Christopher Sawtell wrote:
On Tue, 01 Feb 2005 09:04, Brad Beveridge wrote:I must admit that I was very slightly trolling when I made that comment :)
The general public can drive, and if people can be trusted toThe NZ-GP may be able to make a car move forwards and occasionally backwards at various speeds, but safely and properly? Absolutely no way.
drive a car effectively I think they can drive a computer.
The road rules and designs all appear to have been concocted by a committee of panel-beaters, insurance agents, orthopedic surgeons, and undertakers chaired by the Grim Reaper himself all acting in supreme self-interest. The level of education and skill needed to pass the NZ driving test is so absolutely minimal that it is meaningless. ( Note here that holding a NZ Driving licence qualifies one for a 3 times insurance levy when driving in the UK, and that at ~600 deaths / 4 million population per year NZ has a worse death-on-the roads rate than any other country in the 'civilized world', only parts of southern Portugal are worse )
I won't comment on the death toll, etc because I am not well informed enough - but I stick by my main point, which was:
To effectively use a complex piece of machinery you need training and practice. A computer is (IMHO) orders of magnitude more complex than driving a car, yet we for some reason expect novices to sit down at a UI and take to it like a duck to water.
With all due respect, to suggest that the general public can drive properly and safely, if that's what you mean by 'effectively' is pure self-delusion.
I think your statement should be "Without training..."
The NZ General Public can't drive cars. Neither can they drive a computer,How good the training needs to be to get a license - well I won't comment on that!
Cheers Brad
