@ Matt`:

LOL. Yeah, that was a good one. :)

@ Ronnie Collinson:

Yeah, I know. That was the joke. Most mutants in the X-men have a single power. Wolverine has the healing, AND the indestructible skeleton AND the retractable claws and etc… Even though not all these things are actual powers. And yet most people want to pick the exact Wolverine load out when asked what mutant power would they want.

Well, the claws are not a power (unless the bone claws are cannon?), the power is the healing. The addamantium is man made enhancement allowed by the healing

Luke Maciak wrote:

Wolverine is a great power because it includes: rapid healing, super-slow aging, retractable claws, indestructible skeleton and awesome sideburns. Can’t go wrong with that.

But if you’ve got to choose one, make sure you go with the mutant healing not the claws. Hey look a video about that.

@Luke:
of course you program in more than one language, almost everyone (who can program) do… But how many of these languages did you really master? (like about which of these you could write book for advanced programmers).

Quite a few expressive words for a twitter-like message, man. Your ironic puns read better than this. This is just typing exercise not as well though out as usually.

@ Mart:

Yep. That’s the shirt!

@ Ron:

Agreed, I wouldn’t expect them to know the details. But knowing the basics such as “why double clicking nood_picturez.exe attachment is a bad idea” would be nice.

@ Hector:

I hate that too. As if being computer illiterate was a badge of honor or something.

@ antonym:

What do you mean being skilled in more than 3 languages?

I usually switch between PHP, Java, Python, C#, Perl and VB and Javascript. I also dabble in lisp, scala and ruby from time to time. Languages are just tools in your toolbox.

i study IT, but i have to admit that such superpower would be very nice – although absolute or photographic memory would be far better (not ordinary definition of superpower, but knowledge is a real (super)power) it would still save me a lot of work…

And imho knowing all about computers is quite impossible these days – IT field grows so fast that knowing all about hardware, software engineering, signals and linear systems, automatas an formal languages, graphics, even be really skilled in more than say three programming languages (like that you won’t write C in Java syntax) and i dont know what else is more than one can do in lifetime… thats my 5c

(excuse my english skills)

Maybe the “superpower” here is the ability to learn? Curiosity? Because the problem is not only with computer il·literacy, is far broader. Like Chris Wellons says, you should never stop learning!
And what alwasy surprises me the most is how people almost brag about knowing nothing about computers. In other fields they are equally clueless, but at least they’re a bit ashamed of it!

One further thing, I wouldnt expect your average user to understand how LZW compression works or the difference between a microkernel and a monolithic kernel. But I would expect them no know the difference between, their ISP, google, their browser and their OS. Which seems to be the four misunderstood parts of computers.

Its nice to know that other people see this in the same light. Personally couldnt imagine not learning something. Weither it be a new programming language/framework, some science or philiosphy, or just reading a book. In this regard I blame reality tv, youtube, and the pace that gossip can sperad via social networking.

It reminds me of a quote by Ronald Reagon. “Why should we pay for intellectual curiosity” (Presumable in the context of research funding). Initiail reaction was of course todo with all the amazing inventions, and the understanding of universe thats orginated from such research, and wait for it jobs that where being/will be created by the resulting industry. The second was that, if he wasnt sure, does it mean he lacked that charatisitc?

My views may be slanted by the face that my single mum, was going to University herself, while I was in primary school (I would have been 8-12) who now holds a bsc in biology. But even before then I enjoyed computers, math, science and reading. I really just cant understand why some people seem to fear those subjects.

Is this all a complancy based on the rapid devlopment since the days of Gallileo and Newton? People thinking that technology today is enough, but preceding to buy the latest gadget they dont understand anyway?

I think ive continued your rant long enough now.