Computer Stupidities

[tw]

Originally Posted by Flint

I have one: A co-worker was having trouble locating a particular file on a shared drive for our department. They asked me, and I'm not making this up, if I could "put in the network drop for that file." Apparently, they had overheard me talking to the cabling contractors.

Most computer 'experts' don't even know how electricity works. They are computer 'experts' because they bought and plugged together some components. Most damning symptom of the naive is that they don't know WHY something works. Even worse, they deny they should know why. Fodder for Rush Limbaugh spin and WMD lies.

We demonstrated this maybe last year when so many did not even know the many functions inside a computer power supply. Price then becomes a deciding parameter.

It’s not just with computers. It is also why America so desperately needs immigrants as engineers.

Scientific American this month has an article about intelligence. Intelligence is not inherited. Intelligence is earned. It is earned every day by learning from experience AND from a grasp of underlying theory. Computer assembler knows he is an 'expert' and yet does not even know why or what those components do. They have almost no experience. They took no courses nor read the 'it’s too hard to read' books (or posts). Worst of all - they have no curiousity and deny it is necessary. Therefore they don't know - and somehow know they must be 'experts'.

Above describes the benchmark example: an MBA. They are experts because they have an MBA - reality be damned.

[Kitsune]

Originally Posted by tw

Even worse, they deny they should know why. Fodder for Rush Limbaugh spin and WMD lies.

Wow, I was looking forward to this thread for some funny stories up until this point.

[dar512]

Originally Posted by tw

Intelligence is not inherited. Intelligence is earned. It is earned every day by learning from experience AND from a grasp of underlying theory.

You've got your terms wrong, tw. Intelligence is defined as the ability to learn. That is inherited, generally. You're talking about knowledge and learning. That takes work.

[dar512]

Originally Posted by tw

Most computer 'experts' don't even know how electricity works. They are computer 'experts' because they bought and plugged together some components. Most damning symptom of the naive is that they don't know WHY something works. Even worse, they deny they should know why. Fodder for Rush Limbaugh spin and WMD lies.

Not every person who works on computer hardware needs to be a BSEE. Despite their limitations, those with "lesser knowledge" still manage to get a lot of useful work done.