Get in and drive, that's all

As the world turns, new technology emerges and then becomes wrapped up in everyday life. We use these technologies so extensively they almost disappear in front of our eyes even though we see them every day. It is disconcerting however how little the users of these technologies actually know how to work them.

I have determined that the people who use home/personal computers know as much about them as they know about their automobiles. And to be honest, that ain't much. Think about what most of us actually use them for. What do we know? We know how to turn them on. We know how to grab the mouse and keyboard. We can navigate to the internet and click on links. We know how to use the software for writing letters and printing photographs. We use a little window (no pun intended) of the machine in front of us. That's about it for 90 percent of the populace.

Compare that to your automobile. You know how to get in and turn it on. We know how to shift and steer getting to lanes to travel we use every day. Sometimes we can even go to where we have never been before. It is a useful tool. When you consider both, that is where the knowledge of the majority of the public stops. About the only other thing the car's owner can do is put in gasoline. Many don't know where to check the oil. That's about the same as paying for your internet service.

Now, I am not an expert in either autos or computers being neither a mechanic nor a techie. Some maintenance and repair on both systems, because they are systems, require specialised tools and knowledge. That's what experts are for. I am still amazed on a daily basis how even the most rudimentary knowledge of computers is deemed too hard or unimportant by the average adult.

It's a sad state of affairs when your children and grandchildren have to go and buy your ink for you because you don't know even the name of your printer. If you're over seventy years old, you may disreguard this post. If you're not, it's time to get a little understanding of either, or both.