• DumbAceDragon@sh.itjust.works
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    3 months ago

    Fair. I think to the extent of “if you use a web browser you have to know what HTTP is”. Not really how it works, just being conscious of the technology in use.

    • TheGalacticVoid
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      3 months ago

      Knowing what HTTP is has 0 effect on someone’s ability to use the internet. Knowing what web browsers and search engines are does.

      • DumbAceDragon@sh.itjust.works
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        3 months ago

        The idea is it’s a litmus test for tech literacy. It doesn’t have to be relevant to the daily browsing experience, it would just ensure that everyone on the internet knows what things like cookies are and what they actually do.

        It’s like not bothering to learn what an engine is before learning to drive a car.

        • TheGalacticVoid
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          3 months ago

          The problem with your examples is that they do affect the user’s ability to use the tech in question, and the same can’t be said for HTTP. If there isn’t a clear benefit to knowing something, then making it a requirement is just an artificial gate and an unnecessary burden. For example, pharmacists don’t withhold your prescriptions because you don’t understand a drug’s mechanism of action, but they do make sure you understand the risks and any drug interactions. Airlines don’t force you to learn how their planes create lift, but they do educate you on what to do in an emergency. I don’t see why tech should be any different from those 2.