[achtung]

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/03/net-neutrality-concerns-raised-about-comcasts-xbox-on-demand-service.ars

Our computers will be little better than TVs soon enough, mark my words.

[sigtau]

I wouldn't go as far as to say that.  If anything, the younger generation is going to strangle the living **** out of the tech-illiterate people in charge today when we are finally of age to take public office.  Then, the bull**** will end, and things like Comcast's dickishness will be a thing of the past.

I hope.

[redsniper]

Most young people don't know **** about computers. Sure they can use facebook and stuff, they're better with them than grandma, but still. It's a magical box to most people regardless of age.

[BloodEagle]

Most young people don't know **** about computers. Sure they can use facebook and stuff, they're better with them than grandma, but still. It's a magical box to most people regardless of age.

+1 for truth.

[Klaustrophobia]

Politicians do not understand technology.  This is, has been, and always will be fact.  Understanding technology requires an ability to think logically, which precludes one from becoming a (successful at least) politician.

[Crybertrance]

Most young people don't know **** about computers. Sure they can use facebook and stuff, they're better with them than grandma, but still. It's a magical box to most people regardless of age.

+1 for truth.

+1 

Its quite amusing when the youth say "Ho Ho Ho , I'm a computer geek" and dont know **** about even plugging in a USB. This friend of mine returened his joystik because the USB port was defective. But, it just turned out that he was inserting it upside-down...

[mjn.mixael]

Most young people don't know **** about computers. Sure they can use facebook and stuff, they're better with them than grandma, but still. It's a magical box to most people regardless of age.

+1 for truth.

+1 

Its quite amusing when the youth say "Ho Ho Ho , I'm a computer geek" and dont know **** about even plugging in a USB. This friend of mine returened his joystik because the USB port was defective. But, it just turned out that he was inserting it upside-down...

I blame Apple, who in the same breath are trying to destroy hard media and any need for anyone to know anything about computers.

[samiam]

Google is a blasphemer to net neutrality too. Why are we singling out companies?

[mjn.mixael]

I pick out Apple because they are dumbing down technology, not educating users. It is currently trendy to own a Mac and not know how to use anything else.

I'm not saying any company is better or worse or that any don't have issues. I'm simply saying that Apple is a clear cause (likely not the only cause) of the current trend that people are not learning how computers really work. Google is guilty of many things, but they are certainly not guilty of dumbing down their tech.

[Thaeris]

I've used both Windows and Mac computers. I thus do not comply with your sentiments. There are certainly differences, and certainly differences in what the user can see, but as far as knowing what, where, and how something works? Honestly, anyone sharp enough to even understand basic principles of using an OS, or processes which a computer is performing, should not be too different from the next guy in the room. Quite frankly, I prefer not to use a DOS operating system to get work done.

Mind you, above using software or managing processes, any additional knowledge usually falls into the realms of computer science, which is well and beyond most users, regardless of the operating system they employ. If you really want to complain about "dumbing down" technology, seriously, reverting to DOS is a great idea. Most UI's in a computer today are focused on actually allowing the user to intuitively navigate the software, which is ironically quite sensible. However, command line options never hurt anyone, either. But then, how often do you use those (this is of course not to say that you shouldn't have those options)?

[mjn.mixael]

Honestly, anyone sharp enough to even understand basic principles of using an OS, or processes which a computer is performing, should not be too different from the next guy in the room.

Keep dreamin, buddy. I so wish that were true, but it's not. The gap between guys like us at HLP (mostly 'power users') and the general computer user is growing wider and wider.

[Mikes]

Honestly, anyone sharp enough to even understand basic principles of using an OS, or processes which a computer is performing, should not be too different from the next guy in the room.

Keep dreamin, buddy. I so wish that were true, but it's not. The gap between guys like us at HLP (mostly 'power users') and the general computer user is growing wider and wider.

The rate of computer illiteracy of this generations 10-11th grade students still baffles me. Almost all of them know how to use a smartphone... but when you try to explain word processing, Excel or even basic file operations, even just asking them to save their work on an USB stick, many (not all) are about as clueless as my 60 year old mom who always hated computers and only uses them grudgingly because the rest of the family uses email.


:tongue in cheek: Heck... some Ipad users don't even know how to turn pages anymore: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aXV-yaFmQNk

[Klaustrophobia]

i believe this trend is more likely a result of computer use in general expanding so much that it's made its way to the people who are retarded anyway.  not that less people are computer literate or computer users are actively getting dumber.

[BengalTiger]

Google is definitely not a "dumb down the user" service.

Other than the search engine that gives suggestions so people have to type a few chars less, google has some very useful stuff that one could actually get smarter using- a calculator (function graphs, unit conversions, not so basic maths), a translator (alright, this one is more like a dictionary, it still fails quite hard when translating more than 1-2 words at a time unless it's a common phrase) and some others I don't really use.

[Mongoose]

:tongue in cheek: Heck... some Ipad users don't even know how to turn pages anymore: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aXV-yaFmQNk

I'm not sure if that's adorable or terrifying.  Probably both.

[jg18]

I pick out Apple because they are dumbing down technology, not educating users. It is currently trendy to own a Mac and not know how to use anything else.

I'm not saying any company is better or worse or that any don't have issues. I'm simply saying that Apple is a clear cause (likely not the only cause) of the current trend that people are not learning how computers really work.

Funny that you say that, since Macs are quite popular at the computer science departments I've been to.

* jg18 is typing this up on an iMac.

[Aardwolf]

When I was at GMU everything in the CS departments ran Linux. Dunno about what hardware it was on, though.

Tangentially related expression of anti-Apple sentiment: Damn Apple putting extra tabs on their USB plugs to make them incompatible with standard USB ports  Not that it affects me, but that's just evil.

[LHN91]

I pick out Apple because they are dumbing down technology, not educating users. It is currently trendy to own a Mac and not know how to use anything else.

I'm not saying any company is better or worse or that any don't have issues. I'm simply saying that Apple is a clear cause (likely not the only cause) of the current trend that people are not learning how computers really work.

Funny that you say that, since Macs are quite popular at the computer science departments I've been to.

* jg18 is typing this up on an iMac.

I wouldn't argue that Apple *products* are promoting this, but their marketing and the social environment surrounding the 'average mac user' does. They make excellent development platforms, and I do prefer a UNIX shell (in my case almost always on a linux install, but that's me) to writing code in Windows. That's the reason my laptop runs Mint 12 exclusively. I don't have anything against their hardware, as long as you don't look at the price/performance ratios - they're well built systems, but mediocre in specs and more costly than products with similar build quality and/or hardware.

But at the same time, I see nowhere in Apple marketing that speaks to anything other than blind faith in their products being superior, without comparing functionality or hardware quality/speed on anything but a subjective level.

[Aardwolf]

Doofuses at college (AiW) were all like "I need a Mac to run Adobe stuff" 

@LHN91: Indeed, blind faith. Have you seen that iMac customization price gouging graphic, too?

[LHN91]

@Aardwolf - Actually, maybe in passing; but primarily from being asked by people to suggest what they should buy as a laptop, and they specified that a Macbook was also an option. Comparing specs and build quality so I could make a recommendation was rather enlightening.