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PX Eliezer704
Premium Member
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River

3 recommendations

PX Eliezer704 to jc10098

Premium Member

to jc10098

Re: Crooked business practices

said by jc10098:

Of course, computer literacy increases with each prior generation. Individuals my mother's age (60+) or say 50-70 are moderately to mildly proficient. Again, we're generalizing but you've got a lot of diversity within this subset.

I'm 57 and am pretty damn proficient with computers and with VoIP.

My wife is 57 and is a retired software engineer (IEEE and ACM member).

Bill Gates is also 57.

A lot of the younger generations don't stop to think of who MADE the PC and the Internet in the first place!
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

1 recommendation

Kearnstd

Premium Member

because those people are not calling into tech support.

Younger generations are actually very poor with computers. They might be better at facebook than me(im 32). But most do not even know what a router is. when i was working Comcast Tech support I would get people who I could tell where in college and they did not even know how to power cycle a router or how to hook the cable box to the TV set.(even worse when its HDTV, the HDMI cable is not rocket science.)

Better at tech my ass.
PX Eliezer704
Premium Member
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River

PX Eliezer704

Premium Member

said by Kearnstd:

Younger generations are actually very poor with computers....

Better at tech my ass.

You are correct.

When my daughter started college last fall, we needed to visit the IT department because of a specific glitch getting her computer on their LAN.

I was astounded to see college kids down there who had NO IDEA how to do easy tasks such as updating their Windows software (which was a requirement for getting online with the college).
jc10098
join:2002-04-10

jc10098 to PX Eliezer704

Member

to PX Eliezer704
PX,

With your subset, I know a large many of people who know computers and a large many of people who can barely power on the device. The 50-70 age range is extremely diverse. The younger batch 50-60 are far more likely to integrate than their older counterparts. None the less, there are more than plenty who fear computers. Again, I stated this is a generalization.

Yet, you can be sure that you are neither the normal nor the exception. You're the Median. It's a very large bell curve. Your generation might have invented the computer, but your generation excluding the engineers, lacked technology growing up.
jc10098

jc10098 to Kearnstd

Member

to Kearnstd
And being we fall into the 30-49 Age range... Id say we've seen technology quite a bit. However, I'm 30 and I didn't own a personal computer (not counting the Atari) until I was 16. I taught myself much of what I know. i have friends nearing a few years older than I that are using smartphones but are pretty limited on their understanding of computers.

I'd put it this way. Kids growing up now are connected from birth. Whether they know the fundamentals is a bit tricky. Most are younger so while they know Facebook at 12 or 13, we can't surmise what 15 or 20 years brings. Kids understand their phones, browsing, etc.

Certainly, kids today have no clue about DOS. I took Dos in high school and I forget just about every bit of it. I also despise Linux (ya ya string me up). I know some but nothing to brag. However, I can set up a router, build a computer, troubleshoot, get file sharing going, etc etc. I'm sure a lot kids today don't know.

However, they are still young and we're second guessing their abilities once they reach adulthood.

Remember folks, the first time 50 percent of the U.S. owned a home computer wasn't until the year 2000 and internet hit the 50% mark in 2001.

Census Bureau Source on Computer Ownership

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy to PX Eliezer704

Premium Member

to PX Eliezer704
said by PX Eliezer704:

said by Kearnstd:

Younger generations are actually very poor with computers....

Better at tech my ass.

You are correct.

When my daughter started college last fall, we needed to visit the IT department because of a specific glitch getting her computer on their LAN.

I was astounded to see college kids down there who had NO IDEA how to do easy tasks such as updating their Windows software (which was a requirement for getting online with the college).

If I were in college, I would obtain Internet service through a commercial provider (using a mobile broadband card if necessary) as I would not want the college snooping on my Internet usage.

JNagarya
@verizon.net

JNagarya to jc10098

Anon

to jc10098
What do you mean by "technology"?

When I was a kid, we had a hand-wound 78 RPM record player, and radio. I got my first one-speaker 45-LP record player at 12 -- and that was used. Got my first stereo at 16 -- and that was used. Got my first Quadraphonic (derived) at 22-ish -- and built it myself. Next was a high-end Quad I built myself.

All of that is technology.

I've been online since mid-1986 -- before the "Internet" was publicly-accessible -- beginning with a 300 baud modem. At that time we answered email online. In time we downloaded a ZIPPED file with our email, then answered those with offline readers, then uploaded the email.

All of that was dial-up. All of that was technology.

I preferred DOS, and was a late "convert" to Windows because by ISPs to switch.

Until the explosion in "devices" I was always ahead of the curve on the latest electronic technology. It is the portable phones, the cell phones (which few young people know how to use without over-amping and garbling themselves), the tablets -- all that stuff, most of which are too expensive to buy let alone learn to use.

How much repetition do we need? How many ways do we need to send email? How did the pioneers in covered wagons ever survive without "texting"? And did they have as limited a conversational ability as to find "Tweeting" acceptable?

"Facebook"? Untrustworthy; and Zuckerberg is a greedy jerk.

As for the switch from DOS to Windows: "everyone" knows how to use a GUI (Graphics User Interface); it's what goes on behind it of which they are ignorant. They are, in a word, superficial. I've built not only stereos but also computers.

What the young don't know -- they'll have to be "old" before they get it -- is that the older one becomes, the more -- not less -- one tends to know. Not being up to speed on the latest duplicative handheld electronic gadget is not spelled "stupid".
jc10098
join:2002-04-10

jc10098

Member

Hmm... My response didn't post for some reason? Either pc is caching the page or what the heck happened.

Well a quick rewrite as it's late.

Technology is relative to the generation. People of the early 1900's were amazed by the advent of photography, industrial age, the radio, and television. All forms of these technologies while existing in their basic forms are far from representative of their original design. If you took a person from 1940's and stuck them in 2012/2013, they'd be at a loss.

How can a camera be the size of a pinhole? A television project 3d? A radio be portable? For these folks, black and white television, a Victrola, rudimentary automobiles, etc were the norm.

My point? Growing up with a specific technology doesn't guarantee one stays abreast or had access. There is always a segment, and while narrowing as generations become more tech savvy, that are scared of change. Usually, folks 50-60 plus are where you begin to see the "I might break it" attitude.

Yes, you are an exception to the norm. Your generation of the 50-70 has a wide variance between those who fear and those that embrace.

I'm 30 and people my demographic didn't own home computers either. The U.S. census listed 2000 as the first time 50 percent of Americans owned a computer and 2001 as the first time internet surpassed 50 percent, too. All and all, I didn't own a real personal computer until 1998. I had an Atari 800 as a kid, but played games versus any computing power. Good old 5.25's.

I give Kudos to knowing dos. Dos is the foundation of operating systems as is Unix. I know basic dos from courses I took in school. I don't remember much as I'm not much of a command line fan. Linux skills are on a need to know basis, too.

That being said, duplicating skills and technology isn't the problem. Having modern versions of an item is still crucial. You telling me that a 20 year old cell phone weighing 5 pounds and resembling a Walkie Talkie is still relevant? Times change and so do early adopters. If you don't keep up, you do lose the skills.