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Things every user should know about computers

C

Crazi

Well-Known Member
I know almost nothing so I'm hoping to get helpful replies.

But just what standard things should the average computer user know about the machine they are using? Cuase atm, it's not taught generally in school.

You can say what to do in certain circumstances, define basic terms, whatever you think would be appropriate and helpful. :)
 
Crazi said:
But just what standard things should the average computer user know about the machine they are using? Cuase atm, it's not taught generally in school.
Click to expand...

While I don't know where you're from exactly, one could blame your national educational system for not knowing a lot about computers.

I'm in my early 30's and back in high school (in the mid 90's) I had computer classes (in times before we actually had full color screens; I had to stare at a black and green text only thing) and later in life when I attended some other school (comparable to high school, just without all the teen ********, but just as "generic" in terms of subjects) there were actual classes to obtain a so called "Computer drivers license" (European Computer Driving Licence - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia That was in times before internet was so embedded in our social functioning (so before social media were just a place to hang out, not this "must have" as it is now), so I would assume priorities to what was important changed a bit in the last 10+ years.

In the past few years I've talked to multiple younger people who attend high school and college (anywhere from 14 and up) and there are some skills that seem to be a requirement for most practices now.

From what I understand, the basics for computer use tend to be understanding of

- Word processing software (open office, Microsoft word and similar)
- Spreadsheet software (Excel, though I'm quite sure there's a few of these)
- Email
- Making presentations (mostly done through Powerpoint, but again here, quite sure there's alternatives)
- Basic problem solving skills for hard- and software (no need to be a programmer, but at least know your way around the OS when an issue arrises and not freeze dead in your tracks and panic)
- A reasonable ability to type (and perhaps even type with a 10 finger system without looking at the keys)
- Being able to gather information from different sources available (google, wikipedia, etc. Back in the days before wikipedia there were still cd-roms with Encarta and similar encyclopedias around, so those were to be used instead)

And it's funny how all these points together also tend to create a system that creates, at least when looking at computers, a system where even high schoolers can't claim "I couldn't write my essay" (especially pen and paper went the way of the dodo and typing is to be expected).

Years ago when I had these courses for that "computer license" we even had some classes in imaging software. Nothing overly hard, but at least know how it works. Know how to draw shapes, how to fill them in with a color, etc. Yes, it was tedious and really simplified, but I guess it's geared towards the general populous who doesn't know this (I mean, I doubt my mom could draw me a house in MS paint).

But yeah, I think that sums up some basics everyone "should" know... but then again, some things might be less relevant if you're older, past the education system and just go online for a chat.
 
The most important thing for any serious computer user to know (especially IT professionals) is how to used Google.

Any problem you are having with computers is a problem that someone else, somewhere, has had before. Chances are there is a solution to that problem somewhere on the Internet. The skill is in knowing how to phrase your search query in order to get to the solution with a minimum of fuss.
 
:/ These weren't the sorts of responses I was expecting but that's okay.

I'm guessing OS stands for operating system? Any tips for how to navigate those?

Also, any nifty keyboard commands? anyone?
 
I guess we should first start with: Are you using Windows or Mac? (And yes, OS stands for Operating System.)
 
Windows I do believe.

(sorry for the late reply btw)

one thing every user should know is if the screen is too big press Ctrl - a couple of times and if its too small it's Ctrl +.
 
The first thing is making sure your computer is safe. That means making sure you have anti-virus software installed (there are many that you can find for free online), being careful about the files you open and places you visit on the Internet, etc. Most Web browsers have built-in features to let you know if something is fishy, so you generally want to trust them when that comes up.

As for other things? Well, it depends entirely on what you want to do with your computer! You might not even need much software, as there are lots of things, email, word processing and the like, that you can do online (see: Google Drive, Gmail, et al). If you want to organize your photos there's great software out there--Picasa is an oldie but goodie.

King Oni summed everything else up pretty well, I think. Being able to type is a biggie, and there are free online courses that you can take to learn and improve.
 
Another handy tip.
When your IT dept. turns your computer on and off, then on and off again, in hope of fixing your problem, there's a fair chance they know less than you
 
Me here. I have a virus in my newer computer that then traveled to my iPhone. I assumed that it was probably linked to my email acct? Every time I sent an email (and still to this day) the person gets a second email to a Canadian drug company. I'm getting some weird emails too that I don't open that say some strange things and written in broken English. Some are also answers to inquiry questions that were sent using my email acct I guess? I've changed the password on my email acct but that didn't work. I'm just worried about whoever it is getting into my bank accts or screwing up my credit. Anything I can do?
 
nurseangela said:
Me here. I have a virus in my newer computer that then traveled to my iPhone. I assumed that it was probably linked to my email acct? Every time I sent an email (and still to this day) the person gets a second email to a Canadian drug company. I'm getting some weird emails too that I don't open that say some strange things and written in broken English. Some are also answers to inquiry questions that were sent using my email acct I guess? I've changed the password on my email acct but that didn't work. I'm just worried about whoever it is getting into my bank accts or screwing up my credit. Anything I can do?
Click to expand...
Have you tried contacting your email provider? In the meantime, I strongly recommend not using that account until this gets sorted out.
 
nurseangela said:
Me here. I have a virus in my newer computer that then traveled to my iPhone. I assumed that it was probably linked to my email acct? Every time I sent an email (and still to this day) the person gets a second email to a Canadian drug company. I'm getting some weird emails too that I don't open that say some strange things and written in broken English. Some are also answers to inquiry questions that were sent using my email acct I guess? I've changed the password on my email acct but that didn't work. I'm just worried about whoever it is getting into my bank accts or screwing up my credit. Anything I can do?
Click to expand...

Sounds like a phishing scam. Perhaps you might start with setting up a new email address that has not had your new password compromised. You might also consider downloading spyware detection programs that can effectively determine if you have keylogger programs recording your keystrokes pertinent to passwords. Something basic anti-virus programs may not catch.
 
Turk said:
Another handy tip.
When your IT dept. turns your computer on and off, then on and off again, in hope of fixing your problem, there's a fair chance they know less than you
Click to expand...

Actually, doing it the first time is worth doing in many cases. But, yeah, the second time indicates confusion.
 
I've never seen one of those, I want one now. The only other time ive ever heard of one of these was in that line in the Sam Cooke song, what a wonderful wonderful world this could be , 'Don't know what a slide rule was for?

I m going to find one on ebay.
 
I'm going to try to do a top ten list. I have a lot of experience with computing both as a hobby and as a career. I'm basing this on the most common issues I've seen while working tech support and repair.

1. All computers require maintenance in the form of cleaning out obsolete files. The lack of this maintenance is the #1 reason people start experiencing computer issues.
2. When you have a problem, the first troubleshooting step is pretty much always going to be a restart of the device. Even IT and tech support/repair technicians use this as their primary troubleshooting step before attempting anything else. Computers have processing errors just like people do, it's just that they're not as adept as we are at recovering from that.
3. If you use Windows, you need to do weekly malware scans. Period. No excuses. And every computer needs to have some form of firewall. If you use a router, it probably has one built in, but if you don't use a router, you need a software firewall installed. The safest route is to have both.
4. Passwords should never contain real words or important number combinations. The less sense a password makes, the more secure it is. You should never use the same password on multiple sites. Password manager software is great for keeping up with your passwords and creating new random passwords for new accounts. LastPass is the most flexible one I know of and that has a version available for almost any device and/or browser.
5. Don't trust your email. If anyone would like me to I can create an entire post on how to detect scams and phishing emails, but for brevity sake here, I'm just saying.... Don't trust your email.
6. If you take a device in to repair at an unauthorized shop (ie out of warranty), ask about their certifications. Not college, certifications. They should at least have an A+. If they have Microsoft certifications and you have a windows device, even better. If you're going to pay standard pricing for it, it's best to make sure they actually know their stuff.
7. Approach the internet with the attitude that privacy goes against the nature of a network. If you don't want anyone to know it or see it, don't put it out there.
8. If you know how to Google, you can solve practically any issue yourself.
9. Don't give real answers to security questions. Instead find a way to relate them to an answer that is less expected than the obvious. This makes it harder for someone that knows or has researched you to answer the questions themselves. Just make sure the answer is relatable enough for you to figure it out later should you need to use your security questions.
10. Use a secure password for your local user account for the operating system. They're just as important as your online account passwords.
 
I love number 8 on that list - I did an MA without ever going into the university library. I just googled my way through it!

That's what you get for doing an arts subject!!

:D
 
Stop using Google as your search engine because they track which websites you visit. Instead of Google use DuckDuckGo. It is just as good for 99% of what you need a search engine to do. I only use Google now when I want to search for images.
 
nurseangela said:
Me here. I have a virus in my newer computer that then traveled to my iPhone. I assumed that it was probably linked to my email acct? Every time I sent an email (and still to this day) the person gets a second email to a Canadian drug company. I'm getting some weird emails too that I don't open that say some strange things and written in broken English. Some are also answers to inquiry questions that were sent using my email acct I guess? I've changed the password on my email acct but that didn't work. I'm just worried about whoever it is getting into my bank accts or screwing up my credit. Anything I can do?
Click to expand...

Cancel your current email and buy your own domain name. Then set up an email account. It only costs about $25 a year for both. You do not need to have a website for your domain. Having your own domain lets you name it yourself and as long as you pay the annual fee it is yours forever. You can access it through a secure login from anywhere. All of the free email accounts have drawbacks; some even read your mail and send you ads based on content in your email messages.
 
Loomis said:
Cancel your current email and buy your own domain name. Then set up an email account. It only costs about $25 a year for both. You do not need to have a website for your domain. Having your own domain lets you name it yourself and as long as you pay the annual fee it is yours forever. You can access it through a secure login from anywhere. All of the free email accounts have drawbacks; some even read your mail and send you ads based on content in your email messages.
Click to expand...

Huh? Thanks Loomis for the advice. I have pretty much given up on email acct problems. I don't even know what a domain is. I'm lucky if I can get to my email and around the internet. Computers just aren't my forte.
 
nurseangela said:
Huh? Thanks Loomis for the advice. I have pretty much given up on email acct problems. I don't even know what a domain is. I'm lucky if I can get to my email and around the internet. Computers just aren't my forte.
Click to expand...

A domain is the name of a website like google.com or amazon.com or nurseangela.com. I checked and nurseangela.com is already taken however you could buy nurseangela.us (if you live in the US) for about $10 a year. I use godaddy.com as my domain provider but there are many others such as hostgator,com. If you contact one of these companies and tell them what you want they are very helpful although they do tend to try and oversell you stuff you may not need. Once you have the email account set up is it very easy to access it.

Do you have a friend who can help you?

I have never regretted setting up my own personalized email accounts. I currently own three domains = myname.com, myname.us and another. I use one for all my personal emails and one of the others for junk emails.
 
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