The mastodon and lemmy content I’m seeing feels like 90% of it comes from people who are:
-
~30 years old or older
-
tech enthusiasts/workers
-
linux users
There’s nothing wrong with that particular demographic or anything, but it doesn’t feel like a win to me if the entire fediverse is just one big monoculture.
I wonder what it is that is keeping more diverse users away? Is picking a server/federation too complicated? Or is it that they don’t see any content that they like?
Thoughts?
I’ve known about basic computer knowledge since I was a little kid, sneaking around playing half life 2 because my mom wouldn’t let me. It’s astonishing to me that some people don’t understand even the surface level of how a computer works
I grew up with an Atari and a C64. We’d move them from room to room and you know, reconnect the cables as needed. I was confused when I came upon adults who couldn’t figure out how to connect their VCR to a TV or assemble a PC… I mean, the cables go into the things they fit into. Fuck, even building a desktop from parts works the same way.
It used to be more common for people to look at a desktop OS and just freeze like “I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO”, like they’re going to break something if they do anything. I thought people would figure out wtf they were doing with computers when the internet got big, but it just led to things like tech support where you have to ask “what does the pop up alert SAY? Did you read it? What did it tell you to do?”
some people don’t understand even the surface level of how a computer works
Most people don’t understand even the surface level of how a car works, but it’s not needed, they can drive. Same with computers, you don’t need to understand how they work in order to use them, thanks to MS & Apple (no, I will not include Linus Torvalds).
you don’t need to understand them
Part of the problem is that there are a lotof people who not only don’t understand, they don’t want to, and will actively try to avoid it, even if it’s required for their job. I have a coworker who will actively sabotage her tasks that involve even basic office use because she hates tech. Just yesterday she managed to lock herself permanently out of her apple account and lost EVERYTHING because she refused to do any kind of setup to make sure she knew her passwords or had her shit backed up. Years of stuff gone.
There’s a lot of people out there like that.
People don’t need to know how an engine works, the same way I don’t necessarily know how a BIOS or a kernel work. Their understanding of computers is worse than that. For cars, they understand that the gas pedal and gear makes it go forward or backward, the wheel turns it, and brakes stop.
