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Comment by dkokelley | Hacker News Reader

Please elaborate on "zero computer knowledge." Is this someone from the past who doesn't even know about electricity, or just a typical person today who knows computers, but has no knowledge of the "magic" under the hood?

I'll assume the second.

Explain that the internet is just a collection of computers that are connected to each other. Some computers are always on and hold websites (servers) so that other computers (say, typical PCs) can connect to them to see the websites.

Now there are some computers that have the job of acting as the phone book so that the other computers know where to find the servers.

I like this exercise. It forces yourself to explain a system in the most simple terms possible.

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The definition shouldn't assume the reader has any technical knowledge (think tribal medicine man, or most people's grandmother)

Hhmmff. Wishful thinking. My grandmother knows nothing about tribal medicine...

Thanks, but the difference between tribal medicine man and typical grandmother still leaves room for confusion. A typical grandmother knows that computers exist, but a tribal medicine man might spear me for stealing his soul with this mysterious "light box."

The reason I ask is because I wanted to know if I was supposed to explain the computer to this person or just how it interacts with the internet.

Maybe the question could be "explain the internet to someone from 30 years ago. (Computers present, but no complete internet to speak of)"

You're right, I guess more grandmother than medicine man.

Another quick question, is knowing what a computer is necessary for someone to understand the internet?

I suppose you could explain it in abstract terms without knowledge of a computer (ex. the internet is a wonderful place where people can connect from all around the world in the blink of an eye), but that wouldn't really convey the nature of it.

The question is also open to further interpretation: Is it, what the internet is, what it can do, how it works, what it means to society, or something else? There are many ways to "explain the internet" to someone with no knowledge of computers, but to explain how it is, or how it works, they must understand what a computer is.

As you stated above, the Shoghi Effendi quote is close and he doesn't mention computers. I think the definition doesn't explain how, just what and would get bonus points for why.

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