If someone asked you explain exactly what a computer mouse is, what would you say? A “pointing device”? But how does it actually point? With infrared sensors, of course. But what is “infrared”?

Not everyone knows what a mouse is, or what a gigabyte is, or how the Internet works.

To people who have used computers since the 1990s, this is an unnecessary dialogue. Doesn’t everyone know what a mouse is?

No, not everyone does. Nor does everyone know what a gigabyte is, or how the Internet works, or what a virus does, or the difference between Office 2003 and Office 2007. It’s called the digital divide, and it’s still an issue.

Granted, the digital divide really isn’t an issue in most office environments — you can expect your colleagues to have experience with computing and the Internet. But the fact that it still exists, even when computers are so inexpensive and ubiquitous, should remind us that we are not all at the same level, and it’s not always for lack of interest or aptitude. Read more…

admin Computer Literacy Bing, CAPTCHA, digital divide, Google, Greater Philadelphia Cares, lingo, Microsoft, Office 2003, Office 2007, spam, Yahoo

Last week, MSNBC featured a story with this headline: “Lack of computer skills foils many job-seekers.” The article highlighted how many of those included in the recent record-high unemployment stats don’t have adequate enough skills to file for their unemployment benefits online, let alone compete in a fierce market for jobs.

Even those with jobs have problems with tasks they are expected to perform daily.

But it’s not just the jobless who are struggling with rudimentary computer skills. Even those with jobs have problems with tasks they are expected to perform daily.

For example, if an employee cannot get the page numbering to work in the departmental report he is working on, where will he go for help? He probably will not call the IT help desk; that’s just for when computers are on fire or when networks are down (that, he’s learned from experience). Or, he might browse Microsoft’s notoriously useless help feature. Read more…

admin Computer Literacy Help Desk, hidden demand, MSNBC, software support

Our consultants rarely come across a question that hasn’t been asked before. Experience and stats prove that most users have problems with the same general areas of an application. And although modifying font and line spacing in a document isn’t excessively time-consuming, when you add up the minutes it takes to make those type of changes to every document created, and scale that across a company with 3,500 PC users, the productivity loss becomes a lot more substantial. Read more…

admin Computer Literacy, How To, Time-Saving Tips, Worker Productivity Help Desk, Microsoft Word, productivity, ROI, spellcheck

In a recent post, blogger Thomas Wailgum offered five ways to ruin a PowerPoint presentation. One in particular resonated with me: “Ignore your body language and vocal delivery.”

It brought to mind the 1960 Nixon-Kennedy presidential debate. Although I didn’t see it live, I learned about it in college as an example of how your image can negate your message. Here’s the clip from YouTube: JFK vs. Nixon, 1960 debate. Read more…

admin Computer Literacy, How To, PowerPoint CIO, JFK, Nixon, oversoftwaring

Cue the Benny Hill music: CIO.com reports that in a recent study, researchers found that employees at large companies (10,000+ workers) spend an average of 38 minutes searching for one document, whether it’s on company networks, databases, intranets or local drives.

What a frightening, unnecessary drain on productivity.

Below are five more snags that can tie up employees for hours. Read more…

admin Computer Literacy, Excel, How To, Outlook, ROI, Time-Saving Tips, Word, Worker Productivity CIO, Computer Literacy, Help Desk, ROI

In previous posts, I examined why corporate workers hesitate to call their help desks when stuck with a software quandary. I referred to the so-called stupidity factor, or fear of looking stupid, as one of the top reasons.

In an e-mail response, a reader pointed out an even greater obstacle, something he called the infuriation factor. Read more…

admin Computer Literacy, How To, ROI, Worker Productivity best-of-breed, CIO, Help Desk, IT leaders, Outsourcing, ROI, software support, Worker Productivity

In a previous post (see Real-Life Help Desk Tales, Part 1), I touched upon why people don’t call the help desk when they need software assistance (fear of looking stupid, unpleasant past experience, assumed time investment). In this post, I will take a closer look at the stupidity factor. Read more…

admin Computer Literacy, How To, ROI, Worker Productivity CIO, Computer Literacy, Help Desk, IT leaders, mariachi band, software support, Worker Productivity

Consider the following scenario: The entire staff of an elementary school was recently upgraded to Office 2007. When Teacher A began creating a new lesson in PowerPoint, which is something she does on a regular basis, she couldn’t figure out how to align her text.

After more than an hour of trial and error Read more…

admin Computer Literacy, Office 2007, ROI, Worker Productivity Cat Stevens, Help Desk, Office 2007, PowerPoint, ROI, software support, Worker Productivity

On the surface, it seems a no-brainer: Why pay extra to hire an outside company for desktop application support when the demand does not exist? This perception is confirmed by the small percentage of all help desk calls that relate to desktop applications. However, those numbers represent only a fraction of what truly exists.

Lesson 1: Icebergs and Undergrounds

In the common view of desktop application support, calls typically account for less than Read more…

admin Computer Literacy, PowerPoint, ROI, Worker Productivity best-of-breed, Help Desk, Outsourcing, ROI, software support, Worker Productivity

You’ve already committed the company to an Office 2007 migration, and the learning curve alone promises grief. Factor in the current financial climate and the overwhelming pressure to pull off a successful migration, and you have full-on agita.

Software migrations will no doubt cause disruptions in at least three areas over several months. But if you approach it with a thought-out plan, you can lessen the sting.

Where’s the File Menu?

The first and most obvious impact will be on your employees. Read more…

admin Computer Literacy, Office 2007, ROI, Worker Productivity Office 2007, Office 2007 Migration Assurance Program