Computer/IT illiteracy in the workplace

corminators · 28-01-2019 08:26PM

I changed career away from shared services because people couldn't use computers properly, solve basic problems or identify their own tasks. I would constantly have to fix their stuff but the company would want me to do my own job + extra stuff for myself and so my job was basically unsustainable because of other people's incompetence.

v638sg7k1a92bx · 28-01-2019 08:26PM

Sir Dosser wrote: »

My office is full of them. People who use applications day in day out and when asked the most basic of questions about them you get met with a blank stare.

A common enough one is "I'm missing my mapped drives".

Have you clicked the expand arrow beside "This PC"? Or clicked on it?

Person : "Ah there they are".

I know the look, they just stare back at you. They look like a female llama who has just been surprised while bathing.

Capt'n Midnight · 28-01-2019 08:27PM

Courtney Chubby Trigonometry wrote: »

Or those people who click and drag everything so that you end up with all these "Shortcut to ..." folders everywhere

oh no ,

Have you ever seen a word document called
"backup of backup of backup of backup of backup of backup of IMPORTANT DOCUMENT"

And for some strange reason Word keep loosing recent changes ...

worded · 28-01-2019 08:28PM

Javion Angry Swagger wrote: »

What's a computer?

Ah your getting all technical now ...

Teddy Daniels · 28-01-2019 08:30PM

PingTing comes for Fire wrote: »

That's the return key.

The Tetrarch wrote: »

Thanks. I have five PC keyboards. Four have Enter on that key, one is blank probably because all the keys are blank.

He’s got a mac.

v638sg7k1a92bx · 28-01-2019 08:31PM

FTA69 wrote: »

I haven’t blamed anybody, I said that particular circumstances in someone’s life can lead to people having less skills in some departments and there’s no point in gloating at people about it. What if someone couldn’t fix a car? Or plaster a wall? Or speak a second language? Or fit a floor? Would you then deem them lazy for not having learned these skills?

Or would you recognise the fact that people have different skillsets and that’s the way things are?

It's not a fair comparison. Not being able to use computer is like saying you don't know how to use a knife and fork because nobody showed you. They are both utensils that we use on a daily basis which require some training but intuitively most people should know how to use.

What next, nobody showed me how to wipe my arse?

FTA69 · 28-01-2019 08:45PM

Courtney Chubby Trigonometry wrote: »

It's not a fair comparison. Not being able to use computer is like saying you don't know how to use a knife and fork because nobody showed you. They are both utensils that we use on a daily basis which require some training but intuitively most people should know how to use.

What next, nobody showed me how to wipe my arse?

I'll tell you what's an unfair comparison, comparing wiping your hole to using Excel pivot tables, using Microsoft Publisher or the myriad of other complex tasks a computer is capable of doing. Doing these things requires training and practice, how is someone intuitively going to know how to do the above unless they're shown? Did you intuitively know how to drive a car? Could you intuitively fix an engine? Could you intuitively fit a kitchen? Sure it's just common sense isn't it?

As for using a computer on a daily basis, you might in your job but large swathes of the population - probably the majority - use it for nothing more than social media, the odd email or buying **** online. If you asked them to do anything else with it they'd be goosed. Do you think when I was driving a bulldozer for 60 hours a week I was glued to a PC doing tasks on it?

looksee · 28-01-2019 08:53PM

Courtney Chubby Trigonometry wrote: »

It's not a fair comparison. Not being able to use computer is like saying you don't know how to use a knife and fork because nobody showed you. They are both utensils that we use on a daily basis which require some training but intuitively most people should know how to use.

What next, nobody showed me how to wipe my arse?

I'd say its a fair bet that quite a lot of these smug people slagging off other people for not being able to use computers use knives and forks like shovels.

Maybe I will start a thread to mock people who couldn't recognise items of cutlery, who couldn't identify a soup spoon, who wouldn't be able to lay a formal table setting - they have been using cutlery since they were toddlers, of course they should know.

v638sg7k1a92bx · 28-01-2019 08:55PM

FTA69 wrote: »

I'll tell you what's an unfair comparison, comparing wiping your hole to using Excel pivot tables, using Microsoft Publisher or the myriad of other complex tasks a computer is capable of doing. Doing these things requires training and practice, how is someone intuitively going to know how to do the above unless they're shown? Did you intuitively know how to drive a car? Could you intuitively fix an engine? Could you intuitively fit a kitchen? Sure it's just common sense isn't it?

As for using a computer on a daily basis, you might in your job but large swathes of the population - probably the majority - use it for nothing more than social media, the odd email or buying **** online. If you asked them to do anything else with it they'd be goosed. Do you think when I was driving a bulldozer for 60 hours a week I was glued to a PC doing tasks on it?

Wiping your arse takes training and practice, and if was driving a bulldozer for 60 hours per week I would get the hang of it.

PingTing comes for Fire · 28-01-2019 08:57PM

I always found the limiting factor with older people is that they believe and expect things to be complex. Are too blinded by that expectation to see how simple and intuitive the user interface and steps are. Yes, the workings behind the hood are complex and involved. But your interaction with the application was specifically designed (or aught to have been) to be simple, non specialist and non technical.

Before teaching an older user any specific task first get them past the intimidation and confidently playing with the gui and feeling in control of it.

That doesn't apply of course when you move up to the level of macros or full on coding. A decent aptitude for basic numeracy and logic will come into play.

v638sg7k1a92bx · 28-01-2019 08:59PM

looksee wrote: »

I'd say its a fair bet that quite a lot of these smug people slagging off other people for not being able to use computers use knives and forks like shovels.

Maybe I will start a thread to mock people who couldn't recognise items of cutlery, who couldn't identify a soup spoon, who wouldn't be able to lay a formal table setting - they have been using cutlery since they were toddlers, of course they should know.

I'd love to see a thread on how to use a knife and fork, we probably get the same excuses that we get on here "nobody told me" what difference does it make" "I'm working class". All the while, they hold the knife and fork with their first complaining about why their PC is slow.

Ipso · 28-01-2019 09:01PM

Is it wrong to search for google on yahoo?

ImARebel · 28-01-2019 09:04PM

My dad is nearly 80 and he's a whizz on the PC, emails flights, buying stuff. Emails. Word. Excel. Not a bother to him. Maybe even a little Paddy Powers when my Mam isn't there, lol

Bought him an iPad a few years ago, it'll be buried with him as I think it's surgically attached to his arm

Age is only a number... !

He first used a computer back in the 70s when they were punch cards. And he's made sure he's kept abreast of it all since. He even takes time out to show the younger girls where he used to work, how to do the basics

He's a great man to still even have the energy to care about where he worked

FTA69 · 28-01-2019 09:05PM

Courtney Chubby Trigonometry wrote: »

Wiping your arse takes training and practice, and if was driving a bulldozer for 60 hours per week I would get the hang of it.

That’s the point mate, I was too busy driving a bulldozer and never using a computer for the vast majority of my working life so I didn’t pick it up.

Do you see what I’m getting at? You’re assuming that people “intuitively” know how to use computers and also use them every day; neither of which is the case for a huge amount of people.

padd b1975 · 28-01-2019 09:10PM

Something tells me reading this thread is like being at a "Boards Beers".

meeeeh · 28-01-2019 09:15PM

We had an employee who was spell checking whatever she wrote in Word using a dictionary (a book). I have no sympathy for IT people whinging in general but under certain level people just want to be be stupid so they don't need to do anything. When someone thinks switching on a computer is switching on monitor button and you have to deal every day with the same complaints that computer wouldn't work it's a bit frustrating.

jam_mac_jam · 28-01-2019 09:17PM

FTA69 wrote: »

Courtney Chubby Trigonometry wrote: »

Wiping your arse takes training and practice, and if was driving a bulldozer for 60 hours per week I would get the hang of it.

That’s the point mate, I was too busy driving a bulldozer and never using a computer for the vast majority of my working life so I didn’t pick it up.

Do you see what I’m getting at? You’re assuming that people “intuitively” know how to use computers and also use them every day; neither of which is the case for a huge amount of people.

Go and learn so. Nobody knows anything intuitively. They need to learn.

scamalert · 28-01-2019 09:24PM

ive bounced around few IT departments, its mind numbing experience, encountered quite few people that were left handed, im leftie myself but they would go out of the way to switch mouse buttons left with right

most epic was combo of that and and having mouse on the left wtf ??? was like working on inverted monitor experience :pac:

once had to sort out the printer - found 20c coin inside blocking the latch from grabbing paper.

putting up shortcuts on screen browser and not renaming them - just to find out clowns who get new laptops cant find citrix because its not named citrix with icon sitting in front of them.

then prob million times coming over to plug cable fully in that screen would turn on, and this all in government funded places of education :cool: .

Working with some people that never used internet or PC , ask whats your email, they dont have one, ok have you a phone yeah- opens up email :pac:

Its fair to say not everyone is pc savvy specially how fast tech moves but those that work on pcs - and cant install plugin or update, getting stuck hiding ribbon on MS applications should be really sent to do mandatory basic pc courses.

as 99% of times one could google issue and get exact answer in under a minute.

FTA69 · 28-01-2019 09:36PM

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

Go and learn so. Nobody knows anything intuitively. They need to learn.

Nah I'm sound thanks, I've enough coaching, training and night classes to be dealing with without exploring the fascinating depths of computer tasks. Fun as it is.

jam_mac_jam · 28-01-2019 09:48PM

FTA69 wrote: »

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

Go and learn so. Nobody knows anything intuitively. They need to learn.

Nah I'm sound thanks, I've enough coaching, training and night classes to be dealing with without exploring the fascinating depths of computer tasks. Fun as it is.

Well then don't moan about it so or call other people smug for having a basic skill.

FTA69 · 28-01-2019 10:05PM

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

Well then don't moan about it so or call other people smug for having a basic skill.

God this is tiring stuff. I never said someone was smug for knowing how to use a computer, I said I have a colleague who acts smug and gloats at some of us because we aren't great at computers, which is a stupid way to carry on considering he's sh*t at a load of stuff that I would find easy due to our different abilities, skillsets and personal histories.

Shame nobody on boards reads things anymore and would prefer instead to have a pop at others.

Giveaway · 28-01-2019 10:07PM

Have encountered great IT people, real experts, but a lot of IT workers i encounter at Helpdesks follow a script and cannot deviate from it because they have no underlying deep understanding of tech. eg Glazed eyes when mentioning Faraday cage

paulbok · 28-01-2019 10:09PM

People who have been using a PC in the office for 15+ years, and are able to use certain programs with ease and speed, but are still unable to do basic tasks such as copy files from one drive to another.
If they are capable of the former they are able to do the latter but just don't want to learn anything other than what they have to do.

DopeTech · 28-01-2019 10:40PM

paulbok wrote: »

People who have been using a PC in the office for 15+ years, and are able to use certain programs with ease and speed, but are still unable to do basic tasks such as copy files from one drive to another.
If they are capable of the former they are able to do the latter but just don't want to learn anything other than what they have to do.

There's one of two like that in our IT department!

SimonTemplar · 28-01-2019 11:12PM

There a guy in my office. Mid 50s. This scenario happens a few times a week:
- He copies some text
- He then copies a file and pastes it somewhere
- He then goes to some textbox and tries to paste the text he initially copied. Obviously at this stage, the file is in the clipboard so nothing happens when he tries to paste because you can't paste a file into a textbox..

Cue loads of complaining how the computer isn't working. I've tried explaining what is happening a few times but it isn't sinking in. Now the crux of the issue is that this guy works with me in IT and has the job title of Senior Technical Analyst!

Gimme A Pound · 29-01-2019 12:08AM

Ipso wrote: »

Is it wrong to search for google on yahoo?

Well yeah, breaking the internet couldn't be anything other than wrong! :eek:

Franz Von Peppercorn · 29-01-2019 12:15AM

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

Go and learn so. Nobody knows anything intuitively. They need to learn.

To be fair he has learned. What’s getting people’s goat about his post? The class issue?

Franz Von Peppercorn · 29-01-2019 12:17AM

SimonTemplar wrote: »

There a guy in my office. Mid 50s. This scenario happens a few times a week:
- He copies some text
- He then copies a file and pastes it somewhere
- He then goes to some textbox and tries to paste the text he initially copied. Obviously at this stage, the file is in the clipboard so nothing happens when he tries to paste because you can't paste a file into a textbox..

Cue loads of complaining how the computer isn't working. I've tried explaining what is happening a few times but it isn't sinking in. Now the crux of the issue is that this guy works with me in IT and has the job title of Senior Technical Analyst!

I think some Oses had multiple clipboards once.

The thing that’s confusing him is that he sees the file copy as a different type of action to the text copy, and maybe he’s right.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 29-01-2019 12:26AM

Gazzmonkey wrote: »

I have a 15 yr old lad at home who knows everything about how to use Android OS, Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp etc, even knows to use a VPN app to get around the firewall at school. But he nor his friends have a clue how use an actual computer or send an email or use any form of office or productivity software.

Tech savvy? I'm not convinced yet.

A 15 year old sending emails? Would you ever shtap!

Computers are not as essential as people make them out to be on here. They are an important part of many peoples lives, but you're not going to die if you don't know how to operate a PC. It helps in providing jobs too

looksee · 29-01-2019 12:41AM

PingTing comes for Fire wrote: »

I always found the limiting factor with older people is that they believe and expect things to be complex. Are too blinded by that expectation to see how simple and intuitive the user interface and steps are. Yes, the workings behind the hood are complex and involved. But your interaction with the application was specifically designed (or aught to have been) to be simple, non specialist and non technical.

Before teaching an older user any specific task first get them past the intimidation and confidently playing with the gui and feeling in control of it.

That doesn't apply of course when you move up to the level of macros or full on coding. A decent aptitude for basic numeracy and logic will come into play.

What a patronising load of crap. Have you any idea how many of us 'older users' are on Boards?

I met computers when I was just short of 50 and headed straight in to doing graphic design on Macs in college. (I had my own business for a number of years). I subsequently moved to PCs (which have a rubbish interface compared with Macs) and eventually ended up, just before I retired some years ago, teaching a couple of computer programs.

There were always people on the course (mostly young men between about 18 and 30) who saw an aul wan in a room-full of computers who thought it would be amusing to try and out tecky talk me. Ha! Amazing how many of these geniuses' computer experience was limited to surfing the net and playing games. True though, they did have to be introduced to a professional program gui gently, many found them quite intimidating.

Computer/IT illiteracy in the workplace

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