[tophat9000]

Hey BushCountry

First just to get an idea where your coming from, what your current background in IT?

I must say your opening statement about Introduction to computers and computing Basically, I am saying that these programs should skip 90% of what they teach about the internal operation of the computer.....I disagree strongly with ...

There needs to improved training of the fundamentals

I been in this field since 1980 and worked a wide range of areas but primarily as a field service engineer

My primary bitch is getting people who can’t troubleshoot a problem because they have no understanding of the basics

All they know is the one little box they have been trained on ... that the world too them

[Chad Fairbanks]

Good call... was going to mention similar things - without a firm grasp of how computers actually function, most IT people would be next to worthless - many today don't care how it works, they only know that it does, and that's good enough for them. I hate that.

[BushCountry]

I have fixed/built hundreds of computers. I have taught CompTIA A+ Hardware/Software and Windows 2000 MCSE Certification Track. I also have an electronics background, telecommunication, avionics, and robotics.

When I teach the A+ Hardware and Software Certifications programs I am disappointed on a vast majority of questions as how they relate to a medium to large IT departments. I have seen techs troubleshoot an $8.00 MODEM or NIC Card for three hours. The amount of time wasted on troubleshooting as opposed to field replacing the component is staggering.

[Ramius]

I would agree.

Sometimes I wonder if there isn't a certain aptitude for problem-solving that either "you got" or "you ain't got". I don't know if problem-solving skills can be taught. There some innate curiosity about how the box works that makes an IT star.

One of my favorite interview questions (esp. for a user-support helpdesk type job) is: "Tell me about your computer at home"...

The people with the "A" answer will often get it right even before they say a word. Their eyes will light up, pupils will dilate a little and they'll launch off into an excited description of the really COOL gaming machine that he/she BUILT last week, or is still working on. They're just DYING to talk about this new motherboard they found or the really incredible video card, or the gigabit-over-copper network that they're running for their home cluster-server.

Then I know I've found the right one. I couldn't care less whether they ever took a class.