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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)

#41

Post by chongli »

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.

I see the car analogy used regularly and I think it’s completely off base. A much better analogy for computer skills is literacy and numeracy. We don’t tell people “don’t bother learning how to read, you can listen to audio books on audible!” just as we shouldn’t tell people that computer programming is only for professional software developers (or anything else involving intensive skill mastery related to computers).

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

#42

Post by cortesoft »

cable2600 wrote: post #12

Even with corporate training the users I worked with couldn't find out how to do things even with a FAQ, HOWTO, F1 Help, and Help Desk helping them out. Web and Desktop apps. Plus they requested features that already were in the programs to be added in the next release. Which means they didn't know how to access them.

Shit, I run our developer services group at my company, meaning we design and manage tools for our own developers.

I am always shocked at how many people respond to emails asking questions that are answered IN BOLD in the first paragraph of the email announcing a new tool or service.

The smartest people can sometimes miss the simplest of details.

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

#43

Post by ryandrake »

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.

Yes, unpopular opinion these days, but car owners should really know how to do at least the bare minimum of basic car maintenance. I'm not talking about replacing the suspension or re-building the transmission, but things like changing oil, brake pads, and refilling washer fluid. The very basic basics. Not only does it save you money (who wants to have a mechanic do something for $200 that you can do for $30 + a little time) but knowledge of a tool you use every day is valuable in and of itself.

Wow, -2 in 40 minutes. I knew unpopular but is it that controversial a view??

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

#44

Post by spc476 »

AdieuToLogic wrote: post #19

This reminds me of an oft referenced quote: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.[0] What may not be immediately obvious from the wisdom bespoken by Arthur C. Clarke is that given enough technology, all of us will eventually find a point where we believe magic truly exists. 0 - https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/arthur_c_clarke_101182

I'll see that, and raise you a quote: "Anything that is in the world when you’re born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works. Anything that’s invented between when you’re fifteen and thirty- five is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it. Anything invented after you’re thirty-five is against the natural order of things." --Douglas Adams

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

#45

Post by techslave »

dredmorbius wrote: post #22

The data, conclusions, and implications of this are huge, and go several ways. First: virtually nobody using information technology has any idea of what it's really doing, or how to do anything beyond a very narrow bound of tasks. This includes the apparently proficient, and it's almost always amusing to discover the bounds and limits in knowledge and use of computers by the highly capable . Children, often described…

> Second: if you're building for mass market, you've got to keep things exceedingly and painfully simple.

Not the primary reason, but anyway one of the reasons google+ failed.

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

#46

Post by chrischen »

scarface74 wrote: post #38
mquander wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Well that person doing the repair work isn’t going to use some dumbed down tools. Somebody has to specialize.

Plus the point is that as cars became more ubiquitous, once esoteric skills became the norm, such as checking oil, filling up gas. At some point the baseline has to advance.

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

#47

Post by cloud_surfer »

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)…

With Japan, they've got a bunch of older folks that aren't computer literate. The anecdotes I hear about non-tech Japanese companies trying to use email is pretty disheartening. Japan also has a thriving tech industry, with particularly robotics shining. This study is still a bit surprising, but also believable.

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

#48

Post by AdieuToLogic »

techslave wrote: post #7

eh. 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.

> i know it’s not going to be a popular opinion, but yes most people are stupid.

No, most people are not stupid. Ignorant or unskilled about many subjects? Sure, but we all are.

Consider any speciality you like. There are those whom are Masters in it, fluent in its nuance and implication. And yet those same Masters are novices in most other domains. Are they stupid as well?

To put a fine point on it, consider this haiku:

  Fishermen can fish,
  But if you want a new roof,
  Hire a carpenter.

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

#49

Post by t34543 »

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…

I’ve got 20 years in tech and I find products like Snapchat extremely difficult to use. It’s NOT intuitive at all. Is it just me, or is it terrible?

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

#50

Post by AdieuToLogic »

spc476 wrote: post #44
AdieuToLogic wrote: post #19

This reminds me of an oft referenced quote: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.[0] What may not be immediately obvious from the wisdom bespoken by Arthur C. Clarke is that given enough technology, all of us will eventually find a point where we believe magic truly exists. 0 - https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/arthur_c_clarke_101182

I'll see that, and raise you a quote: "Anything that is in the world when you’re born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works. Anything that’s invented between when you’re fifteen and thirty- five is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it. Anything invented after you’re thirty-five is against the natural order of things." --Douglas Adams

I see your Douglas Adams quote and raise you an Albert Einstein quote:

  Common sense is the collection of
  prejudices acquired by age eighteen.[0]
:-D

0 - https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/albert_einstein_125365

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