Computer literacy is the knowledge and ability to use computers and technology efficiently. Computer literacy can also refer to the comfort level someone has with using computer programs and other applications that are associated with computers. Computer programs (also software programs, or just programs) are instructions for a Computer. A computer is a Machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions. Another valuable component of computer literacy is knowing how computers work and operate. As of 2005, having basic computer skills is a significant asset in the developed countries. The term developed country, or advanced country, is used to categorize countries with developed Economies in which the tertiary and quaternary sectors

The precise definition of "computer literacy" can vary from group to group. Generally, literate (in the realm of books) connotes one who can read any arbitrary book in their native language[s], looking up new words as they are exposed to them. traditional definition of literacy is considered to be the ability to read and write or the ability to use Language to read, write, listen, A Book is a set or collection of written printed illustrated or blank sheets made of Paper, Parchment, or other material usually fastened together Likewise, an experienced computer professional may consider the ability to self-teach (i. e. to learn arbitrary new programs or tasks as they are encountered) to be central to computer literacy. In common discourse, however, "computer literate" often connotes little more than the ability to use several very specific applications (usually Microsoft Word, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Outlook) for certain very well-defined simple tasks, largely by rote. Application software is a subclass of Computer software that employs the capabilities of a computer directly and thoroughly to a task that the user wishes to perform Microsoft Word is Microsoft 's flagship word processing software. Windows Internet Explorer (formerly Microsoft Internet Explorer abbreviated MSIE) commonly abbreviated to IE, is a series of graphical Microsoft Outlook or Outlook (full name Microsoft Office Outlook since Outlook 2003 is a Personal information manager from Microsoft, and is (This is analogous to a child claiming that they "can read" because they have rote-memorized several small children's books. Real problems can arise when such a "computer literate" person encounters a new program for the first time, and large degrees of "hand-holding" will likely be required. ) Being "literate" and "functional" are generally taken to mean the same thing.

Background

The pervasiveness of computers continues to grow at an outstanding rate. Computers always change; they become smaller, faster and more powerful. These changes have motivated the modern society to become comfortable with basic computer-related skills.

Social implications

The level of computer literacy one must achieve to gain an advantage over others depends both on the society one is in and one's place in the social hierarchy. Social hierarchy is a multi-tiered pyramid-like social or functional structure having an apex as the centralization of power Prior to the development of the first computers in the 1950s, the word computer referred to a person who could count, calculate, compute. The fear of some educators today is that computer training in schools will serve only to train data-entry clerks of the next generation, low level workers of the so-called knowledge industries. On the other hand, some hope that enhanced computer literacy will enable a new generation of cultural producers to make meanings and circulate those in the public sphere. The wildfire of cultural production associated with sites such as Youtube seems to support this notion. YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload view and share Video clips YouTube was created in February 2005 by three former PayPal employees

Different countries have different needs for computer literate people due to their society standards and level of technology. Technology is a broad concept that deals with a Species ' usage and knowledge of Tools and Crafts and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt The world's digital divide is now an uneven one with knowledge nodes such as India disrupting old North/South dichotomies of knowledge and power. The term digital divide refers to the gap between those people with effective access to Digital and Information technology and those without

Computer literacy in the first world

Computer literacy is considered to be a very important skill to possess while in the first world. The term " first world " refers to countries that are capitalist, which are technologically advanced and whose Employers want their workers to have basic computer skills because their company becomes ever more dependent on computers. Many companies try to use computers to help run their company faster and cheaper.

Computers are just as common as pen and paper for writing, especially among youth. Youth is the period from infancy or childhood to maturity Usage Around the world the terms "youth" " Adolescent " "teenager" and For many applications - especially communicating - computers are preferred over pen, paper, and typewriters because of their ability to duplicate and retain information and ease of editing. A typewriter is a mechanical or Electromechanical device with a set of "keys" that when pressed cause characters to be printed on a medium

As personal computers become common-place and they become more powerful, the concept of computer literacy is moving beyond basic functionality to more powerful applications under the heading of multimedia literacy. Multimedia literacy is a new aspect of Literacy that is being recognized as technology expands the way people communicate

Of course, arguments about computers being common-place in the first world assume that everyone in the first world has equal access to the latest forms of technology. However, there is a pronounced digital divide that separates both physical access to technology and the ability to use that technology effectively. The term digital divide refers to the gap between those people with effective access to Digital and Information technology and those without

Computer education

Where computers are widespread, they are also a part of education. Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency Computers are used in schools for many applications such as writing papers or searching the Internet for information. A school (from Greek σχολεῖον - scholeion) is an Institution designed to allow and encourage Students (or "pupils" The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks Computer skills are also a subject being specifically taught in many schools, especially from adolescence onward - when the ability to make abstractions forms. --> Abstraction is the process or result of generalization by reducing the information

One problematic element of many (though not all) "computer literacy" or computer education programs is that they may resort too heavily on rote memorization. In Psychology, memory is an organism's ability to store retain and subsequently retrieve information Students may be taught, for example, how to perform several common functions (e. g. : Open a file, Save a file, Quit the program) in very specific ways, using one specific version of one specific program. When a graduate of such a program encounters a competing program, or even a different version of the same program, they may be confused or even frightened by the differences from what they learned. This is one reason why major computer and software firms such as Apple Computer and Microsoft consider the educational market important: The often time-limited computer education provided in schools most often lends itself to rote memorization, creating a sort of vendor lock-in effect whereby graduates are afraid to switch to competing computer systems. Apple Inc, ( formerly Apple Computer Inc, is an American Multinational corporation with a focus on designing and manufacturing Consumer electronics Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency In Economics, vendor lock-in, also known as proprietary lock-in, or customer lock-in, makes a customer dependent on a vendor for products

Graduates of computer education programs based around rote memorization may be heard asking things such as "just tell me where to click", and may need to rely upon paper notes for some computing tasks. (Example: A note on the monitor reading "Hit 'enter' after power up. ") Many such users may need tremendous amounts of "hand-holding" even after years or decades of daily computer use. (This can be especially frustrating for experienced computer users, who are accustomed to figuring out computers largely on their own. ) The primary factor preventing such functionally computer illiterate users from self-educating may simply be fear (of losing data through doing the "wrong thing") or lack of motivation; in any case, more technically oriented friends and relatives often find themselves pressed into service as "free tech support" for such users.

In addition to classes, there are many How-to books that cover various aspects of computer training, such as the popular 'For Dummies' series. There are also many websites that devote themselves to this task, such as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Internet. Such tutorials often aim at gradually boosting readers' confidence, while teaching them how to troubleshoot computers, fix security issues, set up networks, and use software.

Aspects of computer literacy

Aspects of computer literacy include:

• what is a computer

• what are its limitations
• what is a program (not necessarily how to program)
• what is an algorithm
• what is computable
• what a computer cannot do
• why computers cannot produce random numbers
• some seemingly simple problems are not
• concurrency and issues with shared data
• Reduce computer literacy needs with Desktop Search
• all computers have the same computing ability with differences in memory capacity and speed
• performance depends on more than CPU clock speed

• understanding the concept of stored data
• what are the real causes of "computer errors"
• the implications of incorrect (buggy) programs
• the implications of using a program incorrectly (garbage in, garbage out)
• issues rising from distributed computing
• computer security

• trojan horse (computing), computer virus, email spoofing, URL spoofing, phishing, etc . This article refers to a form of Malware in computing terminology A computer virus is a Computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without permission or knowledge of the user E-mail spoofing is a term used to describe fraudulent e-mail activity in which the sender address and other parts of the e-mail header are altered to appear as though the e-mail originated A Spoofed URL describes one website that poses as another It sometimes applies a mechanism that exploits bugs in Web browser technology allowing a malicious computer attack In the field of computer security phishing is the Criminally Fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames Passwords . .
• what to do when a security certificate is questioned
• password creation (how to avoid bad ones)

• social implications/aspects of computing

• Netiquette (or at least E-mail Etiquette)
• identifying urban legends (and not forwarding them)
• critical assessment of internet sources
• criminal access to financial databases

• keyboarding, mousing (using input devices)
• plugging in and turning the computer on
• using/understanding user-interface elements (e. Netiquette, a portmanteau of " network Etiquette " is a set of social conventions that facilitate interaction over networks ranging from An urban legend or urban myth is a form of modern Folklore consisting of stories thought to be factual by those circulating them g. , windows, menus, icons, buttons, etc. )
• Composing, editing and printing documents
• the ability to communicate with others using computers through electronic mail (email) or instant messaging services
• managing and editing pictures (from cell phones, digital cameras or even scans)
• Opening files and recognizing different file types
• Multimedia literacy, including, but not limited to:

• making movies
• making sound files
• interactivity
• creating web pages

A higher order of computer literacy involves a user being able to adapt and learn new procedures through various means while using a computer. Electronic mail, often abbreviated to e-mail, email, or originally eMail, is a Store-and-forward method of writing sending receiving Many compact digital still cameras can record Sound and moving Video as well as still Photograph. SCAN or Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry is a set of tools created by WHO aimed at diagnosing and measuring Mental A file format is a particular way to encode information for storage in a Computer file. Multimedia literacy is a new aspect of Literacy that is being recognized as technology expands the way people communicate

Copyright and Fair Use Laws

Copyright and fairuse laws constitute a mammoth part of computer literacies.

It might be considered that the understanding of copyright and fair use is part of computer literacy. That is, a web author might be deprived of agency by not having knowledge of basic copyright and basic fair use. In the US, in order for an item to be copyrighted, it has to be original and fixed. If that is true, then copyright protection is automatic. Therefore, much of the content on the web is copyright protected.

Knowledge of fair use then becomes a crucial part of computer literacy, as to use under fair use is to use without copyright infringement. Fair use in the US is defined in section 107 of Title 17 of the copyright act. Four factors are relevant: basically, the purpose of the use, the amount used, the nature of the copyrighted work, and the impact of the use on the potential market of the copyright holder.

Therefore, in order to compose in digital networks, and in a fashion that is literate, one needs basic understanding of copyright and fair use.

Future

The ever-growing processing power of modern computers is used to present the user with an interface that requires minimal computer skills to operate. Modern software often utilizes buttons, icons and elaborate pictographic interfaces to try to achieve a high level of usability. An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity. Most of the time people use computers, they do not realize that they are doing so. (Examples: ATMs, car navigation systems, mobile phones, microwave ovens. An automotive navigation system is a satellite navigation system designed for use in Automobiles. A microwave oven, or a microwave, is a Kitchen appliance that cooks or heats Food by Dielectric heating. . . )

One of the major goals in computer engineering is the construction of a Natural Language Interface, possibly with speech recognition, body language recognition and automatic visualisation. Computer engineering (or Computer Systems Engineering) encompasses broad areas of both Electrical engineering and Computer science. Speech recognition (also known as automatic speech recognition or computer speech recognition) converts spoken words to machine-readable input (for example to keypresses This would eliminate the need for computer literacy in everyday work and life in areas where such machines are available. An example of a futuristic Natural Language Interface can be found throughout the Star Trek series, where characters simply tell the computer what they want using ordinary English. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States

See also

• European Computer Driving Licence
• electracy

External links

• TFI Specializes in Training and Certification for Basic Computer Literacy
• Free Computer Learning Course via The ALISON Learning Project
• Slashdot article on computer literacy