New Computer User

New Computer Users' Lives Are Changed Forever

by Bob Liddil

A computer user’s life is governed by degrees of difficulty. Buying a computer these days is as easy as falling off a log. One can do so at the flea market, at the computer stores advertised in this magazine, at a department store such as Wal-Mart, where my friend Bill works as an electronics associate, or on the Internet, either by direct purchase or by E-bay auction. The "difficulty factor" is low due to computers having been nearly universally accepted as an appliance, rather than as a tool or specialty item.

Merely buying a computer by no means makes one a computer "user," or, using a term I frequently employ, a "computerist." That status is achieved over time through means of mastering software and employing the machine to perform an actual task. Having and using computers are entirely different and progressive things.

Red Anderson, Pro Wrestler

Take my friend Red, for example. For years, he has wanted a computer in the house. As a professional wrestler, he sees the device as a way to reach out and stay in touch with other wrestlers, promoters and his fans, by means of the Internet. The modest but workable Pentium Pro 200 that he recently installed on the desk next to the family TV has accomplished Red’s initial goal almost immediately. Internet Explorer’s ease of use, Connect Internet Service’s great ISP software, and the help of some of his friends, Red is now wired. Converting Red to a web based wrestler was pretty easy.

There’s more, though. Three kids and a wife share Red’s house. They all descended on the computer the instant it arrived. Older brother likes to read on-line stories and quickly adapted to playing Java based games on the web. Younger brother enjoys screen savers of movie characters, especially those from the Marvel Group, such as The Hulk, or Spiderman. Baby sister (just 3) faces a lot of competition for a seat at the desk, and lets her brothers in on her displeasure at being excluded, loudly and often. She is mistress of the mouse when it is her turn and is absorbing new skills and information like a sponge.

Mrs. Red enjoys the Solitaire game that comes with the operating system, sharing that pastime with roughly 4/10ths of the population of the earth. Anyone who has ever booted a Windows computer has played that game at least once, if not a thousand times. She has surfed the web for in search of things she enjoys, most notably, cooking sites, and wrestling, an interest she shares with Red.

Enthusiastic to please his wife’s newly acquired love of computer card games, Red tried downloading some programs. Unfortunately, he inadvertently installed a complete real-world working casino, complete with its own dialer and phone number by mistake. In attempting to compensate, he accidentally deleted Internet Explorer 5.0, along with the offending program and erased his regular dial-up service. Straightening that out required a house call by a friend, who downloaded Explorer 6.0, deleted Gator, Bonzi Buddy and a few other things then restored the computer to functionality - all for the price of a cold soda.

Unfortunate incident, or learning experience - it’s a perspective thing. Since that happened, though, Red and family’s standard on-line procedure is to answer "no" to any question posed by any ad that can swim past Pop-up Stopper. They allow no modifications to the browser, no programs to remember passwords and no Weatherbug. Their computer continues to work just fine.

Often, as it was with Red’s family, the first practical use of a computer in a household is surfing the net. "Googling," is fin. That’s the art of finding what you are looking for by employing search engine data mining techniques (type keyword, press enter). General exploration of the small portion of the vast World Wide Web pertinent to the user is usually next.

Very soon after the box arrives, new interests begin to blossom like hothouse flowers. Older brother will discover computer assisted homework, as will younger brother as well. Little sister will learn to read faster and better because the new computer requires mastery of this skill. Mom and dad have their interests as well. In some households, the computer replaces the TV as a primary entertainment center. That’s the effect that a computer has on a previously non-wired household.

In a perfect world, the vast library and vault of resources of the net would be an unending source of positive influence. The world is far from perfect. Therein lies a daunting degree of difficulty to new computerists. Because just a click away from Donald Duck or Classical literature awaits the lurid underbelly of humanity, just waiting to reach out and snag the innocent, the unwary, the untutored and the curious.

The challenge for Mr. and Mrs. Red will be to maintain computing as a positive experience. As a tool, computers have an edge capable of cutting, and so the parents must keep watch over content and activity, prepared to prevent web surfing in dangerous water, as well as promoting the device as a means to better school experiences.

So hats off to the Andersons, newest computer family in Pensacola. Your adventure has just begun. May your journey be exciting, educational and filled with promise.