How do the computer illiterate cope?
Gnome de PPRuNe
Joined: Jan 2002
Aviation Qualifications: Spotter
Posts: 15,188
Likes: 1,201
From: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Started off playing with a ZX80 someone gave me in 1983, trying to learn coding from a manual. Didn't really get it... moved on to using various types of PC at work and home and got quite adept at creating batch files to automate certain things and later working with HTML code but still not my forte.
What does irritate me is learning to use a new device and two months later finding an update has changed all sorts of things; example my Samsung phone no longer gives you switch off options if you press the on button for N seconds, no, now you have to go and find an off button at the top of the screen...
My 99 year old aunt sends emails from a Chromebook and has done so for two years - people say "can't you show her how to do X, Y and Z". No, it's enough that she can do what she does, she'd never even used a typewriter before including during 40 years with the Tax Office...
What does irritate me is learning to use a new device and two months later finding an update has changed all sorts of things; example my Samsung phone no longer gives you switch off options if you press the on button for N seconds, no, now you have to go and find an off button at the top of the screen...
My 99 year old aunt sends emails from a Chromebook and has done so for two years - people say "can't you show her how to do X, Y and Z". No, it's enough that she can do what she does, she'd never even used a typewriter before including during 40 years with the Tax Office...
Joined: Jan 2000
Aviation Qualifications: SLF
Posts: 1,578
Likes: 312
From: UK and Italy
The last time I came across FORTRAN was 1997. I think NASA still use it for talking to the Voyager satellites. I self-taught BASIC and I was one step ahead of you using the Sinclair ZX8x series, I was using a Commodore PET. At one time BASIC was universal, but I think it has gone the way of the dinosaurs, I think only hobbyists interested in ancient computer use it now.
If you want another bit of 8-bit era nostalgia, visit https://nmsceefax.co.uk .
If you want another bit of 8-bit era nostalgia, visit https://nmsceefax.co.uk .
Joined: Jan 2008
Aviation Qualifications: Non-Aircrew
Posts: 340
Likes: 173
From: UK
What does irritate me is learning to use a new device and two months later finding an update has changed all sorts of things; example my Samsung phone no longer gives you switch off options if you press the on button for N seconds, no, now you have to go and find an off button at the top of the screen...
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 147
Likes: 15
From: London
the next page has a "Side button setting" option that lets you switch it back on again.
Gnome de PPRuNe
Joined: Jan 2002
Aviation Qualifications: Spotter
Posts: 15,188
Likes: 1,201
From: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Dragging this back (kicking and screaming) to aviation, I recall when Gemini was a Ghanaian freight outfit operating a Britannia 9G-ACE... tho I suppose any self loading freight would most likely have been four-legged...
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 906
Likes: 102
From: Southampton
Given the amount of computer issues airports and other major companies have had recently, then a manual alternative is certainly needed. The damage caused by hackers is costing companies millions (never mind the inconvenience to their customers) and I can see it getting worse.. State sponsored hacking in particular seems to be on the increase too.
A manual alternative would certainly help these companies and would also benefit those not quite so savvy. Of course, I doubt it would be easy, but I think it would be a wise move.
A manual alternative would certainly help these companies and would also benefit those not quite so savvy. Of course, I doubt it would be easy, but I think it would be a wise move.
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 171
Likes: 6
From: Tapping the Decca, wondering why it's not working.
I did that on a London Underground train. That wasn't the problem it might have been because I was on my way home 120 miles away. OTOH the roll of wet-ink drawings fresh off the computer's plotter were not in a protective tube and got squashed under my arm in the excitement, resulting in sharp creases right across them. The control console of the CDC6600 I was using is in the Science Museum and was on public view in 2018 but not now.
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'a
Joined: Jan 2000
Aviation Qualifications: SLF
Posts: 1,578
Likes: 312
From: UK and Italy
Given the amount of computer issues airports and other major companies have had recently, then a manual alternative is certainly needed. The damage caused by hackers is costing companies millions (never mind the inconvenience to their customers) and I can see it getting worse.. State sponsored hacking in particular seems to be on the increase too.
A manual alternative would certainly help these companies and would also benefit those not quite so savvy. Of course, I doubt it would be easy, but I think it would be a wise move.
A manual alternative would certainly help these companies and would also benefit those not quite so savvy. Of course, I doubt it would be easy, but I think it would be a wise move.
The NHS uses Windows 7 and fax machines, and I'm a bit concerned that my medical history is open to every hacker from Russia, China, or North Korea. What could they do with it? I don't know, but I'm sure it wouldn't be good.
Joined: May 2005
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 394
Likes: 159
From: Denmark
Dunno if belongs here, but I am a windows guy though I started my career in Unix many moons ago. As I get older I sometimes struggle with web applications and phone apps perhaps because they're using newer ways of interacting with them. I still love programming for fun. Programming is actually a very creative process that keeps your brain fit whilst being very relaxing. I created this game for fun initially under lockdown: playmeyer.com. Backend is written in C# and runs on Ubuntu Linux on a rented virtual server. Frontend is in TypeScript and Angular using CSS.
