Re: [TCLUG:17423] short description of the Internet

["Carl Wilhelm Soderstrom" <carls@agritech.com>]

>that a good, simple metaphor might feel to yourself like you are lying, ie
>not telling the full truth about TCP/IP, or that it doesn't include
>everything, or that it just doesn't seem to fit.
        yeah, I may cut out the section on TCP/IP; sort of implying that
FTP, WWW, e-mail, etc all run on the bare wire.

>Point is, you're trying to find some metaphor that sparks THEIR interest
>and understanding--so that they can correctly conceive that the Internet is
>NOT just on their computer.  The minute you try to descibe TCP/IP it
>becomes totally incomprehensible--I don't even know if I'd use that term.
        yeah.. I really don't like metaphors, tho.. improperly applied, they
can confuse things worse than they were before.

        the fundamental flaw with my exposition, is that it predicates upon
people _wanting to know_; and _thinking about what they learn_. to a certain
extent most people do this; but there are some that are nearly hopeless.
even if you explain everything in detail; they just *don't want* to learn.
probably the same people who actively don't want to learn the hotkeys for
programs; they just want buttons to click on.

>Actually, the more I learn the less good I become at doing this.
        I'm exactly the same way. human interface skills were always my weak
point.
        I try to remember that even I once looked for a floppy drive on a
VT420, didn't know what FTP was, and had no idea where TCP/IP fit into the
scheme of things. of course, this leads me to answer *my* questions, not
necessarily the questions they'll ask.

>  ...perhaps you should/could go ask one or two of them that 
>    are novices but that DO get it what would be a good metaphor :-)
        I'm trying; but there really aren't any of them. :(

Carl Soderstrom        
System Administrator    307 Brighton Ave. 
Minnesota DHIA	        Buffalo, MN	
carls@agritech.com      (763) 682-1091