The top searched for words last year.
Every year I look for this as I like to include it in lectures and speaches.
Hang on!!!! These are not "searched for" words? These are words people typed into "their Googley!"
They meant to type these it into their Navigation Bar. But, I betcha, if you asked 10 folks on PCs, more than half do not know what it is. And, furthermore, I will put this test out there …
"Ask 10 people what browser they use on their PC?"
I am not talking the small percentage of us that inhabit the Net on a regular (Meaning: round-the-clock) basis. So don't ask one of your Netizen or Geek friends – ask some real folks. You can tell real folks they do NOT have a Twitter account!
I have done this!!! Way more than half say they use Google as their broweser. I ask them if that means they have the Chrome browser … no my sceen is black, they tell me. Ok then …
Now, I am not talking about Yokels, nor Seniors who are just discovering the online world, or for that matter, computers in general, I am talking about well-educated folks that have no clue. These same folks use computers at work on a daily basis. I bet there are millions and millions of them. I run into them all the time. Mostly on Facebook.
I have been so fortunate to have been a Mac user since day one, which was 1985 in Canada. Most folks I know use PCs. And the vast majority of those folks have missed out on experiencing the joy of the relationship with a computer, namely a Mac, and inherently the relationship with the Net. Oh, and sadly Alice, the Net is not Facebook.
In the early 90s, "AOL" was today's Facebook. Those folks who did not know what a URL was, nor where their browser's Navigation Bar was, nor how to copy and paste, nor scroll … God it goes on and on doesn't it? They all went to AOL. It was easy and shiny. Today they go to Facebook.
I was reading an article recently and the writer said he gets way more information from Facebook and Twitter than from Google. Oy! Son, you need to go outside and play for a bit. Both literally and figuratively. In itself, that is probably the dumbest thing I have ever heard. It also is the laziest.
"Oh and on your way outside, CLEAN UP YOUR ROOM!"
How can you do your work if you cannot use the tools?
Ask these same ten folks, mentioned above, about bookmarking?
First, they probably do not know the term. Oh? You mean my favorites? Yep. Then, ask them if their "favorites" have sub folders? Are the favorites sorted? Oh, do you use a social bookmark site? Do you use a favorite toolbar?
This is why Facebook has become so popular. Just like AOL did in the 90s and as witnessed by your friends, who online for the first time, sent you a thousand jokes … old jokes, the same old jokes that you saw 15 years ago …
It will stop. Trust me.
I have faith in us humans. I really do. Eventually, we will get sick and tired of all this drivel.
I was looking at a "Year in Review" type article, or predictions or NY Resolutions. But instead I want to share some hope.
I got sick and tired of TV, that was 15+ years ago. Last year, I made a Creative Manifesto for myself to follow. My resolution, my dream and my hope of hopes is that all we will see on the Net is each other's creative moments. Nothing more, nothing less.
Peace
I totally agree. I work for customer support and, say, they have to go to mail.–theirdomain–.com
They normally type it in google search field. and surely enough this is not popping up in search. 🙂
Same with browser – just a tiny fraction knows what a BROWSER is, leave alone what type of it they have! They “click on The Internet” and type their domains in google.
But on the other hand I have no idea about their field of expertize (i’m sur eyou do not too), so it is not fair to laugh about lack of knowledge in our field, right?
Absolutely. But not laughing. Call it a cautionary tale. If you work or use a tool – start with reading the manual. If it is a complex tool – say a guitar, do not go back to the store and complain cause it don’t sound right. Take lessons.
With computers, which I believe most folks either want to, or have to use, take a course, learn something about the basics. I have watched someone take 45 minutes trying to figure out how to make a border in Excel. This is hardly laughable.
My point was twofold. One the stats are skewed. Two we are using very powerful tool where we have – at best – rudimentary knowledge.
The line from the help desk comes to mind … “My cup holder on my computer doesn’t work.”