Be Excellent To Each Other :: View topic - Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with

I just thought, perhaps I need to improve my computer skills. I only use the Internet browser, iPhoto and iTunes on my Mac, and not a clue how to use or do much else, like set up wifi. Is there any sort of skills I could learn with my computer, possibly any that might help with getting jobs, for example?

Honestly, I'm not sure there is much in the way of general "skills-improving" stuff that you can do, outside of the really basic "learn to write a letter" stuff. You might be better to come up with a goal, and then work towards that. Work out how to create a simple website and get it online, for example.

Reason I asked about this is that I'm always getting asked for help with computers, being male and living with three females, and on reflection I know bugger-all of any real practical use, really. I'm barely above a beginner.

Images Representative of Actual Gameplay:

Player characters abttle for supremacy in this persistent world FPS MMORPG

Here, a player character is confronted by a higher level player character

NPCs can be attacked to gain valuable XP. Significant resources were used to make NPCs act in a way as a human would and all have distinct personality traits which control their actions.

Learn all you like and have fun. BUT whatever you do, don't tell anyone you 'know about computers', else every house visit and social occasion will involve spyware removal and service pack downloads.

Seriously.

MrDavPaz wrote:

And no, fixing a hot girl's printer does not in any way improve your chances.

A dorm room: A young woman in just underwear is struggling with her printer. There's a knock at the door.

Woman: It's over there. Stop looking at my tits.

That is extremely close to the truth.

Did you flash her bios?

Adopt the break it and then fix it philosophy. [...] That's where I started many years ago.

JohnCoffey wrote:

Adopt the break it and then fix it philosophy. [...] That's where I started many years ago.

When are you going to stop?

I tried to help Mrs Riles at the weekend help her parents get the wireless working on their brand-new Windows 7 computer, despite not even having Win7 myself yet. Turns out they didn't have a wireless card in it.

trying to get them to understand why it didn't work

Learn a programming language. Something like Python is excellent for both beginners and experts alike and your computer will suddenly become a far more useful tool.

Author:	Anonymous X [ Sun Nov 08, 2009 17:00 ]
Post subject:	Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
I just thought, perhaps I need to improve my computer skills. I only use the Internet browser, iPhoto and iTunes on my Mac, and not a clue how to use or do much else, like set up wifi. Is there any sort of skills I could learn with my computer, possibly any that might help with getting jobs, for example?

Author:	GovernmentYard [ Sun Nov 08, 2009 17:06 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
No mate, that's all a Mac does. You could try hacking it, I suppose.

Author:	TheAlbin0Kid [ Sun Nov 08, 2009 17:07 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
I turn my brightness up high and use it as a light to read by

Author:	Cras [ Sun Nov 08, 2009 17:15 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
Anonymous X wrote: I just thought, perhaps I need to improve my computer skills. I only use the Internet browser, iPhoto and iTunes on my Mac, and not a clue how to use or do much else, like set up wifi. Is there any sort of skills I could learn with my computer, possibly any that might help with getting jobs, for example? Honestly, I'm not sure there is much in the way of general "skills-improving" stuff that you can do, outside of the really basic "learn to write a letter" stuff. You might be better to come up with a goal, and then work towards that. Work out how to create a simple website and get it online, for example.

Author:	Anonymous X [ Sun Nov 08, 2009 17:52 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
Craster wrote: Honestly, I'm not sure there is much in the way of general "skills-improving" stuff that you can do, outside of the really basic "learn to write a letter" stuff. You might be better to come up with a goal, and then work towards that. Work out how to create a simple website and get it online, for example. That might be a good one, actually. I'm sure it's achievable without spending much, if anything, too. The website idea, that is. I've no idea how actually go about doing it, but, hey, it can't be too tricky, can it? Reason I asked about this is that I'm always getting asked for help with computers, being male and living with three females, and on reflection I know bugger-all of any real practical use, really. I'm barely above a beginner.

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Author:	chinnyhill10 [ Sun Nov 08, 2009 18:44 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
Anonymous X wrote: I just thought, perhaps I need to improve my computer skills. I only use the Internet browser, iPhoto and iTunes on my Mac, and not a clue how to use or do much else, like set up wifi. Is there any sort of skills I could learn with my computer, possibly any that might help with getting jobs, for example? Buy a Mac Windows.

Author:	MrD [ Sun Nov 08, 2009 18:47 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
Do you know anybody who's upgrading their computer? If you can get a hold of an old* computer or two, you can practise installing an OS and software, you can practise changing BIOS settings, switching drives around, installing drivers, etc. (*Any age'll do. You might find somebody who'll sell you 2002's hyper-super-computer for next to nothing.)

Author:	Cras [ Sun Nov 08, 2009 18:54 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
Anonymous X wrote: Reason I asked about this is that I'm always getting asked for help with computers, being male and living with three females, and on reflection I know bugger-all of any real practical use, really. I'm barely above a beginner. The problem is that any training or courses you do will still pretty much leave you knowing bugger all of any practical use, unfortunately. It tends to be the sort of thing where you learn by doing, and doing and doing and doing. If you've not got the time and inclination for that, I suspect you're likely to always be one who asks for help, rather than one who is asked.

Author:	metalangel [ Sun Nov 08, 2009 18:56 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
A very good idea. Buy an old Windows-based PC or two, with differing versions of Windows, and perhaps even a networkable printer. Practice getting all these to talk to each other in different ways. And get them talking to your Mac as well. Craster is right, you learn by doing. I hardly knew anything when I moved in with Gaywood and Co., when I moved into my own house I already had a plan for setting everything up on one big network but even so learned a few more things as I went. Don't waste money on an ECDL, before anyone here mentions it.

Author:	ltia [ Sun Nov 08, 2009 20:32 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
Agreed about ECDL. There are some City & Guilds PC maintenance courses you can do, though. They are actually rather good assuming they are taught properly. They are very practical, so the learn-by-doing thing applies, but only if you've not got the inclination to teach yourself, really. Nice to have a qualification in it, though. But yeah, you can't really 'lean about computers' like you could in the olden days. You need to pick something to do and focus on it. The web idea is excellent because it's really easy. Or if you're into games you could go down the brain melting route of looking into programming... that'd be something you'd need to dedicate an awful lot of time & patience to, though and would only be for hobby purposes, really.

Author:	End of an Era [ Sun Nov 08, 2009 21:36 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
Learn a programming language. Something like Python is excellent for both beginners and experts alike and your computer will suddenly become a far more useful tool.

Author:	MaliA [ Sun Nov 08, 2009 21:42 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
If I can write an FPSMMORPG then anyone can. Malicious Afterthought wrote: Images Representative of Actual Gameplay: Player characters abttle for supremacy in this persistent world FPS MMORPG Here, a player character is confronted by a higher level player character NPCs can be attacked to gain valuable XP. Significant resources were used to make NPCs act in a way as a human would and all have distinct personality traits which control their actions. Butr do also ask "What you wish to learn" and "Why do you want to learn this". Them's the important stuffs I guess. That and ordering a Megan Fox poster.

Author:	kalmar [ Sun Nov 08, 2009 22:29 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
Get a Unix.

Author:	Zardoz [ Sun Nov 08, 2009 22:44 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
Try putting Richard Gaywoods face on a midget. Or Dimrills on a racist.

Author:	DavPaz [ Mon Nov 09, 2009 9:52 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
Learn all you like and have fun. BUT whatever you do, don't tell anyone you 'know about computers', else every house visit and social occasion will involve spyware removal and service pack downloads. Seriously.

Author:	MaliA [ Mon Nov 09, 2009 9:53 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
MrDavPaz wrote: Learn all you like and have fun. BUT whatever you do, don't tell anyone you 'know about computers', else every house visit and social occasion will involve spyware removal and service pack downloads. Seriously.

Author:	metalangel [ Mon Nov 09, 2009 10:43 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
MaliA wrote: MrDavPaz wrote: Learn all you like and have fun. BUT whatever you do, don't tell anyone you 'know about computers', else every house visit and social occasion will involve spyware removal and service pack downloads. Seriously. Fucking That was my first year of university, that was. Fixing other cunt's computers, showing them how to find porn, explaining that pop-ups were bad, mmkay? And no, fixing a hot girl's printer does not in any way improve your chances.

Author:	DavPaz [ Mon Nov 09, 2009 10:46 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
MetalAngel wrote: And no, fixing a hot girl's printer does not in any way improve your chances. You must have done it wrong

Author:	Cras [ Mon Nov 09, 2009 10:48 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
Well clearly - he forgot to put the "" around "fixing a hot girl's printer".

Author:	DavPaz [ Mon Nov 09, 2009 10:54 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
Scene: A dorm room: A young woman in just underwear is struggling with her printer. There's a knock at the door. The woman opens the door to reveal: Meaty: A tall, dark strangely-accented man with a handlebar moustache. Meaty: (proudly) I've come to (air quotes) Fix your printer! Woman: It's over there. Stop looking at my tits.

Author:	Cras [ Mon Nov 09, 2009 10:55 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
Lulz.

Author:	kalmar [ Mon Nov 09, 2009 10:56 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
Did you "replace her toner", eh? eh? No.

Author:	myp [ Mon Nov 09, 2009 10:57 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
Did you fix her paper jam? Did you, eh? eh?

Author:	metalangel [ Mon Nov 09, 2009 11:16 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
MrDavPaz wrote: A dorm room: A young woman in just underwear is struggling with her printer. There's a knock at the door. Woman: It's over there. Stop looking at my tits. That is extremely close to the truth.

Author:	DavPaz [ Mon Nov 09, 2009 11:17 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
MetalAngel wrote: That is extremely close to the truth. And I was, that woman...

Author:	Squirt [ Mon Nov 09, 2009 11:53 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
Did you "Check her ink levels"? What about "Updating her to the newest drivers"? I bet you "tried to print out a test page" with her, you stud you.

Author:	myp [ Mon Nov 09, 2009 11:56 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
I bet you removed all the jobs from the print queue, you dirty bast.

Author:	Zardoz [ Mon Nov 09, 2009 11:58 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
Did you take her cartridges out and shake them a bit?

Author:	kalmar [ Mon Nov 09, 2009 11:59 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
Did you reinsert her duplexer module?

Author:	DavPaz [ Mon Nov 09, 2009 12:02 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
I bet you politely and courteously fixed her problem and made pleasant small talk, didn't you, you dirty bastard

Author:	markg [ Mon Nov 09, 2009 12:03 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
Did you clog up her nozzles by using incompatible supplies?

Author:	Grim... [ Mon Nov 09, 2009 13:10 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
Did you make sure to switch her power off before poking around the heating element with a screwdriver?

Author:	kalmar [ Mon Nov 09, 2009 13:11 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
Did you flash her bios?

Author:	JohnCoffey [ Mon Nov 09, 2009 13:12 ]
Post subject:	Re: Learning to use a computer, or do something useful with
Adopt the break it and then fix it philosophy. For example install a copy of windows on a spare machine and don't install any updates, AV software, Malware removers etc. Then, try and get it clean.. That's where I started many years ago.