Where Have All the Techies Gone?

I'm not quite sure how this happened but it seems the dumbed-down computer tech of our everyday life is not easy enough; the public is baffled and apparently needs even more simplification.

For example, the Surface RT needs a name change because supposedly the "RT" moniker confuses the public and we cannot seem to differentiate the RT from the Surface Pro. Nobody understands they have different chips and different capabilities. According to Microsoft, it's just too confusing.

So now Microsoft is going to rename the RT the Surface 2 and the x86 machine will become the Surface Pro 2, because this change is as clear as mud.

In fact, there is nothing confusing if you actually look at the label. You will find that one set of computers runs an ARM chip and the other, more expensive machine runs x86. Now if you know anything about how computers work, you'll know these chips require specific software. This simple fact seems lost on today's public.

In my opinion, 10 years ago people knew more about computers than they do today. iPhones and iPads, which simplify everything, are part of the problem. The other part is the lack of public education. Where are the basics of computers being taught?

Despite the fact that personal computers have been around for close to 40 years, there are still people who do not understand what RAM memory is and why it's important. This is like owning a car and not knowing what the engine is.

The computer scene has deteriorated for many reasons. Now products actually do have to be brain-dead easy to use or people get confused. And if there is some sort of foul up, you have to know someone who can answer questions because few people can do a basic Google search to find the answer.

When people ask me a question that could easily be answered with a quick Google search, I like to send them to lmgtfy.com. I type their question into the look-a-like Google search bar and then send them the generated link, which shows a how simple it would have been to Google the question themselves. They get the point and generally do not pester me again with inane queries.

Users groups used to do much of the knowledge building, especially through special interest groups. They had special speakers and a lot of discussions regarding the operation of many software packages. Hands-on sessions at trade shows were also useful but now are only held by the likes of Adobe because nobody else seems to care.

Computer books help to learn certain things about necessary software, but there are so many redundant titles nobody can figure out which one to read. Not to mention, many of them are crap and unbiased reviews are few and far between. And the reviews on Amazon are often rigged by public relations firms.

The state of computer literacy is hopeless and I see no signs that the public will become better educated. It's too bad.