two guys in their early forties don't know about computers??? - The Internship (2013) Discussion

[–] Rigel1337 12 years ago

I see, you did not watch the movie.

Owen and Vince's characters do use computers before thinking up the idea to apply for the internship. It's just that their skills are moderate at best and they don't really know how to tell a story so to speak about the benefits of Google's web applications.

When the movie starts off, Nick and Billy are chatting about how they will sell what amounts to obsolete electronics, wrist watches with quartz movments and conventional batteries.

They are much better at putting together sales call plans about those items and dealing with a list of specific clients who they know very well.

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[–] nutsberryfarm 12 years ago

haven't you seen 'zoolander'?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkwrIZQDt50

duh. no.

Where there's smoke, there's barbecue!

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[–] Splarne 11 years ago

the benefits of Google's web applications.

no benefits to be had. sorry.
***
Thread ender.

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[–] jacksonmayhem 10 years ago

aaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahaha. what is it like to be an idiot, and wrong?

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[–] atg_commish 9 years ago

The 2 guys are schmoozers selling low tech jewelry (mechanical watches). They have minimal computer skills because they didn't need to develop them.

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[–] itstoohardtoreadmyname 12 years ago

I personally know at least 5 people at their forties who don't know how to use a computer.

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[–] cliff-hartle 12 years ago

Some that don't know how and adamantly don't want to know how.

But yea they know how to search, email and maybe casual gaming but like 90% of the US thats it. Did you notice Billy (Vince Vaughn) had a I would say a 5 year old flip phone.

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[–] susie_not_sad 12 years ago

I'm over 60 and use a computer but my daughter sets up all the stuff on it for me.
I paid for all her college, she takes care of my computer. .

We're gonna need a bigger boat.

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[–] shanayneigh 11 years ago

Over 60?? What the hell are you doing on the internet, grampa!

Working in the movie business since -92

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[–] craigbenting 11 years ago

I'm 43 and right in the middle of Gen X. Our generation is pretty divided when it comes to technology and computers (see Revenge of the Nerds). I've been using and programming computers for 35 years, been in IT for about 23 years and running my own IT business for 5.

By "programming computers" I mean writing actual programs, not changing settings like "programming a VCR" as another Gen X-er was proudly proclaiming in another post. I do everything any 21st century techie does.

So, I have plenty of friends in their 50's and above who barely know how to use computers and only use them to do the bare minimum of what they have to in their daily work. Some are quite functional, others know nearly nothing. Hell, my wife is 44 and has pretty much zero computer knowledge (which is why using an iPad was the only way she has started learning about email, web browsing, and other basics). That causes a lot of marital friction for us since she never has a clue what I'm doing and hears all kinds of horror stories from her friends.

Consequently, people like me are in a weird position where we often relate better to people decades younger than us. At customers where we handle their IT, it's honestly a great relief if they have more young people that we can talk to and not have to hold their hands with every little thing that comes up. It is odd to have to switch the complexity of our conversations when we talk to younger people compared to when we talk to older people.

There are still a lot of young people who know "enough" but are pretty tech-ignorant. It's just a much smaller percentage than in my generation.

Oh, and I live and work in the Silicon Valley, miles away from Google, Apple, Cisco, and many other tech company headquarters.

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[–] miaangel345 11 years ago

Would u happen to have any advice for young people wanting to get into the tech field? If so that would be great, thanks!

All you need is love!

Come follow me: http://twitter.com/miaisawesome

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[–] CaptainSexMachine 11 years ago

I've worked in tech. I had an offer to work at Google once but I turned them down! Facebook and Amazon as well. (None of them promised me any interesting stuff to work on so I didn't take the jobs.)

If you want my advice, I'd say that to get to the top of this field you should first get a degree in computer science or computer engineering. (You can go without it, but it's very hard and the degree will save you time and money in the end.) But that's not enough. Learn a strong core language, such as C++; which will give you your fundamental programming skills. Then learn one or two of the fancy new languages like Java, Scala, or Haskell. Learn some of the new technologies like HTML, CSS, PHP, XML, etc. (None of these take more than a few weeks to learn.)

At the same time, work on some personal projects. Make some cool stuff. I got my first real job because I had a website with my personal work: some 3D animations, a chess engine, etc. Nowadays, it helps to have contributed to open-source projects or have some open-source stuff available on github, but I never bothered with that.

Good luck!

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[–] TheCheetahPeach 11 years ago

My mom doesn't even know how to use her phone and she's not even 40 yet,

No signatures please!!!!!!!

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[–] coolaree 12 years ago

My dads in his 50s and doesn't really know how to use a computer, because he doesn't need it for work that much I suppose, and he works for a *beep* consulate. I am incredulous at his lack of knowledge as well. I doubt some on the road sales guys would use computers much...also they use computers in the movie, one better then the other, but don't know about c++ and coding and such...

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[–] aimeemacdn 12 years ago

Agree totally, that's what confused me when I saw the advertising. Unless they were (sorry) quite unintelligent, had 'special needs', or were living in an isolated community, how could these guys not know about the internet or not follow the advances technology.

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] spookyrat1 11 years ago

...how could these guys not know about the internet...

Well you obviously haven't seen the film like the OP either or you didn't pay attention, because they do use the internet.

Seriously, why post about a "plot weakness", if you haven't seen the film itself?

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[–] Hemiola_78 11 years ago

It's actually quite plausible.
It also depends on how you define "knowing about computers" since that's a very broad term.
In fact I'd go as far as saying that unless you're in a science/technical field (not necessarily IT) you can be 20 and still be totally ignorant when it comes to computers.

I'm in my mid 30's and have used computers for almost 20 years. I know how to install the OS, I've upgraded every component of my PC except for the motherboard and the case, I have some basic knowledge about setting up a network connection. I've used various programs for image, sound, and video editing, and even ran code based computer simulations, yada yada yada...
Yet, if I were in Owen/Vince's shoes, I would be just as clueless as they were. Why?! Regardless of how many programs I've used in my life I cannot build one by myself, and my programming skills are essentially zero.
I wouldn't say "on the line" instead of "online" fair enough, but still I wouldn't have any idea about debugging, C++ or HTML.

Don't forget most of us are just "click and follow instructions as long as it's plain english" type of user, really...

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[–] spookyrat1 11 years ago

I don't disagree with you in the slightest.

The point being that some posters are not differentiating between computers and internet. The Owen/Vince characters are clearly seen earlier in the film using the internet, but that as you point out, doesn't presuppose they know a huge amount about computers.

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[–] ponstan 10 years ago

if OP watched the movie he would know that Vince's character Billy found the google job....by googling. so he does know about computers.

and during the tech support scene he said something along the lines of 'close all your other 100 tabs' I think he was implying porn, or maybe not, don't remember.

so Billy was at the very least a casual functional user already.

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[–] sean-cowan1 12 years ago

You must not have met many people then.

You're a troll.

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[–] hell-cat-1 12 years ago

My dad was 50 and a few years ago he bought a laptop, he hasn't used it much because he hasn't got a clue and doesn't seem to be able to pick it up at all. There ya go, you're wrong.

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[–] kaphawoman 12 years ago

I watched the movie and the OP has a point. Vince Vaughn's character used the term "on the line" instead of online about five or six times. I can understand that for someone 82, not 42.

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] sportinkings 11 years ago

It appears that you do not know that people can joke around....

When some people are corrected, they simply say the same thing just because.
It doesn't mean they do not know how to say online. To believe that, I wouldn't think you would get many jokes and are extremely gullible.

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[–] dopus-2 11 years ago

On the line is not a wrong term to use.

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[–] hodie 11 years ago

I can see someone saying "on the line" for "online"
if they were just starting to learn how to speak English, but not two fortysomething native-born Americans.

Get me a bromide! And put some gin in it!

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[–] smirre44 12 years ago

Well, I do agree, but I can only speak for myself. In my country, you pretty much -have- to have a computer and an internet connection to get by. For instance, my bank doesn't want people to come in unless it's to open an account and/or apply for a loan.

For other things like paying bills, transferring money or managing your bank account they say "Use the online banking system we provided you with". (This has been going on for at least the past 5-6 years). So frankly, I don't know anyone in their 40s that does not have a computer nor knows how to use the internet in the most basic manner.

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[–] Kujox 12 years ago

It's not knowing about computers for search, email buying crap etc, it's knowing how to make the computer preform new tasks like programming, how to make a webpage by the actual HTML and preform the tasks when we all click a button.

I'm over 50 and my friends know how to serve the net, post email, play games on the facebook, and spend money on ebuy, but that's it, ask them to programme a computer and they will look at you like you're mad, they might even say they're already programmed

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[–] drew_atreides 12 years ago

I have a sister and brother-in-law, both in their early 40's, who have pretty
much drawn a line in the sand and proudly boast about how they refuse to
learn about computers.

I'm in my mid-30's, but am clearly a child of the next generation and couldn't
imagine my life without computers and what i can do with them. It is pretty
odd, but very believable.

They bought smartphones recently simply because they have the money and
feel like 'it's trendy', but they don't even know where to start with using them.

"You have offended my family, and you have offended the Shaolin Temple..."

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