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We've Forgotten How to Use Computers

theatlantic.com

21–30 of 70 posts

Re: We've Forgotten How to Use Computers

#21
Agree with everyone on the weird mouse focus. I read this expecting/hoping for a discussion of how the appification of everything is impacting users (like why are the youngins not running circles around millennials when it comes to computers?) or maybe a discussion about how complexity in modern systems has gotten so great that it’s becoming roughly impossible to tame in a reliable long term manner or something.

What a waste of a great title.

Re: We've Forgotten How to Use Computers

#22
post #4

What is this article even trying to say? Clickbait title but the whole thing is about using a mouse? Yeah, interfaces are evolving. Most of the populace use a computer not for using's sake, but to accomplish a goal. Touchscreens are great for information consumption and free-form entry. Keyboards are good for text production. What is a mouse good for other than manipulating 2d objects?

>What is a mouse good for other than manipulating 2d objects?

Precise control.

I absolutely refuse to play an FPS or operate a productivity program (eg: Illustrator, Powerpoint) without a proper mouse. Trying to do that on a touchpad or a touchscreen is a hell I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemies.

Re: We've Forgotten How to Use Computers

#23
post #13
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but there are things that aren't so obsolete about using a computer that many young people don't know anymore and which are really still needed. I'm not the only person who has noticed that teaching the current generation of undergraduates that many of them don't understand the idea of a hierarchical file system, whether using the graphical folder analogy or as directories. They have trouble understanding that p…

i remember teaching people about hierarchical file systems in the early 1990s - so no not much has changed.

True, but there was a good 20 year period or so when even non-technical people were familiar with it from using their own computers.

Re: We've Forgotten How to Use Computers

#24
post #13
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but there are things that aren't so obsolete about using a computer that many young people don't know anymore and which are really still needed. I'm not the only person who has noticed that teaching the current generation of undergraduates that many of them don't understand the idea of a hierarchical file system, whether using the graphical folder analogy or as directories. They have trouble understanding that p…

i remember teaching people about hierarchical file systems in the early 1990s - so no not much has changed.

Well, not knowing about this in the 90s was reasonable. Not knowing about it today is a failure somewhere in our education system/society/whatever.

Re: We've Forgotten How to Use Computers

#27
post #8

Many have never used a floppy, updated a config.sys, or attached a serial, parallel, or ps/2 port. And it's perfectly fine.

Yes, but there are things that aren't so obsolete about using a computer that many young people don't know anymore and which are really still needed. I'm not the only person who has noticed that teaching the current generation of undergraduates that many of them don't understand the idea of a hierarchical file system, whether using the graphical folder analogy or as directories. They have trouble understanding that p…

And honestly the file cabinet metaphor probably doesn't go over very well either because that doesn't mostly apply today either.

Re: We've Forgotten How to Use Computers

#28
post #7

Kind of related: https://news.slashdot.org/story/21/09/27/2032200/students-do... Ultimately though, we need to remember that mice, keyboards, touchscreens, et al. are all merely compromises that were developed to let humans who speak human communicate with computers who speak computer. If we figure out an overall better way than the means before, it's natural they will be superceded. I do agree with the author that t…

On my desktop computer I have both a big Mac touchpad and a good (non-Apple) mouse. I switch back and forth between them depending on what I'm doing. If I'm on a laptop, I mostly stick with the touchpad.

Re: We've Forgotten How to Use Computers

#30
post #12
post #7

Kind of related: https://news.slashdot.org/story/21/09/27/2032200/students-do... Ultimately though, we need to remember that mice, keyboards, touchscreens, et al. are all merely compromises that were developed to let humans who speak human communicate with computers who speak computer. If we figure out an overall better way than the means before, it's natural they will be superceded. I do agree with the author that t…

you ain't joking about touch screen accuracy - i have one hell of a time touching on the HN page's links!

I have an iPhone 13 Mini, and it reminds me constantly that the logout link on HN is global, and I have many computers. Maybe too many.
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