Today I saw a man working at a computer for the very first time.

[undeterred]

I was at the jobs center using one of their computers to print. An older man came in and the assistant showed him the jobs website where he needed to create an account. Then she spent about a few minutes explaining how the mouse and the keyboard worked. I saw him search the keyboard for every single letter in his name, one at a time.

He wasn't illiterate, just computer illiterate. But its really hard to look for a job nowadays if you don't know how to use a computer- even if you are looking for a job that doesn't require computer use.

I wonder how many people there are who have never used a computer and don't know where to begin. And if you don't have access to one at home the thought of buying one is probably overwhelming.

[tanyev]

1. Our librarians are constantly helping people get started on a computer.

We teach lots of classes throughout the year and they're always well-attended.

[sweetloukillbot]

7. I work tech support and it can be frustrating helping someone who is computer illiterate...

And there is a whole industry of malware dedicated to taking advantage of computer illiteracy. But the joy I've gotten from some of my customers when they're able to get their e-mail working is worth the frustration. I'd love to do some work with teaching computer literacy - my father did work at our church with the homeless - teaching them how to use MS Office and the Internet - and I know several personally who were able to get a job and transition off the streets, simply by being able to type a Word document or enter in an Excel spreadsheet.

[tanyev]

14. I worked once with a female inmate who was very bright but had never touched a computer

and didn't realize she could do office work. After several months of learning the basics she had so much more confidence. After she got out she got a job at a small business and ended up being in charge of the warehouse. The local newspaper did a story on her after she got her pardon. I felt good about that one.

[Cha]

18. That was my first thought that Libraries are

invaluble for those who don't have a 'puter or know how to use one.

I use my Library for a Printer..don't need one that often but when I do it's 2 blocks away. I'm so grateful for it!

[sibelian]

2. It sounds really sad.

There are always some left behind in any great tech shift.

[monmouth]

3. A nice job for someone would be to assist people like this. Let him sit next to the operator and

give them the information. So easy, so quick..

[freshwest]

15. I can remember my first time on the 'net' as we now know ti in late 2000.

I was at a rural library and some of the kids helped me out as they had more time than the staff and I couldn't afford a computer. I was so nervous, because of the kind of work I'd done before I was thinking I'd break something.

Not that I'd never worked with computers before, but I started on them with various systems with octal, binary, etc. then using Basic and DOS. Life took me on other adventures that did not provide me much chance to keep on top of the latest technology.

I did have some time working AutoCad and using computers at the university for a while before life pulled me away for another long spell. Stay away for a year or two and it's all changed.

When I started with Windows in the later nineties, It was unnerving for me. Before, every stroke meant something critical and I was amazed that I could go back and forth and not get the blue screen of death.

I've been around the net continually with some computer outages since then and mostly learned by tuition, nothing formal. I think that courses for people who are unable to access community college adult learning classes or public libraries to learn would be great. Especially for those who are in the job force and are disadvantages.

At times though, it's hard to explain what comes naturally to the kids who have worked on computers all though school. To put it in terms that those without the same experience can make use. We have new users here and it's great to keep spreading what we know and learning new things.

[dkf]

4. I couldn't teach my dad to use a laptop...

But I got him an iPad added a few apps and before long he was reading tweets. Even Toddlers can figure out how to use an iPad before they can walk.

Thank you Steve Jobs.

[treestar]

13. My niece at 2 could be entertained with her mom's iPhone

She could turn it on, find you tube and pick a video.

Now she looks at photos on mine, swiping the screen to move from one photo to the next. She is now 3.

[undeterred]

5. You can't walk in to most companies and ask for "Personnel"

any more. The receptionist will tell you to apply online. And I'm afraid that makes some people just walk away. I recently worked in a manufacturing plant and there were a number of workers who did not have a computer at home, even if they knew the basics of how to use one at work.

[Raine]

10. Yup, most places won't snail mail you applications even for things like loans

they insist on emailing you printing it, filling it out and then you fax it back to them. I had a heck of a time because my printers wasn't working and had to go to Fed Ex so I could print applications out.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

6. Make no mistake, the right doesn't care

We recently had a debate in my town about funding a local library. THANKFULLY it passed by a good margin, but there were a few who wrote LTTE to poo poo the importance of libraries. These people, no surprise, support tea bagger candidates locally, statewide, and nationally. The argument is that books are going the way of the dodo....I I I don't need them, so I I I shouldn't have to fund them. Well of course, computers, and using them to apply for jobs as well as developing other skills are a huge part of libraries and the services they provide. THEY THEY THEY have a computer, and can afford those things, so FUCK EVERYONE ELSE. You are so right that this stuff can be overwhelming. I know I don't have the patience to teach my parents to do things on the net. But we are moving to a day and age where people are so selfish about these simple things....

Gets tiring fighting these people....

[randome]

8. If you're not a good typist, you are functionally illiterate today.

[slampoet]

9. When i see this I wonder what the person has been doing since 1985.

These are the real Rip Van Winkles.

and unfortunately all i can remember these people doing in 1985 was putting down my generation.

[NickB79]

11. My MIL was pissed that her computer didn't have "The Google"

When she bought it new. We'd tell her to pull up Google to search for something, and she'd yell back "My computer doesn't have that!"

[Liberal_in_LA]

12. I've been involved with organizations that teach adults how to use computers

Most of have been using a Mouse for so long with think it's intuitive. It's not - we would give instructions "watch the arrow on the screen, move the mouse, watch how the arrow moves..." - it takes work to get that coordination down.

[undeterred]

16. I remember going through a tutorial on the mouse

when I got my first computer... and I remember when someone at work showed me how to get into Windows 3.1 by typing WIN... and I remember when I learned what CTRL-ALT-DEL did. Its not intuitive until after you know it.

[Liberal_in_LA]

19. yep. Knowing CTRL-ALT-DEL is important.

[gblady]

20. Using the mouse is very hard for some elders.....

I teach basic computer skills through my library system, and using the mouse can be so challenging for some people.
We had them practice with a Mouse Aerobics website... http://www.skyways.org/central/mouse/page1.html
It really seemed to help some of them.

[CK_John]

17. A good exercise for someone who is new to computers is what I call a tutorials

game. Get them to google and have them put any word that pops into their mind and put it before the word tutorial.

Example "politics tutorial" in google search box.

https://www.google.com/search?q=politics+tutorial&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US fficial&client=firefox-a