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Fnoord

You've used a computer the moment you aren't even born yet.

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Okay, now I'm curious about what sci-fi trope you've gone too far down a rabbit hole in.

must be proof we're in a simulation!

"The sonogram or EKG machine is a computer, so the baby used a computer, checkmate!"

Having a compute device used on you is not the same as using a compute device. QED

"Then I guess no one with a Windows device or an iPhone has ever used a computer!"

is this a "in Soviet Russia, computer uses you" reference?

"In Capitalist America, corporation owns you!"

Well the old definition of computer was women with abacuses so I guess you could stretch that.

Everything which contains a microchip [1] is a computer, and you used it (or: 'it was used on you') with an echoscope around when you were in womb for around 20 weeks. Computers are everywhere, and it matters in this context: some minister saying they never used a computer (any computer) is something which is so unlikely (I mean, even a traffic light contains a computer) that it matters how it gets (strictly) defined. Nowadays, it is even more complex, given smartphones, smartTVs, laptops being used on elementary school, etc.

[1] https://www.asml.com/en/technology/all-about-microchips/micr...

Used is pretty clearly defined and none of those examples are “used”.

It was used on you, you were subjected to it. You cannot avoid that. That's the entire point. Before you get born, a computer is used to assess your health. If you want to watch TV, well you can't buy a TV without a computer anymore. Anything which uses the internet contains a computer with TCP/IP stack. Going on school in my country almost guarantees you end up with Chromebook or large touchscreen in classroom.

So when someone in West says they never used a computer in 2026 (or even just this decade) I don't believe them, unless they're so old they never used a mobile phone, don't watch any TV, and live like really sheltered like a hermit in some squad. A policitian needs to communicate; they surely use computers during their endeavor. Even the very old POTS is essentially also computers, same with old CRT TVs, ATMs, or computers used during public transport.

Ergo, the point is they've almost surely used computers; theyare just not aware how omnipresent computers are in our world,and ut isn't even a recent change either (the recent chamge is that they're 'smart' ie. 'networked' (TCP/IP stack).

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