So, the other day I was helping this self-proclaimed Luddite install some software.
I would never criticize someone for simply not knowing something. We all have different experiences, and there’s more than enough knowledge to go around. I’m always (okay, often) happy to help.
What bothered me was the pride behind the proclamation. It’s reverse snobbery, and the worst kind — like being proud of being poor (or rather not being rich). It’s a mask for insecurity.
The following argument was offered: “it took me decades to get this ignorant, so it’ll take me equally as long to learn how to do it.”
Um, noooo…. By that logic it should take us 16 years or so to learn to drive! Okay, bad example….
We all have different tolerances for change, and as software developers, our job is to make software that’s as easy to use as a toaster. For sure, we’re a long way off on many fronts. But then, so are the toaster manufacturers! We’re all doing varying degrees of our best and our worst. But turning fear of change into pride just plain sucks!
