Your Parents Options

[impala454]

i was just curious on this... i know my parents still friggin write paper checks for crap... they can get to a website but are pretty much oblivious on anything else.

[zetec]

3 and 5, respectively. My mom used to know her shit (She actually learned COBOL for some reason back in the day, dunno why, she's been a project manager at EDS as long as I can remember) but hasn't bothered to keep up with much. Her Treo's potential is woefully unfulfilled.

My dad on the other hand knows his shit through and through, and then some. I may be a bit more up-to-date on the latest happenings, but he definitely typically knows more in-depth and catches up just as quickly, plus he knows a bunch more that I don't.

Good question though, I'm interested in seeing the answers.

[Spectatrix]

I said 2 and 4. I surpassed my mom in computer knowledge when I was like 8, if that tells you anything. Nowadays she knows how to buy some things online, does some internet banking, and still uses Juno for her email.

My dad is knowledgeable about computers from a corporate-minded angle rather than true nerditude. He knows about a lot of software packages and buttloads about online/computer security (he's paranoid), and could probably build a computer from scratch, though he prefers to just pay my step-bro to do it for him. He doesn't know any kind of programming, though, or nitty-gritty details about hardware.

[impala454]

my mom can browse the internet but that's about it. my dad has a graphic artist app (that's like 15 years old) he uses in his side business to design signs, but his general computer knowledge (like say if he needs to copy a file or something) is horrid.

[cupcake]

1 and 0...fuckin tards.

my mom cannot email attachments.

my dad has never turned on a computer. how you can be a newly retired president of a corporation and never used a computer is directly analogous to the ridiculous salary of his admin assistant.

[Testm0nkey]

wow you guys mom browse the internet?! my mom turned on a computer once a few years ago. and for that she had to call my dad to come out to her work and show her how to do it. that is the extent of her computer knowledge. i dont think she knows what the internet is


my dad after he retired went into IT/computer security whatever stuff. that was about 10 years ago and hes still doing it. he built my computer and has been working with computers for so long but honestly i dont think he knows all those terms and stuff that get thrown around on here. hes a computer guy but far from a nerd. but i called him a 5

[Hartmann]

My dad is decent with a computer but he's one of those that will click a "Get Rich Quick" ad.

My mom is alright and can do most things correctly. She has no idea what Firefox is but she uses it (she calls it the internet).

[impala454]

yeah my mom will mix up URLs and email addresses... she thinks if she wants to send an email she types the person's address into the browser address bar...

[Spectatrix]

I think my mom was actually the first one in my main household to use a computer. I remember her taking word processing classes at the community college and shortly after that we got a 286. But she got to a minimal point in computer literacy and then stopped. My step-father and I both surpassed her quickly.

My dad may have had a computer before we had one at my mom's house, but I don't really remember. My step-mother is definitely computer literate, but probably doesn't know much (if anything) about building a computer or programming.

[Dogmeat]

2 for my mom, 5 for my dad ....

We ran a computer business for 10 years when they stopped letting people drill for oil in the Rockies

[False Dude]

I'd say mom 2 and 3 dad. My mom used to be clueless when it came to computer but she started working again and was forced to use one every day. Also her sewing machine has programming capabilities or something that she knows how to use. My dad is knowledgeable with excel and general computer stuff but things like p2p and wireless networks he's kind of clueless.

[prefix]

My dad's a WebSphere/JavaEE architect

[Mommy]

My mom... I dont remember what I put, but I think it was a 1. She calls me every time she wants to email an attachment. My dad thinks he knows more than he does, and he will try to argue with me, but I own his ass every time. My grandma has a better knowledge of computers than both of them. She hasnt been able time work for the past 30 years because of a disability so she got bored and learned how to use a computer. Its really quite funny how high tech my grandparents are.... like my grandpa drives an 05 Mitsubishi Lancer, Rally Edition

[Rocky]

mom 1 , dad 0

My mom uses a computer for basic online banking and maybe an email here and there, but she needs help with that at times. My dad doesn't know a single drop of shit about computers.


It's really interesting to me, because my parents really have no technical knowledge overall, yet I'm pretty deep into this IT game. My brother works in technology in a different aspect - for AT&T working on the shit that routes phone calls etc.

[kcroxyoursox]

3 mom
she surfs, she emails, she shops and does a lot through ebay. any questions i have she usually googles them, or logs in to her online consumer reports account. she reads a lot, so she uses computers for information. can use all the microsoft suite programs, but doesn't have any interest in gaming or filesharing. she chats a lot and usually we communicate via email/aim unless it's something immediate. she was in charge of the company newsletter for conocophillips for years, so she does have some desktop publishing experience, knows how to use digital cameras and such. probably not as savvy on the hardware end, so i put her somewhere between noob and genius.


2 dad
dad has a computer. dad can do basic word processing, emailing, surfing. doesnt spend a lot of time on it because i dont think he knows enough to find it that stimulating. had a computer built for him with all this custom music software (hes an artist) but never used it, though i dont think it was because he didnt know how - just never got around to having the time, since he also works a regular job. just recently got introduced into filesharing because sometimes he wants to hear an old song to try to learn it on his guitar. i set him up with a p2p, my sister wanted to try to explain torrents, and that went over his head. so hes not a dumbfuq but hes nowhere near landing an it position.

[Oasis]

-6

Some highlights from my mom's experience with computers.

"Hey Will, I need you to come up to the office, the computer won't turn on."
"Is it plugged in?"
"Yes"
"Is the electrical outlet strip turned on?"
"....Oh. Whoops"


(After a power surge which she had to reformat her computer)
"All my email attachments are gone!"
"Well, yeah, if you had to reformat all the stuff on your hard drive will be deleted"
"They weren't on my hard drive, they were in my emails"
"...I don't understand"
"I won't be able to get to my email now that the hard drive was wiped clean"
(Me getting even more confused) "Wait, are you talking about your yahoo emails? You'll still be able to access them, you twit. That's email, that isn't part of your hard drive"


(After one of our employees retired and moved to Dallas)
"I need to send an email to Patterson, but he won't be able to get it"
"Why wouldn't he be able to get it? Does he not have internet access yet?"
"No, he has internet access, but he's now in Dallas"
(Confused as all hell) "So why the hell wouldn't he be able to get your email?"
"Because I used to email him when he was in Austin, but now he's in Dallas"
(Flabbergasted) "What on earth does where he's living have to do with him being able to receive an email from you?"
"I figured that since he moved to another town, yahoo wouldn't know where to send him the email"
"Mom, are you being serious? Are you really this clueless?"

I'd do more but I now have a headache

[impala454]

heheh, no moms above a 3 yet...

[zetec]

lol stoopid wimminz

[GOB]

heheh, no moms above a 3 yet...

true, but i don't think a 3 is all that bad. i bet most americans fall between 2-3. i would think a 3 to be someone competent enough to use a good amount of programs on a basic windows-based computer with general internet usage. possibly knowing how to download music, but not smart enough to recognize bogus stuff and would probably shit their pants and pay geek-squad big bucks if they got a virus.

most techsans are probably 4+, extensive knowledge of just about everything on a normal computer and some other advanced software programs, able to find just about anything on the internet, torrents/downloading, troubleshooting, maybe mods/electronics stuff. i'd be surprised if 95% of active techsans couldn't build their own computer.

[zetec]

I think we have differing definitions of 3. I would think 3 would only use geek squad as a last resort, and probably have basic antivirus, albiet probably something shitty like (*cough*don'tbanmeLance*cough*) McAfee.

[GOB]

heh, my parents have too much antivirus protection, to the point where it seriously affects the computer's performance.

i think i get what you're saying, but i'd say the jump from a 3 to 4 is pretty significant (same with 4 to 5).

[impala454]

yeah well no doubt people defined 1-5 slightly differently, i was just comparing the moms to the dads