by Dave Moore, 11/15/2020
To be effectual at my job as a “computer guy,” I have to be constantly learning. Just when I think that I’ve seen it all, something new comes along, forcing me in a new direction.
New problems, new solutions and new ways of doing things: that’s life in the computer age. One distraught customer recently lamented this situation to me, moaning that she just wanted a computer that could be set up and then always stay the same. “Why all of this constant updating?” she complained.
The more I help people with their computers, the more I see the urgent need for computer education. Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a “set it and forget it” computer.
Back in the early days of the home computer revolution, you had to know and understand many things about your system just to accomplish the most seemingly-trivial tasks. Nowadays it seems that almost everyone that cares to has a fairly powerful computer at their disposal, and modern operating systems are much easier to use than their predecessors. This ease of use also means that it’s much easier to screw things up, or to get lost in the endless sea of available options and functions.
To the rescue comes our local library. I’ve been happy to see they’ve reopened a good many services, although, due to COVID restrictions, selections are still limited. Even so, they have a good selection of books online and available for pickup that teach basic and advanced computer skills.
I recently did a search for “Computers” and was pleased to see over 4,000 publications available to help you learn. “Computers for Seniors for Dummies,” anyone? Hey, those “Dummies” books are actually pretty good.
The Internet is also loaded with places to continue your computer education. Here’s a short list of websites that you may find helpful:
— Hosted by The Goodwill Community Foundation, the same folks that are behind your local Goodwill stores, edu.gcfglobal.org/en has online learning resources for a wide variety of subjects, including some great ways to learn about computers. I like this website a lot.
— The website customguide.com/quick_references.htm has some really cool “quick reference” guides that you can download and print. The guides cover a variety of Microsoft and Apple products, as well as Adobe Acrobat, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, QuickBooks, Zoom, and more. The guides are very well thought out and handy for folks (like me) that just can’t memorize every command for every program on earth.
Maybe you’re looking for something more high-end. Well, it doesn’t get any more high-end than Harvard University. Check out online-learning.harvard.edu/catalog/free to see the impressive line-up of university-level classes you can take, all for free.
Using a computer is a lot like driving a car: if not done properly, you can be a danger to others, as well as yourself. You’ll be a lot happier once you learn how to drive.
Dave Moore has been fixing computers in Oklahoma since 1984. Founder of the non-profit Internet Safety Group Ltd., he also teaches Internet safety community training workshops. He can be reached at 405-919-9901 or www.internetsafetygroup.org