And that s an easy one. It s tempting to tune out all those acronyms. Certainly, the computer industry has not done enough to make its wares warm and fuzzy. They make me want to scream, all right. Like new car models that come out every year, but with the same smelly engines and the same rubber tires.
Language is the key.
You can conquer jargon through curiosity, accuracy and repetition. Everybody knows somebody who s good with computers, and usually those people are delighted to hold forth as experts. You ll need to overcome a fear of looking stupid worth getting over anyway and to ask your designated expert to drive slowly. And yield to the fact that the jargon isn t going to go away. Also, follow your nose to the library, the bookstore and the newsstand for simply written guides to personal computing.