tlug: It's STORY time

[Jim Schweizer <schweiz@example.com>]

Hi all,

On 10-Oct-98 Scott Stone wrote:
> However, the points made about computer-savvy people in Japan is correct -
> just looking at tech support issues, Japanese customers seem to need a bit
> more 'hand holding' than the Americans I was dealing with back in Utah.
> I'm not even going to speculate on why this might be, as I have no idea
> whatsoever, but I'd be interested in hearing other peoples' views on this.

I can't speak to what it's like in Tokyo, but in western Japan in the
universities it's a horror show.

Like the time a university sys-admin told a group of English teachers that
students couldn't get an email address because sendmail only 'sends' mail. (The
students did find out about hotmail ;)

Or the time I was giving a presentation in Hiroshima and one respected
professor commented that, "at OUR school, only the teachers can use the computer
room." At the same presentation, a teacher asked, oh so seriously, "but what
do you do if the computer breaks?"

At the two universities where I teach, the computer labs are *locked* unless a
teacher is in the room. At one of them the lead sys-admin wouldn't talk to me
for weeks because I had the temerity to suggest that bash was a better shell
than c.

It's not all bad, though. I do know of a couple of university sys-admins (at a
university where I used to teach) that are on the ball, and what's even better,
one of them even admits that he doesn't know everything and willingly takes
advice!

Now, if you want to start talking about the students.... The word 'newbie'
doesn't even begin to describe the general student population. My 4 year old
knows more about computers than the average 1st semester freshman.

The problem is there is almost no PC instruction in the jr. and sr. high
schools (let alone UN*X) and the penetration of PCs into the household is only
now showing some life. 

That's one view from the trenches ;-)

Regards,

Jim S.


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