Due to the increased winds of change in computing, the abilities of the novice user and of the power user are similarly leveled -- downward. As the winds of change in computing increase, grasping an overview of the whole domain of computation is impossible, thus predictions are unreliable, and expectations are uncertain. It is difficult to understand fully even the applications that are used daily. Except, perhaps, for a computer professional (more about which following), the power user is about on a level with the novice -- a low level.
Examples of the rapid increase of the winds of change can be found in almost every facet of computing. When PCs became popular, there was only one PC microprocessor: the 8086. (For the sake of simplicity, the Macintosh and work-station lines of development are ignored in the following.) Then, in an orderly progression, there was the 286 and the 386. Power users understood the major differences among the processors, and they could make informed decisions and give sound advice.
More recently, the winds of change have increased. Now we have many microprocessors: 386DX, 386SX, 486DX, 486SX, 486DX-50, 486DX2-66, 486DX4-100, 486SX2, Pentium 60, Pentium 66, Pentium 90, and Pentium 100. All of these processors are more-or-less current technology; they all run Windows 3.1 and WordPerfect 6.0. And there are more alternatives: all of the chips enumerated just above are manufactured by one company, but there are at least three other makers of processors that will execute comparable instruction sets. Add to the list the RISC chips such as the PowerPC. With such a bewildering array of choices, the novice and the power user will probably make decisions in similar ways.
Operating systems and new applications written for them provide similar examples. Using DOS, power users who understood the AUTOEXEC.BAT and the CONFIG.SYS files were much more sophisticated users than novices. Now, users of Windows and OS/2 are all pretty much reduced to the mouse point-click-and-bungle method of operation with little understanding of what happens behind the user interface. For most Windows applications, all users simply strive to remember the location of the buttons for the most important functions (they tend to be found in the upper left corner), and they flail about on the buttons and pull-down menus when they can not remember how to select a desired function.
By the way, the number of buttons and menus of new versions of applications seems to be increasing dramatically as features expand. Presumably, the new versions must contain every feature of the old versions, plus they must include the features of the competition, plus marketing departments will want them to have as many new (momentarily) unique features as possible -- in order to get the jump on the competition. Additions of new features (and thus new buttons and menus) are rather certain to create some confusion, but it is not certain that such additions will always make computing easier or more powerful for users.
Two colleagues to whom a draft of this editorial was sent contend that the examples of the winds on the computer court (described above) are actually comparatively slight -- there are far stronger winds out there, they say. A French professor who is the director of a computerized language lab said that he is fighting desperately to solve overwhelming multimedia and networking problems. There is little doubt that the multiplicity of monitors, sound cards, network hardware, and transfer rates is perplexing. Another professor tactfully disagreed with some of my contentions about change, but he conceded that there is an area that has grown forbiddingly complex: computer programming. Once, in the old days, he could understand enough about DOS and about his machine BIOS so that he could write useful programs (in assembler language), but, now, as an amateur programmer, he can never learn enough about new languages (such as C++) to write programs that will run under Windows or OS/2. Those who are not professionals simply cannot create computer code for a modern multitasking, multithreaded operating system.
In any case, if so-called power users can only do the same things with computers as novices can do, there really are no power users. All users will point, click, and bungle.
Well, even if the winds of change are reducing to one low level the many computer users who are experts in other areas, I had nevertheless assumed that the winds would not affect professionals who make their living in the field. I thought that we would continue to receive accurate professional advice from a manufacturer's technical staff. I recently had an experience that may show that my assumptions are wrong.
I have a terrific 486 computer that needed a larger hard drive. In former days, before the winds, I could probably have contacted my dealer or the manufacturer, and, with little trouble, I could have been using a larger drive in a short amount of time.
Now, when I contacted the manufacturer, I was told that I could not order a larger drive of the type I had (ESDI), but that I could buy a different kind of drive (a SCSI drive would be good), but then I would also need to buy a new adapter card (disk controller). I was informed that I could not get the SCSI drive and adapter from the manufacturer of my computer because they no longer supported the architecture of my machine (microchannel). As I was advised, I contacted a third-party supplier, and a drive and adapter were ordered and soon arrived. However, I was not sent a cable to connect the drive with the adapter. I called the company, and a cable was sent, but it would not fit the adapter. I was then sent a converter to attach to the cable. The converter did not fit the adapter. I was then sent another cable, and it did fit both the drive and the adapter, but it was pointed out to me that I had a SCSI-2 adapter which required a 32-bit slot, and I realized that I did not have a 32-bit slot available for it in my machine. Another adapter was sent. At last, I had the correct drive, adapter, and cable, but my computer would not recognize the new hardware. There was a problem in the BIOS that would require a software patch. After more trouble (and being told that I should shoot my machine), I received and installed the patch, and the new drive worked!
(Parenthetically, I must add that I was told -- several times -- that I could keep my old ESDI drive installed and that I could use the new SCSI drive in parallel with it; this turned out to be untrue, but I was so delighted to have the large SCSI drive working at last, that I did not care about the ESDI drive any longer.)
In the process of ordering a disk drive with the correct adapter and cable that would work with my machine's architecture and BIOS, I talked with about two dozen technical and sales representatives who work for two of the most respected computer companies in this country. Most of these two dozen people gave me erroneous information; more than once I was told that I could not make a SCSI drive work in my machine. Only two technical staff members gave me correct and complete information. With the possible exception of the person who told me to shoot my computer, everyone I talked to seemed to be making the utmost exertion to assist me. A conclusion that may be drawn from my experience is that the winds of change in the areas of disk drives, adapters, cables, computer architecture, and BIOS are affecting professionals to the extent that they cannot give expert advice about their own products.
Perhaps it is inevitable that those with positions and expertise in areas other than computing will fall behind and can no longer be power users. It may be (to look at the bright side) that there will be marvelous advances in hardware and software resulting from the winds of change, and that the advances will more than compensate for the demise of power users. However, if accurate professional advice can no longer be supplied by computer manufacturers, there are real problems for everyone who uses computers. Possibly a period of gentle winds and stability will arrive during which professionals (and some power users) can catch up. Possibly.
This article is abstracted from a keynote address given at the 27th Conference of the Association of Small Computer Users in Education, Myrtle Beach, S. C., June 13, 1994.
Eric Johnson is the author of more than one hundred published articles,
volumes, and papers mostly about computers and texts. He can be contacted
via email as
JohnsonE@dsuvax.dsu.edu
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