technomind

So Simple yet so mind boggling

I am in the process of switching to a new job. I am now kind of scared. When they hired me they told me that they were not a heavy technology company but I guess I didn't quite get the full gist of what that meant. My new employer called me yesterday with an absolutely earth shattering problem that no one in the office could figure out. They begged me to take a look at it and see if I could help. Turns out they had an Excel spreadsheet that needed some "very complicated work" done to it - sorted by not one or two but three columns (I know - I gasped as well at the complexity of the issue).

I suppose for what they are paying me I won't mind solving their excel issues, but it led me to start thinking - always a dangerous thing. Why is technology so baffling to some people? I mean they can figure out how to drive a car (some of them) even though they don't know how an engine works, so why isn't usability of a computer the same? There are so many things one could blame this on - the Education system, poverty, Bill Gates, but I think it is even more basic then that. The majority of people seem to not only not know how to use technology, but have an allergic reaction when it is even talked about. They just don't want to keep up with the times and quite frankly I say leave them where they are - it just puts those of us who do care in a better position to do the same thing we do every day - "Try to take over the world"!