My flatmate likes to accuse me of being dumb at using technology on purpose. There is a certain truth in that – I would prefer not to have to learn how to connect up all the cords snaking out of the back of the TV and VCR. Plus, as a usability engineer, what would I have to complain about if I found everything usable? Still, I was pleased to read the other day that the late Michael Dertouzos, the former director of the computer science lab at MIT, also struggles with technology.

“Several colleagues from the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science and I are flying to Taiwan. I have been trying for three hours to make my new laptop work with one of these “smart cards” that plug into the machine and download my personal calendar. When the card software is happy, the operating system complains, and vice versa. Irritated, I turn to Tim Berners-Lee, sitting next to me, who graciously offers to asist. After an hour the inventor of the Web admits that the task is beyond his capabilities. I turn to Ron Rivest, inventor of RSA public key cryptograhpy, and ask him to help. He declines, exhibiting his wisdom. A young faculty member behind us speaks up: “You guys are too old. Let me do it.” He gives up after an hour and a half. So I go back to my “expert” approach of typing random entries into the various wizards and lizards that keep popping up on the screen. After two more hours, and two batteries, I make it work, by sheer accident and without remembering how.”
- from the book The Unfinshed Revolution

Trent