How Computer Savvy Are You?

[Asher]

I think having ratings for "out of this world/history-making" categories in "computer savvyness" is a bit silly, is all. History making in particular is all about opportunities, and there's no point in having the rating if only 1 out of 300 million can claim it.

Quite simply, a 10 in "computer savvyness" is someone where you can put any computer-related problem infront of them and in short order they can figure out some kind of solution to it, even if it's not something they studied indepth or have extensive experience in. It's a fundamental understanding of the computer and how it can be used to solve problems.

[KMadeleine]

i did fine up til #7. i mean on #4 i don't know the error messages, but i know enough to go on google and look them up (on hubby's pc if i've managed to screw up mine so bad i can't connect), and often that gives me enough of a clue that i sound techy enough when i explain it that hubby or a friend can work he thru fixing it. so yay!

but at 7 you made my head spin and i gave up completely:

7. Is my kernel optimized?
i have no absolutely idea, it's your kernel . what is your kernel supposed to do in the first place? does it have to do with popcorn, or maybe fried chicken?


but i do know what DoS means in #8. i can't stop them, or probably recognize one when it happens, but i know what it stands for. brownie points for that?

but there's really no way i ought to be a even a 3 like i originally thought, if blake's an 8. maybe we should re-do the poll. take away the numbers, put in titles. like civ difficulties, but instead of settler / deity have noob, wannabe haxx0r, Blake, banana, etc

Well, duh; this thing reads like a Cosmo poll.

OMG you're right! that explains my impulse to type all of my answers out! pathetic, i know, but i'm not kidding. i love those stupid quizzes don't tell anybody.

[Omni Rex Draconis]

Originally posted by Asher
there's no point in having the rating if only 1 out of 300 million can claim it.

So you are suggesting my Cosmo poll should be redistributed so that each rank represents an equal portion of the population? Nah, you do the math if you want.

While your description surely describes a ten (ANY computer problem?), it does not separate a rank 9 - who can also resolve any reasonable issue - from a rank 10, who can also come up with something original.

It takes a genius to truly understand E=mc^2, but it took Albert Einstein to come up with it first.

[Omni Rex Draconis]

Originally posted by KMadeleine
OMG you're right! that explains my impulse to type all of my answers out! pathetic, i know, but i'm not kidding. i love those stupid quizzes don't tell anybody.

Glad you enjoyed it. If my current gig at tech support doesn't pan out, I may have a career at Cosmopolitan.

[KMadeleine]

pshaw, we don't need cosmo. we could come up with some goofy PolyQuiz every week to put in some poll i'm sure. oh but the pay's probably much better there tho...

hopefully you keep a job you really like. but if you do end up at cosmo someday, feel free to send me any freebie samples you won't be using. i bet they get all kinds of fun perfume and purses and stuff. i'm not very make-up savvy tho, i only wear it for weddings, so you can keep that. *giggle*

[ZEE]

ok ok based on omni's list i am about a 6 then.

cant change my vote though

[Zoid]

Based on omni's list I'm a 6 as well

[Ramo]

It takes a genius to truly understand E=mc^2

No. It doesn't. Unless you have a very generous definition of "genius."

[FrostyBoy]

Building your own computer is easier than building a model aeroplane, especially these days. If you can do this, and only this, you deserve a 3.

If you're an average programmer, such as hacking, building applications for OS's and websites, then you deserve a 7.

If you can build your own OS or engine, you deserve a 10. So Asher, sorry, you don't get to have a 10.

The guy building the game Quest for Earth deserves a 10.

I give myself a 6.

[Harovan]

Originally posted by Asher
10 is just absurd.

9 is just stupid. So is 8. The list seems heavily slanted towards IT-monkey work, which is the fluffiest part of computing.

That is the main failing of your list. As far as I'm concerned, if you're in corporate/network infrastructure when only looking at corporate/network infrastructure you'll never be able to tell if somebody is higher than a, say, 8. It's just not that hard. Yes, designing network topologies and determining technology stacks isn't easy but it ain't rocket science either.

Where's the real challenging stuff? The algorithmic designs that were not before possible? Where's pushing the boundaries in AI and graphics and compression? Where's writing a query to search a 5TB DB in under a second? And screw this stuff about "is my kernel optimized" -- what kind of question is that? The answer is always "Yes", the question is the extent. Real optimization, aside from flagging it on the compiler itself, requires very, very deep understanding of computers that cannot be understated. The developers who can write incredibly lean, optimized code should be at the pinnacle of this list.

The deep understanding of theoretical computer science and how it applies to real, practical computer science alone is a pure differentiator between anything above 8 on the scale. All of the stuff you listed -- save for the stupid #10 -- is just IT stuff that I would rate below 8. The real test of computer savvyness isn't network design -- that's one small, and honestly rather shallow aspect of computer science. Your list emphasizes that heavily. To me, that indicates you are at best an 8 or 9 on the list.

The basic hierarchy is as follows:
Hardware
Developers
Infrastructure/IT
Users

Your list seems to stop at the infrastructure level, rather than going all the way up.

Why don't you put up a better "computer savviness list", may be by categories weighted by their importance in points? I'd trust you to assemble a competent one, which means one that doesn't put you at 100%, as you undoubtly know a lot but certainly not all. You certainly could make a better scale than all those posted so far in this thread.

[Harovan]

Originally posted by Solver
Computer science is about people who have no life

For sure, your wish not to see upsides of Linux is rather impressive

It has upsides? I'd be interested to hear what that would be in today's circumstances.

I've been fond of Linux throughout the 90's, and during this time, Linux did have upsides without any doubt. It was lean and functional, could be made secure with little effort (if you read and understand the ****ing manual, that is) and it did have the charm of the new. At the same time Windows was the clumsy and insecure dinosaur, bloated with fluff that nobody needs.

Today Linux has nearly completely caught up. The modern distributions are clumsy and bloated resource-hogs just as Windows is, however without being as pretty and as functional. It is still reasonably secure, true, but so is Windows if it is handled competent. If not handled competent, both OSes are insecure - no upsides for Linux here.

Under today's considerations I would never think to use Linux. Give me XP or Vista on the desktop any day (the latter not for gaming, though). For a lean and functional server there's always one of the BSDs and does its work better than Linux ever could.

Sorry, but Linux is pretty much out. It's sooo 90's that it's not even funny. Some people love to live in the past, though...

[Addled Platypus]

the best of both worlds

banana pizza

next poll:
How civ savy are you

[jkp1187]

Originally posted by Addled Platypus

next poll:
How civ savy are you

I give myself a 3.1415

[Asher]

Originally posted by Sir Ralph
Why don't you put up a better "computer savviness list", may be by categories weighted by their importance in points? I'd trust you to assemble a competent one, which means one that doesn't put you at 100%, as you undoubtly know a lot but certainly not all.

Is this a test on knowledge or aptitude? It's fine not to know everything, but to be able to figure it our or discover it in short order is what's key.

[Donegeal]

By Omni def... a 6/7. Just like I said before.