In Depth Tech Talk

Re: How do I become computer literate?

rfarr — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:05:38 GMT

Be more specific. Do you want to learn hardware? Programming? Hardware is more or less user experience. You've got to come across problems on your own and fix them using the internet and your brain. I've learned everything I know (not too much but more than your average person) about hardware by building computers, breaking them :( and then fixing them :). Each mistake is a lesson learned.

As for programming, you have to choose a language, grab a book and get to it. You can probably find basic lessons online. Java is free and there are plenty of online sources for beginner lessons. As for writing binary... you're getting in way over your head if you don't plan on being a computer engineer or computer science major.

As a business major and home user, you'll never need to know much more than hardware stuff and basic programming. Using Linux will help you learn how your operating system works a little, but I recommend only using it as a secondary OS until you really understand it and can find and install all the drivers your computer needs (finding them can be a pain sometimes).

Re: How do I become computer literate?

dstebbins — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:51:41 GMT

misterdevil:
well beside going to school, read book, use google search, you also need to pratice on real life problem (get pratice @ PC workshop) to get more experience, good luck

Well, where can I find a workshop willing to take an apprentice like me, instead of only wanting someone who aleady knows exactly what they're doing? I'm already enrolled in college as a business major; I can't enroll in two majors at once without going over my credit hour allowance per semester; besides, I can barely afford the student loan bills as it is.

Re: How do I become computer literate?

dstebbins — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:51:40 GMT

misterdevil:
well beside going to school, read book, use google search, you also need to pratice on real life problem (get pratice @ PC workshop) to get more experience, good luck

Re: How do I become computer literate?

HOGHAULER — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:21:46 GMT

As md said school, reading books and googling will give you the knowledge but experience is the best teacher, we learn from our mistakes! All the knowledge in the world will not help you unless you know how to apply it!!! Tear down and rebuild your computer, upgrade it or build your own you will learn or go broke trying...

Re: How do I become computer literate?

misterdevil — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:11:54 GMT

well beside going to school, read book, use google search, you also need to pratice on real life problem (get pratice @ PC workshop) to get more experience, good luck

How do I become computer literate?

dstebbins — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:25:18 GMT

Now, I know that I'm "computer literate" compared to some of these old people, but honestly, a couple of decades ago, there were some people who were so computer literate that they could literally identify a virus' nature, program an antivirus, install the antivus, and spread it out across all those computers who were ready to take it, literally within a couple of minutes. They were the kind of people who you would go to for computer advice the same way you would go to a physician for medical advice, and you'd believe every word they said, no matter how far fetched it sounded, because who were you to know any better?

And at that time, you couldn't just walk into your local community college and enroll in an IT class; "nerds" as they called themselves had to have other ways of learning how to use computers, and they were probably 100% free.

How can I get in on that? I'd love to know what makes my computer tick, right down to the very last one and zero.