Jerry J. Haumberger wrote:
>
> A good understanding of a computer's hardware and how it is manipulated by
> the commands of its operating system enables the user to practice good
Do you really need to learn how the VCR is working from the inside
before using it?
Talking about VCRs, I think this can be a good example. Do notice
how many people never learn how to program their VCR and just use
the default factory settings, and basic commands (rewind, forword,
play, stop, rec, eject and on/off.). The reason why most of them
do not try to learn how to program it, and the reason why companies
are making (silly and stuped) attempts to make the programming easier
and friendlier, is exactly the same reason why these people prefer
simple GUI against learning CLI.
BTW, I would call Windows 95 anything but a "simple GUI".. :)
>
> The "typical John Doe" is going to have to go to school and be expected to
> do all of his homework like everyone else. Some will do better, some will
> do worse. Computer skills will eventually be a common subject in school,
> like reading and math.
Oh, it is allready, in my country. Although the highest computer
skills required here are turning the computer On, finding your way
in the Start menu to run Word 97, (which is where the "expert"
thingy begin as the student must fight with that cryptic Office
interface), print&save it, and shut-down the computer.
In some cases they are required to make presentations (only in
MS-PowerPoint from Office 97) to bring to class.
The greatest experts are those who even know (gasp!) how to change
the wallpaper in Windows 95.
> The challenge, then, is not making it "easier", but
> making it a highly interesting and exciting subject that will reward the
> student over and over with a sense of accomplishment and self confidence.
There used to be classes which toughted the following classes:
Logo, Pascal, and then Assembler. also included was the "internal
functions of the PC".
However, these classes have been updated last year to:
"Using the internet (with Communicator)",
and "working with the computer (basic Windows 95 file managment,
Word 97, Excell, PowerPoint, and Paintbrush.)". Some even learned
HTML and some JavaScript, but thats for the advanced students.
The reason for this change is that "in the old curses, the student
learned too many things that are irrelevent to the everyday use
of computers. We must preper these children to the future!".
And that came from the ministry of education.
> Can you suggest a computer OS that is both popular and "correct"?
Never heard of it.
And I was talking about SurvPCs, not an OS. I was talking about the
viewpoint that the "old" computers can do in everyday life just like
the super-speed computers in most cases. ("most" does not include
high 3D rendering and complex graphics games, but you should understand
what I was talking about.)
There's noting bad about today's shiny ultra-fast computers, but
there's nothing bad about the "old" computers either. THATS what I
was talking about.
Problem is, there are not plany of good GUIs for DOS, which can
run on SurvPCs, and talking and developing GUIs for such platforms
can only help, as the "simple" interface is one of the last barriers
that keep away the "john doe"s. Like it or not, they want it.
You keep persisting over the point that we must "show them", if I
understood correctly. Ok. Try to get a newbie to use the CLI and
see for yourself how "easy" it is.
And I do not believe that these GUIs will replace the CLI in anytime,
if thats what you think. As long as the "experts" are those who make
computers OSs and programs, CLI is here to stay.
Or Botton
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