My father has been asking me and my siblings for help with his computer and other devices. Recently, I went over to help him connect bluetooth headphones to the TV. This type of assistance can be frustrating, especially if my parents struggle can’t understand the process, even with multiple explanation. But while helping him, it hit me that operating computers and modern technology is actually very cumbersome and can be a bit too complicated.
These thoughts lead to this thread–namely, ways to make using computers and other modern technology a lot easier. I started thinking about an either paid or non-profit type of service center where subscribers could receive these type of administrative services–a kind of “IT department” for individual citizens. I can go into this more later, but at some point it occurred to me: why couldn’t an AI (on a device) handle things like connecting a bluetooth headphones to a TV? Why do individuals have to go into settings at all? Does Alexa already do something like this? Or the various AI? I’m wary of LLMs, but I’m more amendable to an AI not connected to the internet and only designed to help with administrative functions on a device.
Off the top of my head, I think there are three primary types of solutions to the problem I’ve described. First, individuals can handle this, which is the status quo. Second, some technological solution like an AI. Third, a group of individuals providing these services. I’ll give some thoughts on that third option in the next section.
The service I had in mind wouldn’t only assist with setting up devices, but also make computer-based technology like smartphones and other devices a lot easier overall. Before I describe my thoughts on this, consider older, analogue devices and appliances–e.g., an analogue TV, telephone, a stove, etc. Compared to a smartphone using the TVs we grew up with was way easier. Can we make smartphones as easy to use as these older devices? That’s one of the ideas.
How would this occur?
The first thought that occurred to me involved a company, non-profit, or even government entity providing new, simpler devices and software, in addition to IT support. This is vague, but I’m thinking of a simpler user interface(s), far less apps. One of the other tangential ideas I had involved having a company create accounts for various sites, while individuals would pay a subscription to the company, giving them access to these sites, without creating various accounts and passwords. Subscribers would basically be able use these services with the company serving as a kind of middle-man. For example, if a person wanted to purchase items from Amazon, the process would be essentially same as if they had their own account, but the payment would go to the middle-man. The account would be set up by the middle man so Amazon and other sites wouldn’t be getting data on individuals. The general idea is to have a middle-man to make getting services and security a lot easier, while also protecting the privacy of users.
Who Would Provide This Service?
I mentioned a private company, non-profit, or even government entity. But another possibility occurred to me and I want to jump to that idea–namely, universities. Could universities expand personnel and events utilize students to provide this service? (The students could have opportunities to get paid.) Subscribers could pay nominal fees, with maybe funding from the government. (Without more taxes, the government doesn’t seem like a great funding source….Let’s put aside funding for now.) This idea appeals to me because the university faculty could be more stable and possibly more talented than government IT workers. (Another possibility: joint venture with government IT departments. Another idea entirely: universities provide IT services to state and local governments. If they develop software for government services, they could sell this to other governments and generate revenue this way.)
Another idea I had involved a community or church providing some of these services. These entities likely couldn’t provide software or hardware, but they could create singular accounts and then give access to users to them, handling passwords and protecting the data of users. (This approach probably wouldn’t work with some internet companies–e.g., netflix.)
I’ve had smartphone sessions with adult students I’ve taught. Saved the last night of classes for any and all smartphone help. Used to do this for coworkers at the last school where I taught as well, for smartphones and laptop help.
A nonprofit seems the way to go, although when certain of my responsibilities lessen, I may also do something similar at one of the adult community continuing ed programs. I would be surprised if senior care residences don’t also have something like this.
Your idea is great, but the question is always who is going to do it. I’ve tried to live by the directive that whenever I say, “Someone should really do _____,” that means I should do it. How convicted are you? 🙂
You may be looking at old technology with a weird bias. True, a stove was never a difficult technology to use, but it still isn’t, and while it serves a vital function in every home, it doesn’t do what a TV, phone, or laptop does. Maybe you should compare instead a cell phone with a landline phone, or a landline phone with the Pony Express, or a smartphone with a laptop computer, or a laptop computer with a desktop computer. Or if you really want to geek out, a desktop personal computer with the room-filling computers of the 70s.
The technology is necessarily complicated because it does something extremely complicated. It could certainly be easier with user interface for sure, and that’s where Apple carved out its niche. “A computer for the rest of us” — remember that? I said for yeeeeaars that every time Windows made an improvement, it was getting closer to being a Mac, such that there’s hardly any difference anymore.
It used to be that when you plugged something into your computer, like a printer or a modem or something, you couldn’t just use it. You had to install drivers. You had to set settings. Sometimes you had to get a pencil and toggle dipswitches. This changed in the 90s with plug-and-play setups, but even that was actually hiding the complicated parts by defaulting to easy settings.
When you think about what Bluetooth does, and what wifi does, the only real conclusion is that the technology IS easy — compared to what it’s trying to do or what it was like before. In time, it will get easier or it will be replaced by something easier or better. I think it’s better for us to get our hands on it while it’s still complicated and frustrating than to wait until everything’s ironed out. Partly because it’s the common everyday use that leads to figuring out how to make it easier to use.
I feel like the bigger issue would be a lack of skills, not commitment for me. If there are things that I would be capable of doing (and didn’t hate), I might be interested in doing this (after a retire?).
You really think so? With the exception of audio-visual equipment, the use of technology when we were growing was way easier to use than computer-based technology now. Generally, that’s true, right? (Again, I’m talking about layperson using common devices, not understanding or fixing them.)
That may be true, but people like me and my father don’t really care about that. How easy is it to use versus other devices we’ve used in the past? That’s the more relevant comparison in my view.
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An idea just popped into my head–connected to the idea of making modern computer-based technology as easy to use as the tech/devices we used growing up.
This lead me to navigating on the www, and I thought what if it were like driving or walking to an address. What makes this relatively easy is if you have a good sense of city or community–that is, you have good mental map and also good sense of direction.
What if we turned website location into a 3D “city” (or I guess a 2D map might work). To go to a site, you would use a mouse to move a cursor or maybe a avatar (like the “stick man” on google maps).
Instead of “buildings,” maybe there could file cabinets…or you had the ability to create more “drawers.” Instead of the each “building” representing a specific site, the “building” would represent a broader category. For example, there might be a music building. And then I could create drawers (files) for sub-categorys–e.g., “jazz,” etc. Essentially, these would be digital files, but they would be arranged in a “city” format.
Maybe cities could be based on different topics. For example, if I wanted to find something on music, I’d “walk” to music city. In music city, there would be the “jazz” part of town, and I could get familiar–spatially–with that. (Maybe this wouldn’t be good for people with bad spatial sense?)
Or what about the idea of search engine produces results “in” the city. So if I want to find web sites on Pat Metheny, I’ll see the map scroll by until I get to jazz city and then go down “streets” to the Pat Metheny building….Maybe this would get too complex after a while, but one’s map could be strictly personal–containing only the sites one wants to visit.
Why’d I think of this? I feel like an actual map and moving an avatar through the map might be way easier for someone like my father to do and to understand. He would just have to become familiar with the map, which would be like getting used to a new city. Once you become really familiar with the new city, you should develop a good mental map and that should make finding things way easier.
In the current situation, I have to explain the location of a search bar, typing in key words, etc. I don’t think these are terribly hard concepts, but they seem hard for my father, and I feel like they’re harder than the map idea I’m mentioning. Or maybe not?
I want to expand on the idea below:
With regard to the above, users would access these sites not on the www, but maybe something like an ethernet situation or a separate internet. Users would have one password to log on, and maybe they could only get on from one or two personal devices….
…Here’s another idea: suppose land lines were used for the network and users communicated via these lines a la update fax machines. This mostly work for purchasing items and something like email; getting and reading periodicals. (Edit: This could also be for banking and paying bills.)
For streaming of movies, TV shows, and music, the TV and movies, I guess this would have be internet/ethernet based, not based on fax technology…Or what if the central company gets a Netflix account, but then sends the signal of movies and TVs shows via a cable (a la cable TV)….The first thought I had was to send signals from the central company to a TV or stereo…Another idea: anything having to do with periodicals or books go to a separate e-reader.
Why I am I turning to older tech like fax machines and cable TV? Answer: Primarily for security and privacy purposes. Basically, the company would be a gate to the internet, and they would be a bottle neck for information coming in and out of the internet into the community ethernet.
Why am I suggesting sending streaming directly to a TV, stereo, or an e-reader? Here, I’m thinking if you do this, those services can be accessed in the relatively simple way similar to past devices. Also, the company could organize and maybe lessen the information.
(Edit) This leads to another idea: The company could function as curators/editors. For example, they could create a kind of news aggregator (e.g., google news), comprised of articles, interviews, videos, maybe even lectures from academics…Actually, a local newspaper or a national newspaper could actually create this, and charge a fee…Or maybe librarians and University professors could make these “periodicals.” Again, I think the appeal involves cutting down on information overload, and giving people the most important information (which is what current journalists try to do).
Something similar could happen for movies/TV shows, books, stereo…what else? Shopping, investing…
…Maybe for shopping, the company could build their own UI “store.” The basic concept is to take the internet, which we experience through one device like a computer or smartphone, and break the internet up, “beaming” specific parts of the internet into specific devices, like a TV and maybe creating new devices. This would be a way to make using the internet easier to use for people like the father. (If done right, I think he would like this situation a lot better.)
By the way, I’m not suggesting that this would be the only way to access the internet. This would just be an alternate approach.
These ideas are fuzzy, and maybe they’re based on a gross misunderstanding of the technology and what’s even possible.
By the way, instead of a private company overseeing this, this could be a community or government entity, with elected representatives overseeing this. Instead of providing oversight over the physical space of a community, the organization would oversee the digital/virtual space of community members. That is, “ethernets” would be based on physical communities. (I don’t like the possibility that private companies and governments could harvest the data of these communities, as a whole.)
I want to expand on the following idea:
A Different Way of Navigating–via Internet Based Devices
I want to expand on the idea below:
Random thoughts
More later.