Today’s Tech Support Thursday is another “Definitions” post. We’ll go over the correct definition for what a caller has said and what the caller thought the word(s) meant.
“I’m computer illiterate”
If you’ve ever worked around computers, or had someone who knew less about computers than you do, you’ve heard this one. Let’s start with the two words defined.
Actual definition:
computer |kəmˈpyoōtər| noun
an electronic device for storing and processing data, typically in binary form, according to instructions given to it in a variable program.
illiterate |i(l)ˈlitərit| adjective
unable to read or write, [with submodifier] ignorant in a particular subject or activity
Caller Definition:
computer |kəmˈpyoōtər| noun + illiterate |i(l)ˈlitərit| adjective
The box that gets me on Facebook isn’t doing what I want it to be doing.
What the caller meant:
“I don’t care to learn how to fix it, I just want you to fix it.“
That’s where it gets frustrating. I understand if you are ignorant about something, but there’s a difference between ignorance and being unwilling to learn.
Yes, I could probably fix it faster every time, or I could take some of your time and show you how to fix it yourself. Then maybe you could teach someone else even!
Which do you think most people choose?
