# how to become computer literate ? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 14, 2003, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-become-computer-literate/218867 "2003-12-14T01:25:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vasyachkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c5a1d2/32.png) [@vasyachkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vasyachkin)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-become-computer-literate/218867/1 "2003-12-14T01:25:53Z")
seeing that i am a senior with a Computer Engineering major its kinda embarassing that i don’t know jack sh1t about stuff like networking or security … so i was thinking i should buy something and read it. but where to start ? ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-become-computer-literate/218867/2 "2003-12-14T02:45:31Z")
How about looking up the syllabus and text for the networking class in your department? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-become-computer-literate/218867/3 "2003-12-14T03:49:58Z")
Just what are they teaching in school nowadays if not networking and security? Punch card technology? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-become-computer-literate/218867/4 "2003-12-14T04:40:48Z")
I was suprised that your query had nothing to do with the thread title. As an ex-CS prof, “Computer Literacy” meant just the basics: user interface, office apps, etc. The lowest level CS courses I ever taught. To learn networking and security requires 2 things: manuals (more “how to” than text books) and “hands on experience”. The OReilly books on topics of interest are about the best there is. Start there. Get “in a nutshell” books if you know the basics well. But go for the bigger books if you are at all a beginner. Then, get on the equipment and start doing stuff. Use the books as reference, sources of exercises to try, etc. But get your hands on the gear. Avoid “Certification” oriented books. Passing a Cert test (in many cases) doesn’t mean you know anything about the topic. Just memorization of answers to questions. ---
**Author:** ![vasyachkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c5a1d2/32.png) [@vasyachkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vasyachkin)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-become-computer-literate/218867/5 "2003-12-14T04:48:00Z")
well i am not a Computer Science major, i am a Computer and Electrical engineering major. some of the classes i recently took or am taking now : c++ 1 and 2 data structures electromagnetic waves microelectronics 1 and 2 wireless communications ( spread spectrum ) multimedia ( signal processing in matlab ) computer architecture operating systems i probably could have taken networking or security as an elective but well i didnt. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gyan9 \* > \*\*How about looking up the syllabus and text for the networking class in your department? \*\* i would probably not want an approach as hardcore as my Uni would likely take. i would like something preferrably IN ENGLISH 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-become-computer-literate/218867/6 "2003-12-14T05:17:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vasyachkin \* > seeing that i am a senior with a Computer Engineering major its kinda embarassing that i don’t know jack sh1t about stuff like networking or security … > [@](#): > > i probably could have taken networking or security as an elective but well i didnt. The solution seems obvious. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![vasyachkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c5a1d2/32.png) [@vasyachkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vasyachkin)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-become-computer-literate/218867/7 "2003-12-14T05:50:51Z")
i dont like the way they teach stuff in school, i like to learn on my own dammit 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![hlanelee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@hlanelee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hlanelee)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-become-computer-literate/218867/8 "2003-12-14T12:09:33Z")
Get some friendly looking guidebooks, ask a librarian. Sit down at a computer and use it as instructed by the friendly guidebooks. Remember that there is very little irreparable harm that can be done, inadvertantly, by typing on the keyboard. Have fun. ---
**Author:** ![vasyachkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c5a1d2/32.png) [@vasyachkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vasyachkin)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-become-computer-literate/218867/9 "2003-12-15T06:27:39Z")
ye well that is what i am asking. what kind of friendly guidebooks should i get 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-become-computer-literate/218867/10 "2003-12-15T07:08:15Z")
A part-time job as a network manager, perhaps? You probably have the qualifications to _get_ a job like that, and as long as you’re not the only manager at that group you won’t do too much damage while learning. ---
**Author:** ![vasyachkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c5a1d2/32.png) [@vasyachkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vasyachkin)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-become-computer-literate/218867/11 "2003-12-16T05:49:16Z")
no i dont like that. i like to know what i am doing not just being somebody who hopefully will not do much damage 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-become-computer-literate/218867/12 "2003-12-16T11:57:39Z")
Books won’t be hard to find but to learn networking and security stuff I think you should build your own network. You could use pre-historic PCs that shouldn’t cost anything. Have at least a Linux box and a MS box. You can do things to a system of your own which no college or employer would (willingly) let you do to their systems. Especially good for trying hack exploits and deliberate virus infections, that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-become-computer-literate/218867/13 "2003-12-17T17:46:47Z")
I agree with **Small Clanger**. Hie thee to eBay and pick up a half dozen used PC boxen, a couple old Macs, and some ethernet cards and cables. Play with NetBIOS and AppleTalk and TCP/IP and domains. Model whatever you’re reading about in real life on the little network. ---
**Author:** ![Opengrave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/919ad9/32.png) [@Opengrave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opengrave)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-become-computer-literate/218867/14 "2003-12-17T17:54:50Z")
Get and read trade journals. I signed up for a few (I get 'em free) and read them to stay up on things. You often see ads to download eval versions of software. Download them and play with them - even though you may have no clue what the software is really for you can learn about how things work, how things interrelate, and alternate ways of doing thing.