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Who should own computers?


arthur
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who should own computers?  

35 members have voted

  1. 1. who should own computers?

    • 1)experienced/good users
      2
    • 2)including average users
      5
    • 3)everybody
      28


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well, this question is just a try to get a discussion started. Someone mentioned in "should roots' hands' be tied?" that people who can't maintain a computer shouldn't own one.

 

I've been thinking about this...

 

Are computers weapons?

 

Computers could cause lots of destruction - you could argue that even civilian planes can do so too, but pilots' licenses and everything regulate them...drivers need licenses to drive, and farmers need licenses to use ammonium nitrate. (computers as in PCs, don't count microcontrollers)

 

Computers in the hands of ignorant users are dangerous. Discuss. :)

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I say everybody:

 

My top 10 for why!

 

1.) Can't tell A can and B can't :P

2.) Many of the "IT Professionals" would be out of a job :lol2:

3.) Crackers would get bored

4.) Security Experts would be out of a job

5.) Virus Software companys would have nothing good to do

6.) All the reviews of JoeNoob installing distro x,y and z wouldn't be so fun to pick on.

7.) echo /dev/null >> /looking/for/filler

8.) Would have been hard to get started in computers, if nobody could get one.

9.) Some days I have nothing better to do than fix my family and friends computer problems.

 

:drum:

 

:help:

 

:jester:

 

:lol:

 

10.) Windows would have never existed

 

 

B)

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I am all about choice and freedom but I sometimes think it should require a licience to operate a computer just like with a car. At the very least a one session class. This may sound harsh but the reason I say that is some people get on their computer (Windows of course) with inadequate or no virus protection and then act as a virus server. I was only online for about 5 minutes in Windows updating my virus definitions after my DSL got installed and I get hit with a virus which I still haven't been able to completely remove.

 

So in closing I think everyone should be allowed to use a computer but they should be required to take a class to learn about responsible use.

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I had to pick the last option, because, as cybrjackle states, without those people, I wouldn't have any work.

 

Heather: pm me and I'll be happy to try and help with your pesky problem.

Edited by Steve Scrimpshire
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I am all about choice and freedom but I sometimes think it should require a licience to operate a computer just like with a car. At the very least a one session class. This may sound harsh but the reason I say that is some people get on their computer (Windows of course) with inadequate or no virus protection and then act as a virus server. I was only online for about 5 minutes in Windows updating my virus definitions after my DSL got installed and I get hit with a virus which I still haven't been able to completely remove.

 

So in closing I think everyone should be allowed to use a computer but they should be required to take a  class to learn about responsible use.

Are you perchance in Madison?Just I have a friend who lectures there!

 

I agree with steve, cripes we all need work...

 

seriously though a Tivo is a computer, a PDA is a computer a <insert choice> is a computer ...an XBOX is even a PC... where would anyone draw the line.

 

Courses are a good idea and hopefullt todays generation will grow up more computer literate but how many people can fix their car if it breaks down. Thats not to say testing someone can change a wheel or charge a battery isn't a good idea on a driving test, especially for women (since it would leave them less vulnerable in case they are stuck at the side of the road)

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who should be allowed to read a book? only experienced readers?  including average readers? everybody?

 

c'mon... stop this nonsense :D

Really good question.

I had a friend who works for a childrens publishing house in NY who mentioned doing a book based on the film of Lord of The Rings...

I was horrified but she said it was to make it more accessible to kids....

 

I answered Tolkein had written the book and was fully aware of the audience and wrote it accordingly. He wrote it he chooses the audience.

Tolkein the wrote a book specifically for kids ... obviously if he meant Lord of The Rings to be read by 5 yr olds he would have simplifed it.and made the story less scary! .. but he didn't .. his book, his choice.

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Are you perchance in Madison?Just I have a friend who lectures there! 

Actually I'm in Green Bay just a few hours north of Madison. And you make a very good point about TiVo's, PDA's, XBOX's etc I hadn't thought about that. So perhaps my idea is a bit harsh and anyway who wants to be forced to go to school to do something they thought would be fun.

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I am a person who believes in liberty, pure and simple. Do ignorant users create computer issues for me? Why, yes they do! But I do not advocate reducing their liberties for my sake. I would instead market my services in repair, tech, and education. (Which is exactly what I do!)

Criminals are intelligent. They will find a way to express their sociopathic tendencies regardless of the limitation of liberty on the masses. Criminals will always find a cause, an excuse, a reason for thier immoral behaviour. Freedom is a higher order than computing issues. B)

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haha...good replies. I actually voted for 3 myself. :P Now just imagine if we did this poll in a different forum, or... surely there are places where they think freedom is not so important.

 

Arctic, the fact that many have tried to stop people reading books is proof that those people do exist. It's a recurring problem everywhere and as said by Benjamin Franklin. Those who trade liberty for security will get neither.

 

Although of course, teaching kids basic secure behaviour in computers in school won't hurt...like stop raising them on M$

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I say everybody BUT different people should have different setups. That's where choice comes in.

 

Experienced users could have MacOS/Linux/Windows like we have today.

But the most clue-less people should have a setup where everything (fax, email, games, web, office) is controled by something no more complicated than a remote control, except where text input is needed (mail, letter...).

I remember, a couple of years ago, something like this was created, based on the Gecko engine (Mozilla).

 

Yves.

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im being a bitch with this but i voted experienced.

 

what do i mean by experienced? someone who has had minimal training or instruction on how to use one.

 

heck,

 

i define a good user as:

in the windows world:

knows how to do basic system things, turn on, save, troubleshoot very simple things. know enough to have virus scanner, firewall and spyware installed and to use them.

 

It wouldnt take a lot to teach someone this.

 

In the linux world:

someone who can comfortably install software with urpmi, change settings and maintain a system via mandrake control center. again basic troubleshooting.

 

Thats my horrible, controversial view, slightly evil view. But its true.

 

When my whole year level got laptops last year, i'd say many of my friends would fail the good windows user description. Now? through a) loss of data b) poor system performance c) a generally messed up system, most of my friends around me have learnt how to use ad-aware or spybot, run virus once in a while, and to take it to the computer department to reformat when things go haywire -- which is a lot less now.

 

Would be nice if the school had given everyone two or three classes on basic spyware, virus and system maintinence and how to use it for simple things.... it would have saved the school tech department *hours* if not weeks worth of time clean installing laptop after laptop.

 

harsh -- maybe, but all it would take is a short manual with the system or a short wizard upon first boot to 'qualify' them in my view.... it would help if vendors preinstalled ad-aware etc but maybe im pushing it there..... you dont let a person use a power saw, drive a car, operate machinery, etc without some small level of instruction.

i could drive a car the first time I got in one, it wasnt hard -- but i couldnt drive it well, i'm learning now, how to drive it better, then i get my full license and i can go drive wherever i want, commit gta, do whatever.

you dont pass someone a power saw and tell em to cut the wood over there without them ever having seen or used one before -- they're probly gonna hurt themselves.

 

it would in turn create a substantially better computing environment for all involved. i know my view is harsh, but it wouldnt take much to put a user up to the level they need to be at in my opinion.

 

iphitus

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Everybody should be allowed to use a computer.

 

The computers people use really need to be made much more secure by default, to avoid the problems with malware that not only plague novice users, but also indirectly make the rest of our lives a misery.

 

In my experience, Linux seems to be a lot less susceptible to this than Windows, although I still think that there is progress required on other fronts before I would give a Linux box to my Dad. Luckily, that progress is happening and happening fast. This time next year, who knows? I might advice my father-in-law to get a Linux laptop instead of a Windows one.

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