I have
been supporting home users for over 10 years
now, and I have yet to meet a client I thought
was "stupid." Yet many of them say to me, "I'm so stupid when it comes
to computers!" This just isn't true, and is my main objection to various
"Dummies" books and "Idiot" guides.
To learn a subject, you really need to have some familiarity with it. It
has to be at least a little bit like something else you are
familiar with. If a subject is completely foreign to you, you will have a
tough time indeed in learning anything about it at all. This does not make
one stupid! It only means that what you are trying to learn is very
unfamiliar to you. Luckily computers have a couple of items that are at
least somewhat familiar looking. People know TVs, so they have some
recognition of computer monitors (which lots of folks call "the screen").
They know typewriters, so the keyboard is not terribly unfamiliar. But that
is where the familiarity stops for many, many people.
I've put together a home-grown glossary of computer terms that I have found
are commonly misunderstood, or not understood at all. I use lots of
analogies to explain these in order to create some degree of familiarity.
These definitions are not intended to be the last word in technical
accuracy, but rather are meant to get across concepts that may be unfamiliar
to you.
I'll be growing this section over time, as subjects and questions come up in
the forums, as suggestions or requests roll in.