IT Knowledge

<soap box mode>

Over the past few years, as computer technology has been invading it's way in to just about everybody's life, there has always been one thing that has never ceased to amaze me.

I cannot understand why it is still socially acceptable, in fact almost encouraged in some circles, for people to be proud of the fact that they are totally Technologically inept!

The has been a conversation on one of the Mensa lists I belong too, during which one lady was happy to declare that she did not know her own phone number and another (supposedly tech savvy) person did not know how a phone number should be formatted (trivial, but an indication of the lack of respect this kind of knowledge holds).  I ask you, what other area do you find people proudly declaring their ignorance?

I have noticed, in my interactions with friends etc, that not many kids (in my social circle) are doing any form of technical subject.  Those that are doing "Computers" seem to spend more time learning how to write a word document and make pretty pictures, than they do learning how to actually PROGRAM a computer.  I am glad to see that the government is finely waking up to this   http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/jan/10/computer-skills-ed-vaizey   the question is "Will the rest of us wake up, before we are left too far behind to catch up"?  

The Empire and the UK's good times, were built on manufacturing.  We have thrown that away and seem to be in the process of throwing the hi tech business.  This country has had some great inventors in the past.  Why are we not trying to train the inventors of the future?  Why are kids at school not being told that  programming is creative and "artistic".  Designing and building a "thing" and then making it work, thus solving an issue or achieving a goal, is incredibly satisfying (and "creative").

This is an episode from a podcast I listen too about this subject.  The guy starts by talking about a "Portable dog Killer" (don't panic, the name is more dramatic than the device) and then goes on to discuss the need to encourage innovation and development of new "stuff"  http://media.grc.com/SN/sn-281-lq.mp3   it is well worth a listen.

After WW2 we threw away an early lead in Computing.  Let's not let the rest of the world crush us in the stampede to the future, while we sit around twiddling our thumbs and drawing pretty pictures.

"There are three types of people in this world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wonder what the heck happened". Philosopher Dr Friedrick Nietzsche. 

</soap box mode>

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Cosma
www.papouis.net
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