Life-Long Computer Skills (Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox)
Ever insightful, Jakob Nielsen's latest article is about the life-long computer skills that kids today should be learning. It's no stretch to say most are things librarians should be able to teach, or at the very least, have a handle on themselves. He says they are:
- Search Strategies - this one's a no-brainer for us librarians.
- Information Credibility - follows right on the heels of search.
- Information Overload - it's only going to get worse, but the good news is we are all in control of our info consumption.
- Writing for Online Readers - is not just for webmasters. Honing your ability to be clear and concise will be appreciated by every person you email.
- Computerized Presentation Skills - will also make you popular with your coworkers, boards, and audiences of all kinds.
- Workspace Ergonomics - it's crucial to take care of your wrists and back if you work at a computer all day. Even more critical for kids today, who probably won't be able to retire until they're 80.
- Debugging - never have to call a help desk again.
- User Testing and other Basic Usability Guidelines - this one is a bit of a stretch, and (I think) shows the author's bias. However, he does have a good point that as consumers we should demand better usabillity from the products we buy.
