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Re: [EXTERNAL] Re: You just went to the Google homepage. What actually happened?

Posted by Russ Abbott on Mar 21, 2013; 11:45pm
URL: http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/Fwd-You-just-went-to-the-Google-homepage-What-actually-happened-tp7582191p7582210.html

Every once in a while I hear about a survey where it is asked who you would like to have with you in case of a major catastrophe.  Overwhelmingly the answer is an engineer.  I wouldn't disagree.


 
-- Russ Abbott
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  Professor, Computer Science
  California State University, Los Angeles

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On Thu, Mar 21, 2013 at 4:42 PM, Parks, Raymond <[hidden email]> wrote:
Well, if the subject is computer security instead of web-pages then a point and drool, Idiocracy, world will keep me in employment.

On the other hand, point and drool policy makers tend to annoy me with their stupid policies.

Ray Parks
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On Mar 21, 2013, at 5:25 PM, Joshua Thorp wrote:

Probably the issue pops up when turning the wheel doesn't have the desired effect.  Without knowing more about how the car works all the user can say is "it doesn't work",  and all the mechanic can say is bring it in.  

Having an idea of how things are supposed to work one or two levels down can be useful when dealing with them when they don't.  And knowing who to talk to, and what to say.  Sure you can drive without knowing about how internal combustion works,  but having an idea that gas is necessary component and when it isn't present the car won't go is also useful and could save you a headache down the road.

Seems to me the more interesting question is what level of detail should we understand something like a web page or a car.  We have a fairly worked out basic level of understanding needed for operating a vehicle, but even here that level of understanding is generally going down as we lock up more and more of the operational decisions in black boxes instead of requiring the human to attend to them.

So the question is where do we stop this trend of not knowing,  or do we just want to live in a point and click world where everything either works or no help but to go to the experts when it doesn't.

--joshua



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