My litmus test is: “Have you tried Linux?”

Even if they just used a live cd for curiosity, it means they know enough about computers to grasp the concepts that make them versatile, and were exploring around the net enough to read about it.

Xennial!

I wonder if that's true. Sewing machines haven't changed much since they started. Cooking hasn't either. But, if you're a computer-using Gen Xer, you can't still be running Windows 95 or something. You've had to keep up with the current tech.

Now, you might be using Windows 11 the same way you used Windows 95, and missing out on some of the newer features. But, I think most people who knew how to debug a networking problem in Windows 95 still can figure out how to do it in the newest Windows releases.

It's like driving. Yes, older drivers are worse drivers, their eyesight and hearing is worse, their reaction speed is slower, etc. But, cars have changed pretty considerably in the last 50 years, and most older drivers know how to use modern cars. They may not be as good at using some of the gadgets, like the GPS system, as younger people. But, they've adapted to keyless entry, push-button starts, push-button windows, backup cameras, traction control, and so-on.

Tsss, calling me an old nerd on lemmy. You're a nerd! You're on Lemmy!

But yes, i wildly, loudly concur woth most of this thread: my kids can't be bothered with HOW something works. It just has to work. No interest at all in tcp, udp, whats a bit, byte why is everything in multiples of 8: that's all nerd shit. And, indeed: my shit. Dad! You're the nerd: fix this!

People who think like you make my job a lot harder.

How are you supposed to understand instructions when you read at a third grade level?

How are you supposed to do research to understand an error message if you’ve never looked anything up before?

t makes me sound old but, kids these days have no idea the kind of hell we went through

I mean, whose motherboard still needs a sound card in this day and age? But then I could tell you about fiddling with the settings of an old dot matrix printer. I don't think that qualifies me to set up a Kubernetes cluster or administer a data lake.

The "you kids today" rants seen to miss how hyper specialized computer hardware and software has become. No, Gen A is going to magically intuit an Azure DevOps Pipeline from first principles. Setting that up feels like I'm working through a Master's Thesis on arcane file types. People need to stop pretending that knowing a bit of Regex from middle school entitled them to talk shit to a guy ten years their junior struggling with a customized .yaml file.

In sorry but this really sounds like boomer-esque mindset

Why should the younger generation have to go through the struggles of the older generation when those struggles are not relevant today

I'm gen z myself and I've changed Windows registry settings to disable stuff like caudiolimiter and change a few other things but I only learned to do that out of necessity

Things should not be forced on people unless they want to learn them, people will only learn things they are interested in

Force them to learn something and they won't bother actually learning it because they aren't interested and it won't stick

This mindset is the same thing as passing down generational trauma to a a younger generation

For real. I've taught people copy paste shortcuts and they act like I'm an alien.

If he's from NYC, he knows what NYC means. If he's not from there, it doesn't matter anyway

NYC is one of a number of world cities known by acronyms or nicknames:

• Rio For Rio de Janeiro
• HK For Hong Kong
• TJ For Tijuana
• KL For Kuala Lumpur
• TO For Toronto
• Joburg For Johannesburg

There's even a whole country that goes by its initials: UK.

So, stop thinking this is some American thing, it's just a way that people shorten the names of common cities that have a few too many syllables to be convenient.

My dude, he’s from America lol