i saw someone say nobody needs to know what a .txt file is anymore. what the fuck is the world coming to
unironically i think we need to bring back computer labs because APPARENTLY some people WERENT taught basic computer literacy and internet safety in school
things about computers/the internet i think kids should be formally taught in schools because theyre important to know and the amount of soon to be grown adults i know who know NOTHING about any of these is quite frankly almost all of them (and resources to learn if you dont know these things, because its never to late to get better with computers)
how to troubleshoot by yourself when you have a technical problem
what common file types are
some very basics on how to use ""developer tools"" on your computer (because i cant think of a better way to refer to them) like task manager and command prompt (and their mac equivalents, terminal and activity monitor ofc)
how to read and understand a privacy policy and what your personal data is, as well as what it being collected actually means and steps you can take to keep it private
how to understand terms of service (hey. if you have trouble with reading legalese and worry about being able to understand these policies anyways, here's a site that gives basic summaries of privacy policies and ToS)
what a cookie actually is
internet privacy and your digital footprint!! seriously i dont know why we stopped teaching people that they shouldnt be putting their entire real identity online in a world where your online actions can ruin you irl
basic safety measures like antivirus software (and why you should use it or if the built in one on windows or mac is enough for you) and backing up your computer (also a mac guide)
common keyboard shortcuts (and on mac)
as an additional note: things i think everyone should know on computers and the internet but schools may bit hesitant to teach about for whatever moral/legal standards schools pretend to operate on
vpns and adblockers! (btw for most of these where you can pay for things im purposefully not recommending any specific software but seriously just use ublock origin for an adblocker)
how to not get a virus while pirating something
what a temporary email is and when to use one
red flags that you shouldn't trust a website (and how to quickly check the security of a site)
what javascript on a website does and how to disable it to get around paywalls
ok one last addition! if you want to take it one level higher, i think learning the very basics of at least one programming language is good for people. it makes computers less scary and it makes you feel very cool, and a lot of people get discouraged about it because it seems overly complicated and hard to learn outside a formal classroom setting, so heres some resources for learning the very basics of python (because i consider it the easiest language to learn and knowing one language will make it easier to learn others)
an online compiler so you dont need to download anything or worry about running code directly on your computer if that makes you nervous
a basic video guide to introduce you to python and walk you through beginner steps
a guide to some syntax and commands you should know (this was literally my lifeline in my first CS class)
some performance tasks to give you things to code to practice and assess yourself
this is so important! thanks!
I'm on my phone rn, and here are the Firefox extensions I use:
I use similar ones on my computer. these vastly de-enshittify your web experience
for cases where Firefox isn't supported (government and school websites are notorious for this, as well as insecure sites in general), I use the private Chrome variation called Opera, the only browser where I let Google search run, and there I use udm=14, the de-enshittified original style search
I agree that learning basic coding is important, not least because it'll help you in a million unexpected ways - even for practical things, especially if you ever want to make a website or such, and to give you better control of your blogs and other online stuff
that's why I'd recommend learning basic HTML and CSS, because knowing the basics of web design and structure will free you from getting trapped in a corporate system where you have no control
years ago I made a series of video tutorials for my technical-communication course, and they're a good, easy way to get started if you'd like to try it yourself - here's the YouTube playlist: X. I find coding fun!
especially lately with Windows 11 nonsense, I've frequently mentioned here that Windows users need to download and use the Group Policy editor (no longer installed on Home systems) to do things like turn off surveillance and "artificial intelligence" bullhookey, and to customize your experience to make that OS functional. search your trusted download site to find it (it's a powerful tool, so don't just grab it from anywhere)
corporations want to strip us of power and control over our machines and our online experience. we need to take back our power and control
