It's Time for Universal Computer Education

01.14.08

Dvorak

by John C. Dvorak

There's a huge knowledge gap in this country when it comes to computers and technology in general. I blame the educational system, as well as the big computer companies, which have done nothing to encourage public education about the dangers of the computing environment. How many normal people out there know how hackable everything is? You know it. I know it. Does Aunt Tina know it? I doubt it.

Two recent episodes bring home the problem. The first example took place in Eastern Europe, where some kid hacked the local tram transportation system, using a modified TV remote to match switching signals used by the trains to change tracks and move about the city. While he was fooling around with the system, four trains crashed and all sorts of problems ensued, including a few injuries. This happened only because the people setting up the system never considered the possibility that anyone would or could do this—perhaps because they didn't have the know-how to do it themselves.

The other example took place at CES, where some joker used a universal remote to shut down demos all over the show.

Nobody thinks to prevent these situations through good architecture—or, if they do, they aren't skilled enough to implement security measures. Get it straight, people: Everything is hackable.

This basic lack of technological understanding is not restricted to the area of computer science and securing against hackers. Just watch the way people drive. Obviously they've never taken a physics class: They drive like maniacs and tailgate like fiends without realizing that they cannot stop in so short a distance. Rear-end accidents are everywhere.

People know nothing of the dangers inherent in natural gas, static electricity, lightning, or anything else. None of this is taught in school; instead we have diversity studies and self-esteem lectures. When I was in school, we were taught how to do income-tax returns, how to balance checkbooks, and how to fix cars. There were ethics classes, health classes, home economics, shop, and everything in between. All this was in addition to physics and science classes.

It's only recently that the so-called Darwin Awards emerged, as we've accumulated so many dummies in the country that they are literally killing themselves through their own stupidity (often in hilarious ways). The public knows more about Britney Spears than, well, just about anything. Kids know nothing about poisons, skunks, Lyme disease, covering their mouths when coughing, TB, or even ear protection. (Wait until the earbud lawsuits hit Apple 20 years from now. Ever heard of Johns-Manville? Look it up.)

Too many people carry day-to-day obliviousness deep into adulthood and make decisions for others that are frightening. Even within the tech scene, few people actually know much at all. Those of us who were brought into the scene at the beginning of the desktop revolution often assume that other people know more than we do, and then we're surprised by the general lack of knowledge. Apparently we're idiots, too, for expecting otherwise.

There are, for example, computer users between the ages of 25 and 45 who can't do a simple Google search and are stunned when you show them how. Where have they been hiding over the last decade? Don't schools generally offer a universal study of the computer? That's a high-school course everyone should take, and it should be a requirement for graduation.

Education is the key, and it is never too late to start. At least a single year of computer training—the sophomore year would be my pick—would benefit high schoolers no end. Yes, many of them can put up a Facebook or MySpace page, but what else can they do? The nerds in the school can do a lot (up to and including hijacking public transportation using a TV remote), but the rest need to be taught, and even a single course would be valuable and fun.

A good school course about computers, if done right, would reinvigorate a lot of other studies, too, like science. And one aspect of doing it right would be sharing information among the teachers and students, because we all know that there are things kids can teach us about technology. There is no single fountainhead of knowledge; it needs to be shared.

Genuine universal computer literacy—for everyone, not just the geeks—should be a top priority in the U.S.

Picked up from:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2248931,00.asp