My best worst call ever...

[draggar]

Anyone else thinking of the movie Idiocracy and the wbole Brando conversation?

But it's got electrolytes!
People, listen to yourselves. Do you even know what electrolytes are?
Yeah, they put it in Brando.
But why is Brando so good?
Because they put electrolytes in it.
BUT WHAT DO ELECTROLYTES DO?
They put it in Brando.

[Banthor the Unruly]

Basically computers are still foreign to plenty of people on this planet.

And thats fine, I am not expecting everyone to be familiar with computer, only the people who want to use one. Read a manual, or take a class. Yes marketing says they are easy, but no one who has seen one working would agree.

As for the comment about a license to drive a car . . .I can think of a ton of things that don't require a license and have a much bigger impact on the world as we know it that people partake of without knowledge.

That does not mean one should go without formal training for them as well.

[Emrld]

Banthor let me give you a few examples of what I see as bigger problems and why needing a license or a class prior to purchasing a computer are not something you are likely to see in your lifetime.


Do you know of any required parenting classes prior to anyone engaging in activities that lead to creation?

Or classes on the effects of the planet for anyone that wants to lite up a smokeable object? (pipe, cigar, water bong etc)

Or what about those that partake of illegal substances should they have to write a research paper on the effects of those chemicals in their body prior to a dealer selling to them?

That's just 3 quick things that lead to a much bigger impact than someone trying to get into the world of computers without taking a class first.

People have to start somewhere to gain familiarity. Some people learn by doing rather than reading.
If they have it in the budget to buy a computer or take a class on how to use it . . . most of them will buy the computer and learn by trial and error.

I guess what I am saying is using a computer is not as black and white in the ability to use it as your posts are coming across to me that you think it should be. Again- that may just be how I am reading your posts . . .it may not really be the way that Banthor is thinking.

[technical.angel]

Everyone, please, the subject of licenses for computer use, or ANYTHING else is a subject for Fratching. I really don't want to see this thread shut down.

[MadMike]

Everyone, please, the subject of licenses for computer use, or ANYTHING else is a subject for Fratching.

And the call of what constitutes Fratching material is for the moderating team to make. If you think a post is inappropriate, please use the report button, and leave the moderating to those who have been appointed to do so.

[earl colby pottinger]

Icon

leave the moderating to those who have been appointed to do so.

Your icon makes it loud and clear who's the boss around here

[Hello Kitty]

Yeah customers that don't listen to you / can't understand the concept of what you're trying to explain can be extremely irritating. Whenever I would get a bad one, I would try to remind myself that if we didn't have clueless customers, I wouldn't have a job. So be thankful!

[Banthor the Unruly]

Thank you MadMike, now allow me to address what I see as three points to the issue at hand:

1. I think parenting SHOULD require a license, or at least some kind of training. I think the Columbine Shootings, Jack Thomsen, and the discussion of the phrases like "Prositot"in these very forums prove that. Hell, most parents today don't even try, they expect the schools to do it for them most of the time and have TV and video games fill in the rest.

2. Smoking (legal or otherwise) along with drinking, sex and extreme sports are usually not complex, or do require training. I know I'm not going to jump out of a plane with someone who does not know what they are doing. You are confusing morality with knowledge. Understanding that doing heroine will ruin your life is completely different from knowing who to hide the injection scars. I don't care (in this debate anyway) if someone uses their computer to find a cure or cancer, or order a 12 year old bride. Before they do they should learn something about computers before sitting in front of one. At least enough to know that the Internet extends beyond the metal box they bought.

3. I never said using a computer is clear cut, in fact my whole point is quite the opposite. Computer are horribly complex pieces of machinery which is why we all need knowledge about them before we start using them. Perhaps "license" is too strict a word. Yes I'm sure very few human fatalities have been caused by a lack of general computing skills. But this website is here because people like you and I have to deal with idiots who expect everything to go the way they want and are too stupid to realize that is not how the world works. Well these same idiots expect to be able to sit in front of a computer and have it just work for them without understanding how it works first. When this fails to happen, then they get angry at the sales people, or the support staff, or the next person they see behind a register because they did not get their way and it is the fault of everyone else but themselves. All I'm saying is if these people took a little time and read a book, or took an adult education class at the junior college, or even asked a friend to show them a few things there would be a lot less stress and frustration in the world.

[Spiffy McMoron]

Thank you MadMike, now allow me to address what I see as three points to the issue at hand:

You can feel free to do so at www.fratching.com. You were asked to drop it in the thread, please do so.

[Rapscallion]

I'd like to add that just because Mike pointed out that we prefer people to use the report button and let us make the call on it, it doesn't mean that it isn't a Fratching topic.

GBM once encapsulated what constitutes a Fratching topic perfectly. Paraphrasing from memory - if you're talking about a specific incident and saying why it sucked, it belongs here. If you're trying to tell us all why society is wrong and what should be done to change it to avoid the situation, then that's Fratching.

Rapscallion

[MTNLaurelPoacher]

sc: But I want to go online.

me: Then you need a computer.

sc: Well, no one told me that when I called in for it. That is false advertising and deceptive selling. I demand that you get me the internet now!

This exchange went on for serveral minutes with me trying to explain that she needed a computer to actually use the internet. She finally just hung up.

These are the types of callers that they make warning labels for.



It is a sad state of affairs that public education, mixed with nature, nurture and a bit of a nutter has produced individual sucky misinformed consumers.

Well the other options if she wants to get on the internet, but not use a computer, she could use her, ps3, xbox, wii, iphone, ipod touch, cellphone, refrigerator (yes there is one that you can surf the net on), or cable box.

I wonder if she ever got on the internet because Rule 16 of the internet is " There are NO girls on the internet."

[tropicsgoddess]

The sheer stupidity that goes on these days never ceases to amaze me.

[Crazeyal]

Uh.. the person MAY have been thinking that THIS was bveing offered.

[earl colby pottinger]

Problem

Uh.. the person MAY have been thinking that THIS was bveing offered.

Problems, the OP in a later message did say that he asked if they were expecting a WEBTV setup, the answer was no. Second that link clearly shows a keyboard with trackball being used so again just receiving a box would not match what the woman wanted.

What we have here is a 'Keeping up with the Jones' situation where someone wants something because they hear other people have it, they don't know what it is, or how to use it but they want it because everyone else has it.

[Difdi]

My mother considers herself to be a well-educated, reasonable person. She hates people talking over her or around her. She also hates technical "jargon" with a deep and abiding passion.

She absolutely will not take my word for it on any piece of technology. But she refuses to listen to anyone using "jargon" and considers it to be extremely condescending if people insist on using it with her.

I've gotten very good at explaining how TVs, VCRs, computers, routers, etc. work to her with elaborate analogies. Because she becomes mortally offended if I dare to use jargon with her (jargon such as byte, bits-per-second, hard drive, modem...)