Tuesday, February 5, 2008
"They're all just a bunch of lazy people!" screamed the old man from the pulpit.
Old people don't know how to use computers and young people don't care about family history. Granted this is an overstatement and a generalization, but my experience supports this stereotype. I have taught a few family history classes focused on using Personal Ancestral File and familysearch.com. The first class was mostly older people with family history experience who gave me blank stares for the majority of the seven-week course. The second was a group of twenty-somethings who slept their way through the course. There is a definite gap between those who want to do the work and those with the skills to do it most effectively. Unfortunately, we may have to wait for my generation to get old before we see technology used to its fullest extent in family history work.
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4 comments:
For a minute I forgot you go to BYU and it seemed odd that you would write about old people and family history, but now it makes sense.
Only suggestion: perhaps replace "my generation" with the actual title of your generation, like Generation X or whatever you are. Not all readers will know who you are and to what generation you belong. But if the piece is only intended for your prof, then I guess he would know who you are, so it depends on the assignment.
byw, should I comment on this blog or your other one?
I meant btw, not bwy. I'm tired. that's what i get for using an acronym.
Isn't that the truth. I spent a frustrating 7 weeks wanting to learn how to use the computer to do geneology and week after week the old guy teaching the class continued to go over the same info over and over and over. He meant well and was really enthusiastic about it but...I didn't learn a thing! I think it will take my generation--the one in between yours and the old guys to bridge the gap maybe.
not sure if I should comment on semantics or the logic of the piece. either way....
The flaw in your logic is that which Miste touches on. There are many willing and able people who are not in either catagory. (These people are usually too busy.)
The biggest problem in logic, however, is that you will stay abreast of technology and the work will be done when you are old. Most likely technology will continue to outpace you as it has all generations past, and you will be a dinosaur in your right.
Hard to imagine for anyone under 30, but it will happen to everyone.
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