Kids today....

Cormic · 02-10-2008 02:42PM

Jumpy wrote: »

This post smacks to me of "Urban Legend", no IT guy could be that dumb.

Jesus, I hope they couldnt be anyway.

Yeah - everyone knows that Virtual Memory Chips are built onto the Motherboard now.

Ponster · 02-10-2008 02:55PM

Jumpy wrote: »

This post smacks to me of "Urban Legend", no IT guy could be that dumb.

Alas yes. Had it not been so early I would have stood my ground but It was pre-coffee time and our Helpdesk is in Egypt and wasn't in the mood to speak International English that early.

So....

I've been able to suggest 'cars', 'crystal radio sets' and 'PCs' as examples of a trend or new tech that was discovered by the youth of the day. Is there anything that the current generation have that some people purchase to use while others purchase to use but also need to understand? Electronics getting smaller means that there's no point in opening an ipod to "see what's inside". Will future generations lose that spark of curiosity as technology is spoon-fed to them?

Silenceisbliss · 02-10-2008 03:11PM

Cormic wrote: »

Yeah - everyone knows that Virtual Memory Chips are built onto the Motherboard now.

....fail.

virtual memory chip...no such thing....

virtual memory.... space on your HDD that acts as ram.

again....you are a fail

HOW COULD YOU NOT KNOW THAT! OMFG!

Cookie_Monster · 02-10-2008 03:19PM

Ponster wrote: »

Here in France I'm involved in a youth club-thingy helping to keep kids off the streets, away from drugs, etc... and last week I sat down with them to put together a new computer from new parts due to cash donations and spare-parts donated from other leaders. I had a whole pile of old power supplies, motherboards and memory cards and after sorting them into piles, started building systems, matching up memory to motherboards (using the 'net), putting the SATA drives on the correct boards, making sure that power supplies were powerful enough and each computer had fans installed. After each one I ran memory tests, checked for systems that were running too hot and installed some free operating systems. In the end we found ourselves with 5 'new' computers.

The thing was, the kids there, from 12-22 years of age, were amazed. They thought that either I had gone to college to learn how to build these things or it was my job. Now these aren't poor kids. Most already had a computer at home and most of them were a lot more powerful that what we built together. It wasn't as though they had never seen one before but for most it was their first time seeing the inside of one.

I'm 34 years old and got my first computer in 1982. A band-spanking new Sinclair ZX81 with a whole 1KB of memory (doesn't seem like a lot but it was twice that of the memory of my uncle's computer, the ZX80).

In the coming years I believe that I 'mastered' it; figuring out what coding was and and what it did I soon needed a bigger buzz and got it when I received my Commodore C16. Again it took a couple of years before I was able to code not only in basic but in assembly language, self-taught via computer magazines and rainy weekends. This time though I learned how to take the thing apart and put it back together again. When a chip blew I was able to order a new one from the UK and replace it without blowing up anything else. I grew up taking computers and computer programs apart and seeing what they were made of.

So what I'd like to know if these kids are typical of the current generation?

Does the basic 16-year old get a new computer, play their games and download their warez until they need a newer and better computer without understanding how it works? Without knowing what to do/change when it breaks down?

Part of me thinks that this is normal. A new technology comes along and the lucky current youth generation grow up questioning it and discovering how it works. Before radios went digital my dad could take them apart no problem and change a blown capacitor but it was magic to me. I guess that the first car owners were much better mechanics than today's drivers.

Posted in AH for a more 'general' answer.

What happened to the little elf inside that magics up the image on the screen? How'd you stop them escaping when pulling the pc apart?

Silenceisbliss · 02-10-2008 03:25PM

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

What happened to the little elf inside that magics up the image on the screen? How'd you stop them escaping when pulling the pc apart?

jsut make sure the files dont fall out when you move the computer before opening it!

A Primal Nut · 02-10-2008 03:31PM

Lol @ the virtual memory thing...sure he didn't mean allocate more space to virtual memory/free up space on hard disk/buy a bigger hard drive?

I don't think this is necessarily a problem with kids today. When I was growing up (1990s) my Dad could never understand why I wasn't fascinated by electricity and cars, but i didn't know where to start. Anything I learned in Science class made no sense to me at the time. I was vaguely interested but didn't want to put the effort into find out and when my dad tried to explain it I was usually baffled. I think he assumed I had more basic knowledge than I actually did. I really didn't have a clue.

Then we got our first computer (I was about 12) and for whatever reason I started exploring a lot more and fixing things. I think the great thing about editing settings on software there is always an undo function..very hard to break anything...I began to understand the inner workings of a computer whereas my dad was now a bit out of his depth...understood a bit about the hardware but nothing about the software. Family computers were a new technology and it was necessary to learn how they worked to maximise performance, as I was the one trying to play games.

I then did Electrical/Electronic Engineering...was looking forward to finally understanding how all the hardware worked...didn't learn anything useful till maybe fourth year. I'd imagine its the same with Computer Science so can't blame the students really. So I began to read about it myself mostly on HowStuffWorks. This is the only way I actually found out about all this stuff.

I guess when you are around as a new technology is started its easier to get familiar with how it all works but once its reached its prime the new generation don't care anymore...but when something new comes along (such as the IPhone) they can instantly figure out how to use it, whereas my dad would take ages, even though he has more of an idea how the thing works inside.

There is no education of how cars or computer works in primary or secondary school so how can you blame these kids for not knowing how it works? No unqualified person could look at an electronic circuit and know what all the components do. For that reason I think the OP is being a bit harsh on people who don't understand how a computer works. This stuff is never thought in school. I have no doubt students would be interested in this stuff and more would do engineering and science, if this stuff was thought this way, without maths or complicated physics, such as how things are explained on HowStuffWorks. It would make Science a lot more interesting for secondary school students than trying to learn every element in the periodic table. Taking things apart isn't always an option when it comes to expensive laptops and cars.

I've never built a PC, I'd imagine its fairly straightforward, what would impress me is if someone built a microprocessor chip. It still baffles me how they put that many transistors on such small an area and make it all work.

Overheal · 02-10-2008 03:32PM

The big reason kids dont know **** about computers is they dont need to. They have no respect for the machines because technically, its their parents's machine. Or, that, plus theyve always had computers at their disposal from day one, so it was never anything new or fascinating to them. When it breaks down, you bother your parents until they buy a new one. so long as you can keep one machine alive for 2 years, you're sorted.

I mean as an infant there was a Win 3.1 machine, and I could navigate DOS so I could get to the games but it was still a total mystery to me. I always like computers because I never got in front of one as much as I would have like but it wasn't until I spent my own money to buy my own computer that I learned everything that was involved. Still cant fully grasp assembly though.

The best places to start though are the hobbies: lego, RC cars (very customizable really), Bicycles require a fair bit of know-how. but more importantly, it has to be theirs, and they have to want it.

Nevyn · 02-10-2008 03:34PM

Silenceisbliss wrote: »

yeah your right actually!

back in my day (oh god...) we had random lego blocks of random different colours lieing around our floors waiting to be stood on in the middle of the night.

we used our imaginations and made multi coloured monstrosoties!

Mine still do that, the aqua lego and starwars lego just ended up mixed in with the standard lego.

Ponster · 02-10-2008 03:50PM

A Primal Nut wrote: »

There is no education of how cars or computer works in primary or secondary school so how can you blame these kids for not knowing how it works? No unqualified person could look at an electronic circuit and know what all the components do. For that reason I think the OP is being a bit harsh on people who don't understand how a computer works.

I met a guy last year, about my age, aand he was earning $$$ repairing peoples computers. He said that there was too much work for everyone and he could afford to work a 4-day week quite easily. He was either cleaning out PCs infected with malware/spyware and installing a suite of free software to keep the machines clean (~80% of clients) or upgrading/repairing hardware (20%). I had always presumed that he would only get business from people who were above a certain age (lets say 55) and missed the PC boat in the 1980's. People who had never understood that there was almost always an 'undo' button. That turning a machine off and on again was 'ok'

But he told me that a lot of the time it's families with kids who IMHO should be able to fix their family computer themselves. The guy believed that a generation of kids grew up with game consoles and were less likely to take a screwdriver to a PC to see what was inside. I can understand that some kids just aren't interested. When I was growing up computers were new and shiny so there was an interest in them that may not be there now. When I think that *my* kids will grow up thinking that the Internet has always been with us and information is only a Google away it shocks me. It just seems too easy

If the kids of today aren't able to take apart and rebuild a computer as I learned to do 20 years ago than that's fine with me. Does it mean that people take electronic goods more for granted than 20 years ago Id have to say "yes". It's maybe not a bad thing and maybe computers will end up the same way radios have done, to the extent that they no longer become 'self-buildable' as such and every pc is a "blackbox".

Epic Tissue · 02-10-2008 04:07PM

Today's lego looks alright

Overheal · 02-10-2008 04:12PM

go to http://gizmodo.com and put lego into their search engine: they're privately obsessed with the little plastic things and have gotten their fair shair of exclusives at the lego factory.

Epic: I can beat that - http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/poseidon.s-lego-set/lego-aircraft-carrier-has-small-gravitational-pull-279074.php

_feedback_ · 02-10-2008 04:27PM

Don't know the first thing about computers (insides)

I did however install a CDR drive on one years ago, and when it worked I felt like an absolute genius.

A Primal Nut · 02-10-2008 04:34PM

Ponster wrote: »

I met a guy last year, about my age, aand he was earning $$$ repairing peoples computers. He said that there was too much work for everyone and he could afford to work a 4-day week quite easily. He was either cleaning out PCs infected with malware/spyware and installing a suite of free software to keep the machines clean (~80% of clients) or upgrading/repairing hardware (20%). I had always presumed that he would only get business from people who were above a certain age (lets say 55) and missed the PC boat in the 1980's. People who had never understood that there was almost always an 'undo' button. That turning a machine off and on again was 'ok'

But he told me that a lot of the time it's families with kids who IMHO should be able to fix their family computer themselves. The guy believed that a generation of kids grew up with game consoles and were less likely to take a screwdriver to a PC to see what was inside. I can understand that some kids just aren't interested. When I was growing up computers were new and shiny so there was an interest in them that may not be there now. When I think that *my* kids will grow up thinking that the Internet has always been with us and information is only a Google away it shocks me. It just seems too easy

If the kids of today aren't able to take apart and rebuild a computer as I learned to do 20 years ago than that's fine with me. Does it mean that people take electronic goods more for granted than 20 years ago Id have to say "yes". It's maybe not a bad thing and maybe computers will end up the same way radios have done, to the extent that they no longer become 'self-buildable' as such and every pc is a "blackbox".

I agree. Its weird to think the next generation will grow up taking google, wikipedia and youtube for granted.

But maybe something else will come along for them which they will take a curiosity in. Whose gradual introduction will allow them to understand it over time.

I'm sure there were things which you took for granted when you were growing up; you mentioned radios; perhaps cars, generation/transmission of electricity, building a house, etc. Whereas my father's generation was a lot more fascinated, most of those know how to fix many common problems with a car.

ScumLord · 02-10-2008 04:41PM

I grew up with computers so I got to take them apart when I was young (then got beat for taking the computer apart) I feel like I'm getting old though, I used to love them now I hate them their the bain of my life and it seems their only put here on earth to make my life more difficult. All the computers I've put together lately don't work properly or have some bizare quirk (all technology is getting like that around me, I have to beat my tele before it'll work).

I remember it used to be easier back in the day. Everything just worked and you didn't have a computer that gave out or second guessed every little thing you did.

It is weird to see my nephew grow up with all the things that where new to me growing up and how esaly he picks it all up. He'll never know tape or floppy disk.

delly · 02-10-2008 04:42PM

From my mother's first wang 386 to todays PC's, I have always messed about with them. As well as working in IT, I am also the family's goto guy when it comes to PC problems to the point where I have a ghost image of most of my families computers, ready to restore.

Regarding LEGO, I loved the stuff and had many countless hours building new and crazy buildings. When my nipper is old enough, I'm gonna make sure its on her toylist as I think it really makes a difference in development.

ScumLord · 02-10-2008 04:56PM

Epic Tissue wrote: »

Today's lego looks alright

That's cool.

I used to get a technic set every Christmas. I keep eyeing them up everytime I'm in a toyshop may break down and get one some time they look like there ten times better than when I was young they where just starting to experiment with electrics. The last one I had was either a crane or a plotting device.

thelordofcheese · 02-10-2008 05:19PM

delly wrote: »

From my mother's first wang

Yore Ma is Yore Da?

Conor108 · 02-10-2008 06:11PM

Hmm Im 16 (almost 17) and could build one if needed. Was living in a foreign country when we got our first PC, I was 9 so I used it alot and learnt all kinds of stuff over the years:D

delly · 02-10-2008 11:19PM

thelordofcheese wrote: »

Yore Ma is Yore Da?

So that explains what the song goldie looking chain wrote for me was about.

Kids today....

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