Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think (2016)

nngroup.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 280 posts

Re: The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think (2016)

#31

Post by agumonkey »

userbinator wrote: post #28

Interesting to see that Japan both has the most "can't use computers" and "strong" users... I've personally observed (and had to help) many times where an otherwise extremely intelligent person seems to completely lose his/her brain upon being seated in front of a computer, and wonder why that is; these people can be experts in various other fields involving significant mental ability (e.g. maths, physics, chemistry)…

Mainstream computing is utterly non sensical. Even developer tools are rife with ad-hoc conventions and arbitrary signs.

I saw this in college student who had straight As in every classes failed the programming exam ..because of a gcc flag. Student was just not aware of some synta and got stuck.

Re: The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think (2016)

#32

Post by dredmorbius »

vortico wrote: post #4
benologist wrote: post #2

This 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.

Free Software doesn't have to compete on marketshare. It may well benefit in terms of mindshare by favouring advanced users. Taking as an example Linux, with still single-digit usershare among operating systems, there is sufficient user-share among potential contributors to support the several thousand kernal contributors, as well as contributions to a wide range of system, userland, and GUI tools.

Given the focus drift that's accumulated from even modest popularity among some Linux distros, and meant not as a critical note, just a set of observations over my own several decades' experience, more technical Linux and BSD variants tend toward more technical users, whilst the more user-friendly distros (Mandrake, back in the day, Ubuntu, Mint, Cinnamon, etc.) tend to show a greater aversion to CLI and system tools, in favour of GUIs and the like.

Because commercial software does see massive network effects and attraction to mass markets, it tends to fall far lower on the user-capability curve.

This can also hit mass-market free software, with Chromium and Android (dismissing status as truly Free Software / Open Source) being cases that readily come to mind. The mechanism here is that these are aimed at advertising-promotion platforms, and hence, mass markets (Android devices number in the billions). Which is to say the polar opposite of intellectually-rewarding power-user tools.

It's not that the users' skills depend on the software licence, it's that licencing determines business interests and user-focus of the software developer.

Re: The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think (2016)

#33

Post by rolltiide »

mikekchar wrote: post #18
bonecrusher2102 wrote: post #8

It'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…

I sometimes go to "kaiten sushi" (sushi comes around on a conveyor belt and you can pick what you like) with my mother in law. There is an order system where you can use a touch panel to order something specific if you want it. Granted my mother in law is 86 and hasn't really used computers before, but it always amazes me that she can't figure out "buttons" on the screen. For her, they are just text with coloured bac…

> I've tried explaining in the past, but she's completely uninterested and so never listens to me.

All it takes is one of her friends or influencers to explain it, and viola, no longer allergic to technology.

Re: The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think (2016)

#34

Post by mquander »

scarface74 wrote: post #27
mquander wrote: post #25

It frustrates me that the takeaway of this post, and the implicit conclusion of many software designers, is "keep it extremely simple, or two thirds of the population can’t use your design." I think a better conclusion is "if these skills are important, design software which aids in and rewards the development of them." If your software is designed with some UX which is hyper-optimized to get users to do some small h…

Should I also learn how to repair my car instead of just taking it to the dealer? It’s called specialization of labor. Most of us make an above average wage dealing with computers and pay other people to know things we don’t know.

What specialist does the labor get offloaded to, if someone doesn't know how to keep track of their data, doesn't know how to do simple research on the Internet, or doesn't understand how to secure their computer? Instead, people just lose their data, believe false things, and get pwned.

Re: The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think (2016)

#35

Post by [deleted] »

scarface74 wrote: post #23

Why is the result of the email test surprising? The popular meme that “email is for old people -lol” ( https://www.huffpost.com/entry/email-is-for-old-people-l_b_3... ) is true. If you don’t work in an office environment, why would most people use an email with a reply to all or schedule a meeting on a desktop app? People use, Slack, Facebook messenger, iMessage, AirDrop etc. Even kids often use DropBox to turn in wo…

[deleted]

Re: The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think (2016)

#36

Post by willismichael »

xkcd-sucks wrote: post #17
bonecrusher2102 wrote: post #8

It'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…

I don't think this is a new feature of humanity. Consider the people you know who don't care to learn about, or pay attention to: Food (cooking, sourcing ingredients), cars, health care (e.g. what drugs do what and how; what makes your body+mind feel good or bad in the long term), electrical wiring, plumbing, "nature", etc. Computer technology just seems like another aspect of the world which many people are happy to…

Wow, I regard all of those to be interesting subjects, and consider that an adult should have at least a cursory knowledge of all of them. However, you are right, plenty of people just don't want to know anything about any of the above.

Re: The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think (2016)

#37

Post by cmroanirgo »

userbinator wrote: post #13
tryptophan wrote: post #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.

I wonder if this really lowered all the scores, because the test UI may have been very non-standard/outdated/etc. ...or, as may as likely be the case, very "modern". I'm confident to say that I'm far in the "advanced user" category, also having been a developer for a few decades, and yet I still get perplexed often by UIs with lots of hidden functionality and confusing hieroglyphics instead of descriptive text.

> UIs with lots of hidden functionality and confusing hieroglyphics

A simple example would be the keybase android app which actually has a hamburger icon rather than 3 lines that we devs call 'a humburger', which in itself is supposed to represent a 'menu' of some sort. Classic.

As a dev, I loved it. As a UI for the masses...probably not the best idea.

Re: The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think (2016)

#38

Post by scarface74 »

mquander wrote: post #34
scarface74 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Should I also learn how to repair my car instead of just taking it to the dealer? It’s called specialization of labor. Most of us make an above average wage dealing with computers and pay other people to know things we don’t know.

What specialist does the labor get offloaded to, if someone doesn't know how to keep track of their data, doesn't know how to do simple research on the Internet, or doesn't understand how to secure their computer? Instead, people just lose their data, believe false things, and get pwned.

You pay someone to do it. My uncle has owned a car repair shop for 30+ years and he pays someone to do all of the office work.

Your expertise is someone else’s “undifferentiated heavy lifting” no matter what field you’re in.

Re: The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think (2016)

#39

Post by Spooky23 »

bonecrusher2102 wrote: post #8

It'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…

When this came out I was skeptical and looked at transactions that I had metrics for to corroborate with some colleagues. Not at liberty to discuss specifics, but we all rejected the proportions that the study used.

End of the day, complex processes get completed when offered to the public, and computer based processes are generally the norm. People somehow get hunting licenses, navigate complex DMV processes, book transportation, and get passports, even when they are not above average IQ.

I think if you asked these questions based on end goal rather than method, you’d see smaller numbers of level 0/1 people.

It sounded to me like the assessment was framed around PC use — most people don’t use PCs! I’ve seen scenarios where complex workflows delivered in social services scenarios (where education, literacy and language competency are an issue) where getting tasks completed in mobile (which is ubiquitous and often more complex) is significantly better than a similar complexity task (travel vouchers) with a professional audience on PC.

If less than 5% of the population is capable of performing complex tasks, society would break down. Something is wrong with the assessment of complexity or questions asked.

Re: The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think (2016)

#40

Post by unnouinceput »

mooreds wrote: post #14
bonecrusher2102 wrote: post #8

It'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…

Reminds me of "Profession", a great short story by Isaac Asimov: https://www.abelard.org/asimov.php

That site has horrible design, that hurts my eyes so much. I've resorted to just copy/paste the text there to my preferred editor to read it. That said, I did enjoyed the story, so thank you.
Post reply on HN