Workers baffled by technology

WHILE we've all heard the ridiculous stories about people ringing the helpdesk to ask where they find the 'Any' key to press, the more complex technical terms related to computers still confuse a lot of users.

A survey conducted by recruitment agency Computer People found that two thirds (67 per cent) of office workers found it difficult to comprehend such words.

Some of the most common terms employees were baffled by include band width (the amount of data that can be transmitted through a channel of communication in a set period of time), HTML (a computer language used on websites) and IP address (an internet address).

More than one in four staff aren't sure what a firewall does, and are happy to turn it off - meaning they've removed safety software designed to protect their machines against hackers.

Basic procedures cause as much confusion as terminology - a quarter of respondents admitted to needing help downloading information, and about two-thirds have sent large attachments over e-mail that blocked their recipients' systems.

It's not just older workers who have trouble with their PCs: the findings reported younger staff having the same amount of trouble with computer jargon. And the time wasted in trying to discover the definition of the words amounts to more than an hour a week for 75 per cent of workers.

They're supposed to be there to help, but ringing your company support staff may not be the wisest course of action when faced with a computer problem.

More than half of people questioned (56 per cent) said they felt their IT experts "spoke another language", and 40 per cent didn't think the helpdesk were aware of the problems that staff had understanding technical terms. Words such as "bemused" and "inadequate' were the phrases often used to describe how staff felt when they didn't understand IT's instructions.

Commercial director of Computer People Carole Hepburn says: "Our research shows there's a real need for IT professionals to use techno-speak sparingly when talking to people outside their vocation. We want to help them develop better forms of communication that won't leave their non-IT colleagues scratching their heads in bemusement."

However, in fairness to the computer whizzes, they're not alone in using business-related jargon. The majority of office workers (85 per cent) confess to using industry speak on a regular basis.

Employees would also like to be able to use their machines without those frantic phone calls to the helpdesk. Two-thirds feel they're over-reliant on IT staff, and nearly half of those surveyed (44 per cent) think it's their responsibility to improve their knowledge of computers.

So what's the best way for workers to get a handle on computer-related language? Comparing the workings of a PC to less complex machines demystifies the technical jargon. Nearly 70 per cent of people agreed that explanations likening computer processes to the workings of a car, or even a road map, made it a lot easier to understand IT issues.

Visual aids are also popular - drawing a picture can help people understand a point that can't be illustrated in words. A fifth of workers favoured the use of diagrams or flow charts to help them comprehend tricky topics.

Computer People's advice to industry professionals emphasises the need to explain at all times: if you must use a technical term, make sure the meaning is clear. The agency also recommends breaking things down in simple terms, without overestimating workers' knowledge of IT, and providing advice sessions to check any confusion has been cleared up.

Such an approach not only helps baffled desk workers, but is also likely to impress IT experts' prospective employers.

So if you think that java is an Indonesian island and cookies are what go with coffee at 11am, encourage your IT department to explain things - it'll benefit everyone in the long run.