Would never happen, just someone thinking on-line ... at least I dont think it would happen

Heh.. the article is also on MSNBC.com and a survey... 85% say it's the stupidest thing they've ever heard, 12% say good idea but hard to implement, and 3% say great idea long overdue.

Just the idea that someone, somewhere, with some kind of authoritative position wants this makes me wanna hurl. (Maybe I'm just in a bad mood tonight)...

Well, the basic idea of getting knowledge or training about safe, legal and proper internet usage does sound like a good idea. Maybe these kids that are getting sued(or their parents really) would better understand the do's and don'ts as well as how to protect themselves against viruses and other cruel internet stuff. But, the idea of having to get a license like those who drive cars does sound a little overboard.

I think a classroom environment for the children is a great idea. And, many schools do seem to have them.

It would be a great idea if isp's at least tried to educate their customers before turning people loose on the internet.Mine just hooked me up and then your on your own.they dont tell you ANYTHING!

Yeah, teaching people (or kids) is one thing, but forcing people to take a class before they are 'allowed' to get online is a bit authoritarian.

that one cracks me up!

LMFAO

Well, last week I would have thought it's the stupidest thing in the World, but last Sunday, I had to call a customer from home to explain to her how to make a CD that I made run. She had called my boss to tell him that the CD we delivered was defective. So he called me at home on a Sunda to try to clear things up with her.
Here is just an idea about the conversation:

Me: Hi, Joh tells me you're having some little problems with the CD?
Her: Yes, it's not working.
Me: How so? What's not working exactly?
Her: Well, when I try to open it in Powerpoint it doesn't work.
Me: Well, yes, indeed, because it's not a PowerPoint presentation. It's a self-running show. You don't need to open it in anything.
Her: Well, I don't know what to do then, bacause when I put the CD in my computer nothing happens.
Me: OK, the show isn't set to auto-run, so you have to go in the CD drive to get it.
Her: How do I do that?
Me: OK, well, go in My Computer and double-click on your CD-Rom to open it.
Her: I don't see it.
Me: You don't see what?
Her: Well, I'm in Start, then under Programs. But I don't see it.
Me: No, no, on your desktop. You have an icon that says "My Computer".
Her: Oh, OK. Yes, I double-clicked and I see the CD.
(she then double-clicks on the Multimedia show I made to start it)
Her: OK, it's working, Great! But there is no sound.
Me: Sure there is sound. There is music.
Her: No there isn't. There must be a problem with the CD.
Me: No there isn't. There IS sound. Are your speakers turned on? Is the volume up?
Her: Wait a sec. (pause, followed by the sound of music) Ah ok. Sorry, my speakers were turned off.
Me: It's all right.  Now, you're going to get better performance from the show if you copy the file on your hard drive instead of running it directly from the CD. So I suggest you copy it on your desktop and run it from there.
Her: OK, but I don't see a Save menu. In Word, I can just save something on my desktop, but there is no save menu here.
Me: No there isn't. You just have to copy/paste it.
Her: I'm sorry, but I don't know how to do that.
Me: Well, OK. First, is the show still running? Close it. The is a X on the top right of your window, click on it. Now, do you still see you CD folder opened.
Her: Yes, there are two things in it.
Me: Correct. Now first, select them both and just drag them over an empty space of your desktop and drop them there.
Her: Wait, you're going too fast. I double-click on them?
Me: No. Don't double-click. To select both files together, click at the bottom right of the files, keep your mouse button down, the drag your mouse over to the top left of the files, then release your mouse button.
Her: I'm sorry, you lost me.
Me: OK, never mind. Lets try it differently. We'll just copy them one at a time. Click - just one click! Not double-click - on one of the files. Got it?
Her: Yes, I clicked once and it's hilighted.
Me: Excellent. Now just drag the file on your desktop.
Her: How do I do that? I don't see my desktop.
Me: Oh, your window is opened full screen?
Her: Excuse me?
Me: You don't see any part of your desktop behind your window?
Her: No.
Me: OK, then resize your window a bit so you can see your desktop a little.
Her: Resize?
Me: Drag the bottom right corner of your window over a little.
Her: I don't know...
Me: Never mind. Is your icons still selected?
Her: Yes.
Me: OK, go in the Edit menu. At the very top of your window. You see menu headers: File, Edit, etc. Right?
Her: Yes.
Me: OK, click on Edit, a little menu will pop down and choose Copy.
Her: OK.
Me: Now minimize your window to return to your desktop
Her: OK (thank God she knew how to do that)
Me: Now there is no menu here, so you'll have to use a combination of key to paste it. Press on the Control key of your keyboard, press it pressed, and press on the letter V. Then let go.
Her: OK, but nothing is happening.

Anyway, this went on a while more. In the end, I gave up.
Me: Well, I don't know what to say. It's very difficult to tell you what to do over the phone. I guess you'll have to run the show from the CD. It works. It'll just be a little slower that's all. But if you have a friend or a collegue that can help you copy them on your computer, that would be the best solution.

And blablabla. Thank you for your time, and blabla.

Anyway. I swear it's almost work per word my conversation with her! I think some peple just should not be allowed to own a computer!

CSPAN was interesting to say the least yesterday with the Sub Committe on Computer Security and the Internet.

Those butt munches writting virus, trojans and worms being called alternative exploit researchers cracked me up.

They don't have a clue what to do, Microsoft told this little dweeb that they wanted nothing more than to be able for force updates and such without consumer interaction but that it would be a hard thing to promote both in the USA and outside of it.

Frankly, they need to open up Internet2 and lock the government stuff on Internet1. I2 can handel everything on the net now and probably for the next 5 - 10 years pipe size wise. The Security question pretty much sits on Microsofts lap as far as the Windows OS goes. Then same for anyone else publishing an OS *or* application.

You're right paxx...I've been there, done that. I've had customers I wanted to take their computer away and delete them....

that was me, a few yrs ago

I had a guy once complain he could not get the CD into the new Blaster CD I had installed, seems it wouldn't fit.

So finally when I get over to his office he isn't there, but there is a CD, an NEC CD Caddy, the tray is out on the Sandblaster CD-ROM and a nasty note about IT departments that can not fix something correctly the first time around.

So I waited until he called after getting back to his office (irate because I had not fixed it) and walked over to his office. He started off with " Why are you here, I want someone who can help me" So I asked him what was the problem it worked fine when I was there before, and it had worked fine right after I had installed the CD-Rom.

So he says it doesn't it and then goes on to show me, I took the caddy from him when it started looking as if he was going to force it in as far as he could, removed the CD, placed it in the tray, closed the tray, and his freaking Apache Attack started loading up on the screen...

idiot...

What a maroon!

It is incredible how uninformed people are about things. Even when its in plain sight. I work in retail and get tons of stupid questions daily. They want to know how to run things, and never even bothered to read the instructions.
Anyway back to what this thread is really about, I think the premise of a license is correct, just a poor metaphor to compare it to driving. Does everyone drive correctly even though they have a license? No! Plus you need policemen just to help keep people doing it right.
The internet doesn't need policemen, nor do we need licenses.
I do, however, feel there is some training that people should be forced to undergo (or take a test to prove knowledge) before getting onto the internet. ISP's would have to provide that though and could increase costs.
The more important issue in regards to computers is using them. Even for those of us experienced in computers, things don't always work the way they are intended to work. But we know alternatives, most people do not, because computers are still not user friendly enough for your average dumb joe public.
It blows my mind that people when shopping for a monitor/printer don't realize it doesn't have to be the same brand as their computer. Or they want a cable to connect their printer to the PC, and I show them it, and they say "will that work with an HP"? I don't know where people get the idea that things don't work with each other, there are exceptions like 8mm and VHS, but overall different brands work together within the same product range.

So I don't hope licenses ever come to be, but training for all computer users is extremely important.



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I think it's just a tough transistion. Every kid now learns to use computer in school. In 10 years this problem won't be so common.