[Tutor] Seattle PyCamp 2011

[Alan Gauld]

"Noah Hall" <enalicho at gmail.com> wrote

> Well, if you decide that in this day and age that asking whether
> someone knows how to use a browser to download files, 
> or if someone knows how to install a program, 

This is not out of place. I have experienced it myself with 
users of my web tutorial.

I have had several - not a lot, maybe a dozen out of the 
half million visitors - but a few, who could not follow the 
instructions to download python and install it. I have had 
to walk them through the process step by step by email.
In at least one case it was the first time they had ever 
installed anything from tyhe web, they had always used 
install CDs up till then.

>  in disbelief that you could find someone these days 
> interested enough in computers to learn Python, and 
> yet not know how to download a file. 

Nope, it happens, I can promise you. The last such case 
I had was late last year. I have also had users who didn't 
know how to use the File->SaveAs menu in Notepad 
to change a filename from foo.txt (the default) to foo.py...

As my old boss used to say: 
"Its impossible to underestimate your users abilities"

-- 
Alan Gauld
Author of the Learn to Program web site
http://www.alan-g.me.uk/