Wow, I haven't written here in almost two years...

I recently updated my blog address: Cafe Bucky (daniel.org/blog)

I thought I made a Journal entry a couple of weeks ago, pointing folks towards my blog. But I see it's not here...

So without further ado...

My blog is at JavaJoint.com

I don't expect to be updating over here any more, so please give JavaJoint a visit. cheers! -- Daniel

I've Given Up On Techno-Luddites

Do you know some Luddites? I do. For years, I've done my best to nudge some along into some semblence of technical literacy.

I've decided to give up. It doesn't mean I don't like these people. It means that I will stop interacting with them about Tech stuff. Fortunately, there's a lot of other things in the world to talk about.

One definition of a Luddite is "One who opposes technical or technological change." I think the definition should be extended to "One who opposes making any effort whatsoever to learn anything more complicated than changing a lightbulb".

Call them the Techno-Luddites. They learn the bare minimum of any new technology that's put in front of them. They need more than hand-holding. They need spoon-feeding. "Just show me the basics. Don't bother me with details. Can you do it for me? I'll be back in 10 minutes"

A few years ago, I had the wherewithwal to provide some computers to some folks I know. Having some fantasy in my head that we would be able to communicate in real time, send pictures back and forth, and otherwise take advantage of the Net, I purchased some Macs. It was my intention to get everyone going with the easiest computer to use.

For lots of people though, the easiest computer to use doesn't provide the requisite amount of spoon-feeding that they seem to crave.

I would calmly explain things such as "make backups of your files by dragging them to the floppy disk icon". In one case, two years went by, the computer needed some upgrading, and no backups were ever done. I would attempt to explain how to use bookmarks, only to visit and find tons of post-it notes with email and web addresses strewn along the screen. I would implore "please try AOL Instant Messenger, so that all of us can chat with each other" - years have gone by, nothing has happened. Apparently going to a site, signing up, and using an instant messenging client that doesn't even require a download is just Too Damn Hard for these people.

My conclusion is that in America, there's a culture of spoon-feeding. People aren't taught much in the way of problem solving skills in school. With computers, I believe in taking a little bit of time to learn new things, so that I can save myself lots of time in the future (with shortcuts, recognizing patterns in how programs work, etc.) For all too many folks, a computer is some sort of beast to be feared. Help menus are ignored. Downloading anything to install is completely out of the question.

In short, they are of the attitude "I am out of school now, so I can stop learning".

Know people like this? What do you do?

As I have said, I've given up. I have decided to stop helping those who will not even attempt to help themselves.

It's been a huge waste of time and money. It was my fault for thinking that I could nudge anyone in the direction of the 21st century Net.

If you know some Techno-Luddites, do what I did.

Give up. Hope that someday they will genuinely want to know, and that wanting will cause them to learn.

The ants in France
have decided to dance
at my house

They think it's funny
coming in from the rain
they eat our food
and cause us pain

They crawl in the bathroom
they crawl in the kitchen
freaking our cats
their six-legged mission

They're setting up stoves
they're setting up tents
millions of ants
squat and scoff at the rent

A flamethrower I'll score!
Water cannons! Liquid Nitrogen!
Oh, the havoc I'll wreak,
breaking up their ant convention!

internal damage, says insurance adjuster
this isn't covered, he said with a fluster
your tile and walls, fixtures and floors
which are charred, waterlogged, and good no more
are free of insects, especially ants!
"You must pay out of pocket,
and I'm off to France"

So now my house
tattered and ruined
keeps two legs or four
no six-leggers chewing

The sun comes out
and ants stay away
till next year
we reenter the Fray!

This is my first entry...

42.

Yesterday, December 1st, I turned 42. Anyone familiar with The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy will recognize the significance of 42. It is the answer. Unfortunately, Douglas Adams didn't live long enough to write down the question (but he did write some pretty funny books!)

But what is the question? It surely isn't "where is your towel?". It isn't "how many hoopy froods will fit in a telephone booth?".

Turning 42 did not reveal anything. It would be interesting to ask Carol Alt, the supermodel. She was born the same day, and shares one of my favorite pursuits... driving fast on the track... I would love to trade rides with her at, say, Sears Point or Laguna Seca. I always wonder about people born around the same time. It's a sort of "started at the same time, what have they learned/experienced?" deal.

Maybe I should ask Woody Allen what he discovered, 25 years ago, when he turned 42. When Woody was my age, he was making Annie Hall. If there's one actor/comic/writer that I would like to have a double birthday dinner with, it would be Woody. My daughter does a dead-on impersonation of him! I would love to hear him improv on, say, Freud's opinion of a malcontent software mogul :-)

One December 1st birthday that will resonate with the hacker (in the good sense of word) crowd is Jef Poskanzer (see acme.com). I don't know Jef well, but I look up to his capabilities and accomplishments. Happy Birthday Jef!

I think 42 is an age where one has been exposed to plenty, but still has lots of time yet to apply lessons learned.

Sense of history, but don't need a walker :-)