Communications and Computer Phobia

While sheer volume can sometimes be a deterrent to learning about personal computers, what happens after a person begins the educational process can also bring things to an exasperating halt.
This is largely due to:
The language and jargon associated with computers
The fact that software and other instruction manuals are written almost as an afterthought, and represent the last priority for most manufacturers.
If there is one factor that can be cited for scaring people the most about computers, it is probably the language. Faced with an almost incomprehensible array of jargon and acronyms, many turn back convinced they can never learn about the world of computers. “I remember the first time I ever picked up a computer publication,” a manager recalls. “I started flipping through the pages and seeing words like baud and modem and RAM. The first thought that came to my mind was ‘this isn’t English.” “I went to a seminar put on by a local professional group,” says an accountant. “They brought in a consultant to explain how computers could help us in our businesses. Within five minutes he had used at least half a dozen words I had never heard before. I was totally lost and left thinking that I would never have a computer because no one would ever be able to explain one to me.” “The meetings I dread the most,” confides a personnel director, “are the ones with data processing. They start talking about disk space and bytes, coupling and buffers. They throw the words at you like a rapid fire gun. I might as well be listening to a Martian for all I understand.”
For a lot of users, computerize probably does sound a lot like Mongolian. Yet, having a basic understanding and knowledge of computer terms and jargon is essential to working with a personal computer, because so much of it has found its way into everyday usage and become a part of the language itself. There are those who also charge data processing with using the vocabulary to their own benefit, beating down any opposition with a barrage of “techno speak” that can leave the uninitiated churning in its wake. “If they don’t know what we’re talking about,” confided one data processing manager, “they aren’t going to put up too loud a fight.”That same tactic seems to have found its way into the battle to keep personal computers out of some organizations. “When people come and ask for a personal computer,” an information center manager stated, “I just start asking them how they want it configured. You know, how many K of memory, whether they want floppy or hard disk, an internal or external modem, expansion boards, color graphic card, tape back-up, emulation capabilities. Most of them just sit there staring at me. Then they get up and leave and not too many come back.”Whether they like it or not, a great many people will have to become computer conversant just to hold their own. Training can contribute. a great deal to this process by making sure that people have access to as much of the terminology as possible, and that it is properly defined on a level they can understand.For those involved in computer training outside of data processing this means a process of self-education and a willingness to stand up and ask what something means. Those within data processing need to have a greater empathy for the nontechnical user, and to be prepared to explain everything no matter how rudimentary that might be.During a presentation not long ago, data processing staff members were using terms they were thoroughly familiar with. The audience, who didn’t know a bit from a byte, was quickly lost. In the past such groups suffered in silence or found ways to excuse themselves and never return. This group turned on the presenters, asking questions about basic definitions and demanding explanations that left the presenters flustered and unable to continue. Another user revolt occurred at a professional gathering of trainers. One of the presentations, entitled “Computer Literacy for Beginners,” was billed as a guide to understanding the terminology. The consultant making the presentation promised to explain all the jargon, but within the first five minutes had used two or three terms that the audience was obviously unfamiliar with. Finally, one man stood up. “You promised to explain computers in terms we could understand, but you’ve already thrown jargon at us without telling us what it means. Can’t anyone describe these things in plain English?” As he finished, the audience broke into applause. People will begin speaking up more and more in their quest to understand and as they do, there will be an increasing demand not only for more user-friendly resources, but also for people who can communicate clearly.

 

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Lack of knowledge

One big contributor to computer phobia is the fear of not knowing enough about computers. Many people are simply overwhelmed the first time they sit down at a system by the thought that they .ire going to have to learn everything about it.
As noted previously, one explanation for this may be found in the various. Opinions people have of what constitutes computer literacy and the levels of knowledge that might be necessary. Another is the widespread belief that to be truly effective requires either a technical education (such as math or engineering), or an ability to program. Colleges and universities that offer continuing education courses in programming and other computer-related skills are seeing increased enrollments as many workers return to the classroom to acquire such backgrounds. Part of what makes people uncomfortable with their level of knowledge is the huge amounts of reference material associated with most hardware and software. Manuals that run 300 to 500 pages tend to be more the rule than the exception, and can be very intimidating to those just beginning. A typical personal computer found in many businesses will probably be accompanied by:
1 Guide to Operations
1 Manual detailing the Disk Operating System
1 Guide to BASIC programming
1 Manual for each of the software packages running on that particular system
For a system supporting only one software package, this already totals four thick sets of reference manuals, and more will be added each time someone wants to do something new. Place all this material next to the machine and you will gain a quick understanding of why people feel uneasy. Most people don’t need to become programmers, nor do they need to understand the majority of what is contained in the reference manuals. For example, the manual that details the disk operating system contains information on how to use well over 80 different commands. An average user will probably never need more than four or five. Those returning to school to learn a programming language, solely because they believe it necessary to use a personal computer, will be disappointed to discover that they will probably never really need those skills. Hundreds of software packages already exist to do just about every kind of task imaginable, and many were designed to be used by people with absolutely no background in programming or computers in general. This isn’t to say that all this education is in vain, or that you can throw away the reference manuals. Computers, after all, do function in a highly logical manner, which they impose on those who use them. Knowledge of programming logic is certainly useful in understanding how computers process information, and the reference manuals can get users through just about any situation, once they know where to look. Unfortunately, a great many people find themselves with a with a system on their desk, five or six manuals stacked next to it, and no idea of where to begin to make sense of it. Left on their own, many quickly develop a sense of inadequacy that can sometimes border on panic. Training can very definitely make inroads on this particular brand of computer phobia by breaking the education process down into manageable units of information. For example:
Material from reference manuals can be extracted and condensed into brief summaries containing the most important facts or most frequently used options.
So-called cheat sheets, which provide a quick guide to functions and commands, can be put together for each software package.
Troubleshooting guides can be prepared to explain what to do when an error message is encountered, and who to contact if a problem can’t be resolved.
A one- or two-page overview describing what the primary reference manuals contain, and where to look for particular information, should accompany each system. Rather than teach entire software packages, some thought might be given to tailoring them to specific audiences. For example instead of teaching “How to use Lotus 1-2-3,” it might prove more valuable to offer a program on “Using Lotus 1-2-3 for Sales Analysis.”Provide a list of recommended readings, or copies of informative or helpful how-to articles.
There’s no getting around the fact that people are going to have to learn new things and develop new ways of thinking through problems as they begin using personal computers. How they go about that process, however, will often determine whether a personal computer ends up as a tool for productivity or an instrument that produces fear and frustration.

 

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