Not smart enough to own a PC? I think most people aren't.

11 'eh' in the OP. Good job eh?


Any way I think most people are just lazy when it comes to desktop computers now. They are much more suited to mobile environemnets with tiles and icons despite them being pretty much the same.

For example, we have a new Sharepoint based intranet (it's ****e, mainly because it was implementated by Acuvate who themselves are a waste of space), and people complain they are unable to use it and don't know what goes on where. We also now have a corporate Yammer. One particular user spent a good couple of weeks making posts complaining, yet in these complaints he would take screenshots and upload them from his Windows desktop, he'd also take screenshots on his phone then upload them from within the Yammer app to posts. So he is technically savvy to do that but is unable to click on icons for applications from the intranet? Even though he does that on a daily basis on his iPhone, what's that all about eh?

If only people applied some critical thinking into their life.
 
mistersprinkles said:
As a person who considers themselves a power user and can build computers, diagnose problems and solve my own issues 100% of the time, I feel that we are at a point- and have been for some time- where people are too stupid to buy PCs eh? Oh sure, yeah.
Click to expand...

I think your OC membership may have been cloned

mistersprinkles said:
I'm pretty computer savvy. I have a fast PC with an SSD and everything used to be fast, but I've been having this problem where some games take forever to start up. It just sits there. Sometimes I can see the game open in task manager but nothing is on screen and I can't switch to it.

Is there a fix for this?

System:

Win 10 Home X64
4790K
GTX 1080 G1 gaming
16GB DDR3 2400
ASRock Z97 Anniversary mobo
EVGA GQ 650 PSU
120GB Samsung 840 EVO
2TB Seagate ST2000 HDD
Click to expand...
 
mistersprinkles said:
This thread has not been well received... I see that I am alone in my sentiment on the subject.
Click to expand...


I would put the whole subject into a wider context. And it is one that has concerned me for some time.

Over my own lifetime, we have moved as a culture/society from one where most people had at least some understanding of how the world around them actually worked to one where most people have no idea at all.

When I was young, every Schoolboy (And a fair few School girls too) Knew how a TV, Radio, Electric Motor, Motor car, Steam train, whatever, worked. In some detail. (And as did the Adults too)

Nowadays I suspect very few do. We are now surrounded by technology that while we rely on it very heavily, is beyond the comprehension of most people (Including the smart educated ones!)

Evey year we gat an April fool story about people busting their phones because they installed an "App" that was supposed to make them water proof (Or something)

It is easy to criticise such people as "Stupid" but it runs much deeper than that. If somebody has No idea at all how one of these devices actually works. They why should a waterproof app seem like a silly idea??

My concern is that this cultural isolation from the technology we rely on is actually very harmful and is really going to blow up in all our faces one day.
 
On a more serious note.

Times have changed.

When I grew up it was in the age (the later part of it in fairness) where it was a hobbiest business really. You pretty much had to know how to write command lines to get things to work. So from that I learnt stuff because I had to. I remember having to type 'win' to get Windows to load. After that it was so much cheaper to buy components and build your pc from the parts you bought and that came with challenges, installing drivers, configuring jumpers on HHDs and CD drives.

These days it's all done for you. My last 2 computers have been bought built as it's pretty much the same or cheaper now to do so when compared to doing a home build.

Most people I work with have never looked inside a PC, why would they? it's provided and supported by people that know how to look in them and what to do with them. Most people just want to use them to work on or play games on.

You've put your skills on a pedicel which you have a right to do but you can't begrudge people from not wanting to know how something works and just want to do work or play games on it.

I don't consider my wife stupid because she can't change a graphics card, I can't do what she does for her work (accountant).
 
When I first got my own pc around 2000, i probably only knew 2 people with a computer, nowadays I probably only know 2 people without one (I am talking about a smartphone/tablet/whatever)

"stupid people" would previously have never touched a computer, but now its almost essential for modern life.
As for them becoming harder to use, not sure I agree, perhaps its because a modern computer can do so much more than computers 20/30/40 years ago.
 
This whole post seethes with a superiority complex..

PC's are a complex piece of technology.. I am 100% sure that the majority of the people on this forum haven't got a clue how CPU registers, cache, command line or binary works.. let alone theoretical computer science.. i.e. deterministic top down tree automata... but they may be very savvy on actually building PC's.

If you seriously want to class yourself as "superior" to mere mortals.. go ahead, but don't expect anything but indignation from actual professionals.
 
terley said:
This whole post seethes with a superiority complex..

PC's are a complex piece of technology.. I am 100% sure that the majority of the people on this forum haven't got a clue how CPU registers, cache, command line or binary works.. let alone theoretical computer science.. i.e. deterministic top down tree automata... but they may be very savvy on actually building PC's.

If you seriously want to class yourself as "superior" to mere mortals.. go ahead, but don't expect anything but indignation from actual professionals.
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Is this post as clever as I think it is or are you completely self unaware?
 
terley said:
This whole post seethes with a superiority complex..

PC's are a complex piece of technology.. I am 100% sure that the majority of the people on this forum haven't got a clue how CPU registers, cache, command line or binary works.. let alone theoretical computer science.. i.e. deterministic top down tree automata... but they may be very savvy on actually building PC's.

If you seriously want to class yourself as "superior" to mere mortals.. go ahead, but don't expect anything but indignation from actual professionals.
Click to expand...

Fantastically subtle, well done!
 
The problem is attitude and expectations, they expect simplicity like iOS and Android and most are not willing to learn even the most basic functionality in Windows if it requires a little research.

I still have to install applications on my nieces laptop and shes 20, she's scared every application is going to be a virus or malware.

How any earth did we ever cope before the app stores arrived?! :D
 
I think you'll find that home desktop sales are in rapid decline anyway.

Joe Public has moved onto Smartphones & tablets.
 
[Donald Trump]

As a person who considers themselves a power user and can build computers, I build computers folks......I build computers, I love building computers, diagnose problems, I diagnose problems, lots of problems....... and solve my own issues 100% of the time, 100%, think about it, 100%...... I feel that we are at a point, at a point! - and have been for some time, a lot of time actually, - where people are too stupid to buy PCs, there just too stupid, I mean there are people, and there are stupid people....and these people, they are stupid people

[/Donald Trump]
 
What would the minimum requirements for someone to be considered PC familiar?

I worry about my own abilities with respect to computer familiarity. I've always bought pre-built and am currently (slowly) saving to treat myself to a new PC, the first since 2010. Having browsed these boards and others I've even gradually come round to the idea that I'll try to build one myself - there's a lot of helpful guides, both video and written, that should walk me through the process (plus you helpful people!). Two years ago my desktop's HDD died on me and no Windows cloning software would work so I had to first panic, and then google until my eyes got tired and I found out how to use a Linux live disc to access and run ddrescue. Needless to say this worked out ok and I lost very little. However, I didn't just know this and now retain little of the knowledge I gained - I'd still need to google for help. Needless to say I still feel quite clueless.

I still feel that I'm a PC neophyte but I'm not afraid to actually look things up, something that I might be more hesitant to do with something like a car. These days a PC is one of the most complex and breakable things an individual may own, and these days people just expect things to work - like their phones, tablets etc...

The fact that the average user feels safe to make mistakes sounds like it's more the issue. That sense of security that things like iOS and Android have engendered isn't necessarily a bad thing, and with dedicated PC's on the way out for a lot of home users putting more people off seems like the wrong way to go.
 
terley said:
This whole post seethes with a superiority complex..

PC's are a complex piece of technology.. I am 100% sure that the majority of the people on this forum haven't got a clue how CPU registers, cache, command line or binary works.. let alone theoretical computer science.. i.e. deterministic top down tree automata... but they may be very savvy on actually building PC's.

If you seriously want to class yourself as "superior" to mere mortals.. go ahead, but don't expect anything but indignation from actual professionals.
Click to expand...

Not sure if srs.

Anyone can revise for computer science, I have family members who have degrees in the very subject, but have absolutely zero clue on actually how to deal with an actual computer beyond the revision margins.
 
mrk said:
Not sure if srs.

Anyone can revise for computer science, I have family members who have degrees in the very subject, but have absolutely zero clue on actually how to deal with an actual computer beyond the revision margins.
Click to expand...

My point is, the OP acts as if he is a god amongst peasents when talking about his incredible prowess around PC's. When another postser earlier quoted one of his posts asking a mundane simple question that by his own definition would be considered "stupid".
I was merely calling him on his hypocrisy and lack recognition that by no metric could he be considered anything but below average compared to actual computing professionals..(not that i am one either) and that he should step off his high horse and realize the fact.

PCs becoming "idiot proof" is simply down to UI heuristics, design rules intended to simplify with the goal of increasing functionality and overall productivity.
 
mrk said:
Not sure if srs.

Anyone can revise for computer science, I have family members who have degrees in the very subject, but have absolutely zero clue on actually how to deal with an actual computer beyond the revision margins.
Click to expand...

i think his point is that computers, and many other devices, are now too complex for any one person to fully understand every single aspect of them. so where do you draw the line of what's an acceptable amount of knowledge of how a system works.

your point is equally valid for this- knowing how something works is not the same as knowing how to use it.
 
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