04.12.04
Cars Vs Computers
Finally someone has updated the whole “If cars were like computers” meme and brought it to be more than just humor, but actual lessons that can be learned by neophytes.
{{link http://mirrorshades.org/wc/archives/002796.php It’s an appliance, right?}}
People accept it as a given that in order to own and drive a car (and expect it to actually work), there are things to be learned, procedures to follow, and maintainance to be performed. You have to learn the rules of the road and how to operate the vehiecle. You have to get the oil changed every so often. If you see the “check engine” light come on, that probably means something is wrong. If your car is making an odd noise, that probably means something is wrong. You have to put gas in the car, and the gas goes in a certain place. If you want to avoid getting screwed, you should know a few of the very basics of how cars work, if for no other reason than you’ll be able to accurately describe the problem to the mechanic. The list goes on.
My favorite:
COMPLAINT: “It’s so hard to find anything.”
CAUSE: Almost universally caused by the user having absolutely no concept of file organization. They have a desktop full of files, some of which are actual files but some of which are things like “Untitled Document [1].doc” or “New Zip File.zip”. Some of their files are in “My Documents”, others are in “My Shared Folder”, or on the root of c:\ , or in about a thousand other places they don’t belong.
Yes, that’s right – certain things go in certain places. This simple concept has eluded most users, who can’t be fucked to put files where they belong, instead opting to use whatever convenient area they happen to see first, and then whinge that things don’t work.
IF IT WERE A CAR: “I shouldn’t have to know all this ‘car stuff’ just to put gas in the car. It’s easier to just crank down the window and pump the gas inside, or spray it around the car. I don’t understand why it doesn’t work when I do that. It’s stupid that the gas should go in a certain place.”
SOLUTION: Make folders in your “My Documents” folder and label them according to how you’d like things organized. “Text”, “Movies”, “Music”, “Pictures”, and so forth. Then put your files in these folders and keep them there. Presto – Windows automatically alphabetizes your folders so you can find anything. Want to play a song? You know it’s in “Music” and since it’s in alphabetical order, you can find it quickly. Need to find a paper you were working on? Instead of hunting around five folders in five locations, you’ll know it’s in “Text” and can find it instantly. Your desktop is not for storing files, ever, under any circumstances. Period.