The yearly Adopt a Newb day festival is nearly upon us. For those of you not intimately familiar with the concept I see it as a way for the Techy’s, the geek’s, and the nerds to try to help other people around us understand and accept technology more readily and feel more comfortable with it. So each April 15th i set aside time on my Podcast and ask others to spread the word themselves and Teach a Man to Tech. Pay your taxes, pay your dues and adopt a newb.
Why do this? Well the world has changed around us these past few years. I was helped to become the tech I am today by thousands of faceless people on message boards helping me with problems, dozens of patient teachers who guided my development through my school years. I think its about time i start to repay that debt. Pay it forward in the grand old style of Give a man to fish verse teaching a man to fish.
I recently posted an article hoping to influence people in how they present themselves online. Hopefully that article and others like it will spring up and begin to take root in the general consciousness. The idea behind this holiday was not just a day of service but rather a way to jump start the education of those less technologically fortunate as yourself.
I wrote the 3 rules article hoping to spread that little bit of knowledge around and you will see more article like it coming out not just in response to the Adopt a Newb day celebration but rather as a re dedication to educating people as a core concept of Puzzle Piece Productions, The CaffiNation Podcast and everything else I get involved in.
Like Geoff Manning I have also started my own personal Newb day Project. I have been helping my own person these past few months and I am happy to report that My Newb, ie My Mother, now has a better understanding of email away from Outlook, is using AIM to talk to her coworkers and has worked on her resume collaboratively with me via Google Docs. This is only the beginning Once the people you help become more comfortable with technology on even the most basic level then they can begin to spread the gospel of good tech and help fight back against the fear mongering that happens so often on the nightly news. Technology is not to be feared, only respected. What are your AND 2008 stories?
Teach a man or woman to tech: Pay your taxes, and pay your dues, Adopt a newb
~I’m Paul Rj Muller And I approve this Holiday. Spread the word and let us know.
Tag the Post with Adopt a Newb 2008 if you blog this!