Well, the past few days I have had more tech adventures, all which teach lessons. As I told you, yesterday I tried to subscribe to Peter’s blog. Peter told me to specify Google reader, but when I tried it, it did not seem to work. I emailed Peter, and he told me I had to get an account. “Oh” I said. So I went to get an account, and tried to use Google reader. Did not get successful results. Emailed Peter again, with various screen captures illustrating my problems. He emails me that I was using an obsolete browser – more fine print. This was somewhat distressing, because I wondered, if I had to get a new browser, I might have to get a new operating system. I will need to do so soon anyway, because I have iMovie 3 on my G5, while the best (and free version) is probably iMovie 7, which, alas, needs OS X.4+ and I have only OS X.3+. And we know the fear that, if you change the operating system – what software that you need (like my version of Filemaker Pro) will then not work?
Me and the manual!
This is a serious problem to think about as we try to introduce new technology to our students, as well as fellow faculty. I think of the problems I have had, and I am probably a pretty tech-savvy guy. Can you imagine what might have happened if I had decided that everybody in my Senior Humanities Seminar should have a blog instead of a journal? At least I, as a full-time faculty member and Chair can get access to tech support that students probably can’t as easily. Think of the student who is using an old PC or Mac given to him by his brother, who barely knows what an operating system is, who suddenly is confronted with having to make a blog. I remember years ago when I helped put on some tech workshops. Time-stressed students and faculty, especially if they are not too tech-minded, hate the ‘fine-print’, especially when it manifests itself in incomprehensible problems. At least the problem I had made sense to me, because I am experienced enough with these problems to realize where to go looking for a solution. Thus, even though Peter did not suggest it to me, I tried my version of Safari – and it let me use Google Reader, so I was spared. Last semester one of my instructors encountered a problem with Blackboard which turned out to be some problem with, I think, the Firefox browser.
Thus, when we want to introduce technology to those who are not particularly interested in tech for itself, but only in achieving a purpose, we really need to make sure there is as little ‘fine print’ as possible, and that there is as much support as possible. But that would probably be too ideal a world, alas.
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