Via Instapundit, this great Lawrence Henry column is up over at the American Spectator. The juicy bits (Instapundit quoted this but I want to interject):
BUT CONSIDER HOW MUCH REGULAR FOLKS KNOW. If you have not been famous or otherwise insulated, you have likely had half a dozen jobs by the age of 50. You have perhaps started, or tried to start, your own business. You have moved at least four times in adulthood, and bought and sold perhaps that many houses or condos, You have researched a number of areas of the country and lived in two or three (and not just Washington, New York, and Los Angeles). You have perhaps served a military hitch. You have had children in public schools or you've been home-schooling; you've raised funds for a church or a lodge or a Boy Scout troop. In some context or other, you have sold something door to door, published a newsletter, sold advertising, served on a committee, had a hand in hiring and firing.
If you've ever had a hobby, you probably have an expert education in something like motorcycle mechanics, photography, flying, firearms, railroad history, or ornithology.
Sure. Photography, the few guns I have, home repairs, etc.
Just to the matter at hand: Like Buckhead, who is a 46-year-old lawyer, you have probably had to work with, or even specify the purchase of, several computer systems. Indeed, you're old enough to remember when there were no computers in offices. You have participated in the entire computer revolution. You're old enough to have learned to type on a typewriter, and maybe even to have worked on one.
Heh. Specced 'em, built 'em, troubleshot 'em...and I do indeed remember when there were no computers in offices. When I was 11 my dad spent $80 each on two hand-held 4-function calculators for his business. That was in 1971. Today they give them away free as promotions, and they're the size of credit cards.
I learned to type in the 8th grade (1973-74) and frankly already knew a lot of the rudiments because my mother was a typing teacher. And most recently I had a typewriter on my desk when I was working for IUPUI in Student Affairs. In point of fact I have one sitting next to me now -- an IBM Selectric *grin* -- that I use to type up dues cards for my Lodge.
So what's the big mystery? Not that ordinary people knew "arcane" things about typefaces and spacing, but that the big machers at CBS didn't know perfectly ordinary things.
I guess they just don't get out much.
