Re: 40th STC Annual Conference--Free Travel Publications

["Laurel Lynam, SPIE" <LAUREL -at- MOM -dot- SPIE -dot- ORG>]

re: computer literacy:

My definition is someone who knows what a cpu is and has some basic
understanding of how computers respond when you type something in.  They
aren't afraid that if they type the wrong thing the system will explode.
Also, they are at a point where they are willing to try something just
to see if it will work or better yet, look in the workbook, manual or
user handouts to see if they can find information useful to what they
are doing......

Conversely, someone who is NOT computer literate is not necessarily someone
who can't use a computer.  Many people can (we have a VAX) logon, get into
a wordprocessor and type something and print it.....but it may not be as
nicely done as it could be because they havn't bothered to learn about
tabs, fonts, margins and other niceties.....also some people have a real
learning block.  They are willing to use something as long as they have
step-by-step instructions and everything goes accordingly...if something
goes amiss, they are lost....this is NOT computer literacy.  The computer
literate can punt (:-) !

Wordy and not concise but I hope it helps,

<---------------------------------------------------->
< Laurel Lynam  -- SPIE -- The International Society >
< Computer Support         for Optical Engineering   >
< laurel -at- mom -dot- spie -dot- org           Bellingham, WA       >
<---------------------------------------------------->
<    Not only to say the right thing in the right    >
<    place, but far more difficult still; to leave   >
<    unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.  >
<                        - George Sala               >
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