[PLUG-TALK] reliance on technology (was: Redhat changes, fedora)

Russ Johnson russj at dimstar.net
Wed Nov 5 18:23:51 UTC 2003


* Jeme A Brelin <jeme at brelin.net> [2003-11-05 09:44]:
> 
> On Tue, 4 Nov 2003, Brent Rieck wrote:
> > Are you including things like indoor plumbing and refrigeration?
> 
> Absolutely.  Every piece of technology you use.

Basic understanding, I can agree to. Working knowledge. Nope. Won't
ever happen. I would venture to guess that if you had to build your own
bicycle from scratch, that you don't have a working knowledge of, or access
to, a blast furnace.

> > I'd bet that most people have absolutely no idea how either work but
> > both of them are vital (at least I think).
> 
> And that's a really bad thing in my opinion.

Once we reach a certain level of technology, it's impossible for one
person to understand everything about everything. To attempt to do so is
to set yourself up for failure. 

I have an understanding of how most of the stuff I come in contact with
works. I believe you are the same. At the same time, I realize that it's
impossible for me to "know it all". There's not time in my life for
that, even if my brain has that capacity. 

Then, there are folks that I just don't want messing with the
technology. 

> I've always said that if I have children, they can't have any toys until
> they can tell me how they work.  That means, of course, nothing but solid
> objects and obvious simple machines for a few years.

And by doing so, you limit  them. You've just eliminated one of the best
learning tools there is. My parents gave me my first bicycle when I was
3. By 5 I was taking it apart and putting back together. Without doing
that, (on my own, without any help from my parents) I may not have the
mechanical skills I have today. 

I'm talking about hands on training. First of all, small children only
learn by touch. They can't read, so they can't learn by studying books.
At 5, I was reading, but not shop manuals.

Something to think about.

-- 
Russ Johnson
Dimension 7/Stargate Online
http://www.dimstar.net

Top post? http://www.caliburn.nl/topposting.html

Random thought #21 (Collect all 21)
Is it a co-incidence that there are 42 characters, including spaces, in the following sentence: "Answer to life the universe and everything"
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