WHAT IS COMPUTER LITERACY?
There are many ways to define computer literacy. Maybe we can ask: What is needed to learn in order to use a computer in a productive and safe and obtain the needed results?
Because the dangers on the Internet has grown so much, the above mentioned skills are important and being safe on the web is part of computer literacy. For example, what is it worth to start using a computer and not have the required knowledge to be safe, and end up having your computer infected by a virus or, for the worst case, become a victim of identity theft.
In these days, in order for a person to use a computer safe and efficiently, it is highly recommended to learn the following:
- To understand and know how to save computer files, such as documents and pictures.
- To understand and know how to be safe while using a computer.
- To understand how to safely use the Web and protect privacy.
- To avoid the dangers of viruses and programs that can intrude into a user’s computer and cause damage to the computer or steal the identity of the computer user.
- For some people, the main goal is to learn to use an email program and communicate with others effectively and following the guidelines for Netiquette, which is the ethics of communicating on the Web. Be able to save a file or a picture to the computer, write a resume, do online banking transactions, or browse the web. In order to accomplish these tasks there is a learning curve.
A basic definition of computer literacy of the author of this document is as follows:
“Computer literacy is the progression of learning of how to use a computer to perform tasks such as writing documents, creating spreadsheets, saving files, protecting your computer against hacking and viruses, using email effectively. With the increasing proliferation of computing devices. The needs of computer literacy are changing rapidly each year. These need are affected by the safety hazards that grow daily on the Web, and the increase speed that new technologies and program are released in the market. Users are basically “bombarded” with so many new features, that it may give way to a new way to new dangers for not learning the features and vulnerabilities of the new programs and features. Hence, there are now other skills needed to use computer efficiently, safely, and productively. These skills prepare the user to maintain safety within the computing and web world. The most important growing need is to learn to avoid computer risks such as fraudulent emails, web scams, to avoid identity theft, viruses, spyware, and being hacked.” ~ Francisco L. Gonzalez
You control the use of the computer, same as you manage the correct use of a tool. You achieve this by acquiring knowledge of how to use this tool, and the environment in which the tool is used.