Two months from illiterate to MP3 trading hax0rz.
August 27, 2001 1:17 AM Subscribe
Two months from illiterate to MP3 trading hax0rz. Very cool social experiment showing how easy today's GUIs are to use, especially for kids.
This post was deleted for the following reason: Poster's Request -- frimble
Mr Mitra found that within days the children were able to browse the internet, cut and paste copy, drag and drop items and create folders.
man, i know professionals who don't get these concepts.
posted by o2b at 6:10 AM on August 27, 2001
man, i know professionals who don't get these concepts.
posted by o2b at 6:10 AM on August 27, 2001
My co-worker that sits next to me: older lady. Nice. Friendly. I like her, except...double clicks links on her web browser.
Me: You know, you just have to click those one time.
Her: Oh, okay. (click, click)
Me: (grinding teeth) One click will do it. Just click once on the link you want to go to.
Her: Hmm. My computer isn't working right. I'm clicking once, but nothing is happening.
Me: (Rolling eyes) What link are you clicking on?
Her: This Microsoft Word link on my desktop.
Am I a jerk for letting this bother me?
posted by ColdChef at 6:23 AM on August 27, 2001
Me: You know, you just have to click those one time.
Her: Oh, okay. (click, click)
Me: (grinding teeth) One click will do it. Just click once on the link you want to go to.
Her: Hmm. My computer isn't working right. I'm clicking once, but nothing is happening.
Me: (Rolling eyes) What link are you clicking on?
Her: This Microsoft Word link on my desktop.
Am I a jerk for letting this bother me?
posted by ColdChef at 6:23 AM on August 27, 2001
Am I a jerk for letting this bother me?
I'm not sure why you would expect something that counterintuitive to make sense to a neophyte.
You can set it up so Windows opens folders and programs with a single-click, by the way. In Windows 2000 (and probably Windows 98 or Me), open the Control Panel, choose Mouse, then choose Single click to open an item.
posted by rcade at 6:31 AM on August 27, 2001
I'm not sure why you would expect something that counterintuitive to make sense to a neophyte.
You can set it up so Windows opens folders and programs with a single-click, by the way. In Windows 2000 (and probably Windows 98 or Me), open the Control Panel, choose Mouse, then choose Single click to open an item.
posted by rcade at 6:31 AM on August 27, 2001
Whoa, whoa... *Monkeys* can play *video games*?!??
Sweet!
Oh, and ColdChef? Don't let it get to you. Maybe you could change her settings so that everything *is* a link? (Win98 and up, no?)
posted by whatnotever at 6:33 AM on August 27, 2001
Sweet!
Oh, and ColdChef? Don't let it get to you. Maybe you could change her settings so that everything *is* a link? (Win98 and up, no?)
posted by whatnotever at 6:33 AM on August 27, 2001
No wonder India is full of some of the best programmers, and IT professionals.
posted by yevge at 7:10 AM on August 27, 2001
posted by yevge at 7:10 AM on August 27, 2001
I should have been clearer: my coworker is using a mac. A mac, people. It couldn't be MORE user friendly. Maybe I'm giving her too hard a time. At least she's stopped asking me on a daily basis how to change her desktop.
posted by ColdChef at 7:46 AM on August 27, 2001
posted by ColdChef at 7:46 AM on August 27, 2001
Learning to use the internet.
Illiterate Indian Street Children: 8 minutes
My Mother: Three years and counting
posted by Hildago at 11:42 AM on August 27, 2001
Illiterate Indian Street Children: 8 minutes
My Mother: Three years and counting
posted by Hildago at 11:42 AM on August 27, 2001
For anyone who's ever worked a help desk
Read and laugh - I thank G-d every day I'm not on a help desk anymore.
posted by soynuts at 8:50 PM on August 27, 2001
Read and laugh - I thank G-d every day I'm not on a help desk anymore.
posted by soynuts at 8:50 PM on August 27, 2001
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What really surprise me is that we still need to study usability issues for freaky over-30 (like I am...) who have troubles in performing a simple double-click action.
posted by fabrizio at 4:04 AM on August 27, 2001