Have you ever encountered people who are extremely distrustful, almost angry sometimes, because you understand computers, and understand what they can do, and they don't?

Not really. What I hate, though, is my husband tells me all the things our computer can do, but it turns out it can only do it if we buy all the equipment/programs to make it do. Plus, a computer is not a keyboard, not a screen, and such, but an expensive combination of various attachments that each have a different, limited function. Plus, it constantly needs upgrades and more memory.

Old people? Yes.

Yes! It is mostly with people from generations that don’t have as much familiarity with computers. I’ve worked at 3 different hospitals as they’ve rolled out their computer charting and at each place, I helped with training the staff on the system. Without fail, each time I’ve ran into some older nurses that get mad when they struggle with the system, get mad, and take it out on me (as the trainer).

Nope.

@YARNLADY Well, I’m referring to the basic functions that you’d find in most offices, like Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc.

@ragingloli So why do you think they get mad?

Egh I used to have a boss like this, it was infuriating.

Yes I come across them. They say they can’t afford a computer but really they know nothing about them and are a little afraid of confronting one so they do without.

I can’t figure out why people would be scared. Many of them actually seem to be frightened somehow.

@uberbatman Me too.

What I don’t understand is, why in the world do they (older people) get so upset about it?

Nobody can make a young person really understand this, but you will when you’re older, I guarantee.

@Dutchess_III In my case it wasn’t so much a fear thing, it was more the fact that my boss had this whole thing where he had to be the expert on everything, know more than his employees about everything regarding the store. So when a 20 some year old kid working for you is leaps and bounds smarter in something that is crucial to running your store it could be bothersome I suppose.

Actually, @Pachyderm_In_The_Room, I’m not referring just to older people. Yes, they are the biggest culprit, but sometimes younger people seem mistrustful too.

But lets talk about old people. I can understand someone who is old and doesn’t want to learn something new just for the hell of it, in their own home. I don’t understand it when it comes to the work place where a basic understanding of a computer will make everyone so much more efficient.

I hate egos @uberbatman.

I’m one of those people who is virtually computer illiterate. I’m grateful to have computer experts around me, otherwise I tend to freak out when things go wrong.

Ctrz Z (short key for ‘undo’) saves many lives every day.

^^ Too bad we can’t use Ctrl Z for real life situations too.

No kidding. Sometimes I actually try to….you know, like flipping a light switch from habit when you know your electricity is out.

Heh, my friend used to have this shirt

^^Love it!

I used to have this shirt

I think it must be frustrating for older people to be struggling with technology that often they don’t understand. Many may have become used to doing things “the old way”, and don’t see why things need to be changed, although that attitude may stem from insecurity about not being able to learn new things.

My friend once told me a story of how he was teaching a course to nurses involving Microsoft Office type skills. There were a lot of older nurses in his class, and, according to him, many were almost outright hostile about taking the class, didn’t see the need for it, etc., etc. By the end of the course, they were very enthusiastic about learning, and were excited about now having lots of useful computer skills they had never envisioned themselves having…(it no doubt helped in general that he is a very patient teacher).

I know one older guy that believes online banking and other features are unsafe. Computers are unsafe and everyone is being spied on and hacked. lol End of story.
Oh well..I would DIE without online banking. haha

@Coloma…my mom basically feels the same way.

I can understand why they feel that way. But you know, it’s just as easy to get your hands on a paper deposit slip or a check something with your routing and account numbers and do damage that way….

My Mother In Law was lucky when her company switched over to computers. Both her son and daughter were extremely computer savvy. In fact, Mom was able to ask them enough to keep her own company computer programmers on their toes.

My husband, now in his early 60’s, has been through three very complicated conversions and is an extremely sought after employee. He is very well paid for his expertese, and is currently working 12 to 16 hours a day on the latest major conersion project.

Maybe 10 years ago, an old lady coworker asked me for help with Microsoft Word. I verbally instructed her on the steps she needed to take to do whatever it was that she wanted to do, and she started arguing with me that it wouldn’t work the way I described. I asked her to move so that I could show her. While I was standing bent over her computer and she standing upright slightly behind me, she finally said something like “I didn’t know you could do that.” By that point I was a little annoyed with her obstinacy and said “Well, I’ll forgive your ignorance.” Her response was to start wailing on my back with balled fists and all her might. It barely registered what she was doing since it was so beyond the pale and also since the impact was akin to a massage, but I just found it ridiculous that she would ask for my help and then start arguing with me.

Boy. Yeah. My boss just got sooo upset when I used the hot keys rather than the mouse. She’d tell me to print something, I’d hit ctrl/p and then pause, waiting, and she’d angrily say, “I told you to print!”
Me, in some confusion, not understanding why she was mad, “I did….”
“NO, you didn’t! To print you have to go here…” and she’d start to reach over my shoulder and take control of the mouse…and the printer would fire up. She’d stop, all confused, then storm away.
This kind of thing went on constantly after I got back after I was sick, during the time she was convinced I’d gone full-on retarded. She’d take small parts out of context and in my write up she said, “She doesn’t even remember how to print a document.” I’m serious too.

@Dutchess_III Wow yea… that sounds like what I experienced. That or watching my boss struggle with something for a ridiculously long time whilst cursing at his computer “here, let me give you a hand with that and teach you how it’s done” ” I KNOW WHAT I’M DOING, GET BACK TO WORK”

Or they accept your help and as you’re working they’ll interrupt, “That’s not how you do it!” Then they take control back and start spinning in circles again.
At staff meeting: “That can not be done.”
Everyone but her would know it CAN be done. Why must we sit mutely?

In starting in my new position, I’m finding out anew that which I’ve always known…that people with a little knowledge are more dangerous than those with none. There is a lady there who was trying to help out with computer stuff before I came, but her knowledge is very limited. She insists on sharing everything to specific computers instead of using our share drives that are set up, and then wants to interrupt what you’re doing because she has to get something off that specific computer. Sometimes she doesn’t even know that a document is saved to the share drive. Fortunately, today I had her check before logging out of what is my work area’s computer to let her get on. I was in the middle of a lot of intensive paperwork, and was determined that this issue not continue.

^^^Go slowly @yankeetooter. I’ve found that the dumbest people seem to have a lot of power sometimes…..

I don’t think she’s one of them, but I would never be unpleasant. The most I’m doing for the moment is asking her to check and see if what she needs is on the share drive before she has to have me log off, etc. And the funny thing is, everything the past two days has been…I think she saved most of her work to the share drive, but doesn’t even realize it.

Every time I log off, I have to remap my drives when I log back in, so it is not as simple a process as you might think. Plus, because our network server is located in another building, it takes forever to save even one document. I often have multiple documents open as I am getting feedback from employees and having to adjust them, so I don’t want to take needed time to save everything and log off several times a day unless it is really necessary.