The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think (2016)
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Re: The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think (2016)
#2This is where open source is an unsung hero continually advancing not just the computer skills but the really advanced stuff. This study finds only 5% of adults can do what they call complex tasks like navigating and filling out forms in a browser, while 69% could barely work for Uber, barely use Uber, or not even figure out Uber. Open source is sitting there teaching and training people how to create Uber.
Re: The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think (2016)
#3wow.... woooow... so many can't understand the basics... even my OLD! man is in level 1-2... and he's a idiot... wow.. oecd 2016! wow
Re: The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think (2016)
#4This is where open source is an unsung hero continually advancing not just the computer skills but the really advanced stuff. This study finds only 5% of adults can do what they call complex tasks like navigating and filling out forms in a browser, while 69% could barely work for Uber, barely use Uber, or not even figure out Uber. Open source is sitting there teaching and training people how to create Uber.
I fail to see what open-source software has to do with this data. If someone is unable to move their mouse pointer to the Delete icon of an email client, the license of the software likely has no effect.
Re: The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think (2016)
#5This is where open source is an unsung hero continually advancing not just the computer skills but the really advanced stuff. This study finds only 5% of adults can do what they call complex tasks like navigating and filling out forms in a browser, while 69% could barely work for Uber, barely use Uber, or not even figure out Uber. Open source is sitting there teaching and training people how to create Uber.
Now let's talk about the 5% of the population who realize that losing tons of money for 10 years in a row is not a sustainable business plan.
Re: The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think (2016)
#6>Instead of using live websites, the participants attempted the tasks on simulated software on the test facilitator’s computer.
I wonder if this really lowered all the scores, because the test UI may have been very non-standard/outdated/etc. "Simulated software" could be literally anything and could have caused a bunch of confusion among people who are used to certain icons and usage patterns.
Re: The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think (2016)
#7eh. that’s about what i think. and not just about computer skills.
driving skills
basic reading comprehension
the ability to think more than one step ahead
i know it’s not going to be a popular opinion, but yes most people are stupid.
Re: The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think (2016)
#8It's obvious to me that this is because of the bubble that I ostensibly live in, but this is still simply shocking data. Only 5% of people can perform more complex tasks than finding an email with a particular sender, subject and date? I suppose I severely take for granted and upbringing that surrounded and supported me in learning to adapt to new tech.
It does make me wonder about the sustainability of technological growth however. If there is such a small portion of folks that can use all of this new tech, how far reaching can it really be? Will this divide begin to shrink? Or stay static as one small portion of the population drifts further and further away from the other...
Re: The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think (2016)
#9This is where open source is an unsung hero continually advancing not just the computer skills but the really advanced stuff. This study finds only 5% of adults can do what they call complex tasks like navigating and filling out forms in a browser, while 69% could barely work for Uber, barely use Uber, or not even figure out Uber. Open source is sitting there teaching and training people how to create Uber.
I fail to see what open-source software has to do with this data. If someone is unable to move their mouse pointer to the Delete icon of an email client, the license of the software likely has no effect.
Learning how to use, configure and create open source is definitely one of the highest-proficiency forms of computer usage. Especially creating but even using open source requires a bevvy of advanced skills identifying appropriate software and getting it to run. The strongest 5% of computer users they found can barely search email and some % are pursuing incredibly sophisticated skills through open source setting up their own email server or writing one. That's the relevancy.
This study stopped counting at 3rd level with multipage forms basically... what’s a Linux terminal or git or swift or json/yaml configuration files if not highly advanced computer usage. 3rd, 4th, 5th, 100th, somewhere up there is a proficiency-level where you build your own computer in Minecraft for the fun of it and write languages and operating systems and these skills are learned and shared through open source more than anything.
I think if they had kept tracking the higher levels of proficiency by the time they got to open source users and developers there is a chasm between their ability to use computers to solve problems vs the 3rd-level person - data munging, web scraping, scripting, machine learning, advanced internet searching, bespoke software...
Re: The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think (2016)
#10This is where open source is an unsung hero continually advancing not just the computer skills but the really advanced stuff. This study finds only 5% of adults can do what they call complex tasks like navigating and filling out forms in a browser, while 69% could barely work for Uber, barely use Uber, or not even figure out Uber. Open source is sitting there teaching and training people how to create Uber.
Open source is only useful if you can make use of source code, which is already far beyond what these users can do.