask you people to think back to 
> the days when you were not so seasoned (I guess the opposite of "seasoned" 
> is "plain"?)...
>
> 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?


Remembering my learning days of computers was uncomfortably long ago. But I 
vividly remember teaching my parents to use a computer.

One of the things they still have a hard time with is understanding the 
difference between memory and files.

The other thing that they have a very hard time with is navigating through 
the file system on their computer. If it ain't on the desktop somehow, it 
doesn't exist to them.

And my mother had only experienced typing on an ancient, ancient manual 
typewriter and she had to "learn" that there is a separate key for the 
numeral one and that you don't have to use the letter l key for both the 
letter and the numeral 1. (And in fact you _can't_ use the letter l for the 
number 1!)

I have also seen newbie internet surfers get under the impression that as 
long as you see a web page you are still connected to the remote computer. 
So they read as fast as they can to get unconnected from the machine.




> So far, I've come up with:
>
> *Basic computer terminology (desktop, mouse, boot, drive, modem,
> connection, screen saver, desktop theme, Web browser, navigation, icon, menu)
> *Basic Web browser navigation
> *How to cut and paste text
> *How to manipulate a two- or three-button mouse
> *Using screen savers and desktop themes
> *Email etiquette
> *saving/naming files
>
> Thanks in advance for any input. And in case you were wondering, I'm not 
> doing this for my health or because I have too much free time or because 
> it's such a kick--it's for work.
>
> Thanks,
> Beth
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>
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Calvin Powers                                             current events
mailto:calvin AT cspowers.com                            cultural phenomena
http://www.sff.net/people/powers/                           true stories
"the revolution will not be televised"    http://www.StuckInTraffic.com/
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