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From: kent@xanth.cs.odu.edu (Kent Paul Dolan)
Newsgroups: mod.comp-soc
Subject: Re: Getting people to use communications systems
Message-ID: <1433@hplabsc.HP.COM>
Date: Mon, 16-Mar-87 14:44:05 EST
Article-I.D.: hplabsc.1433
Posted: Mon Mar 16 14:44:05 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 17-Mar-87 04:38:24 EST
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Approved: taylor@hplabs

I saw this work, by making a presentation for a high school art enrichment
class, a group of people with whom I normally couldn't communicate much at
all, being a math major with no art talent.

Two friends and I set the class down with three Amiga 1000's, showed them
how to get started, then set them loose with Deluxe Paint.  Kids that had
never touched a computer before were doing commercial quality work (some of
them ;-) within 40 minutes, and were unabashedly enthusiastic.

So, I suggest getting the proper hardware and software tools to let them do
what they know how to do (art) until they are comfortable touching a computer,
then ...lure... them into trying your communications package once the initial
"If I touch it, I'll break it" anxiety has been overcome.

Only problem is ever getting your computers back, once they find out how nice
it is to do art on them.  ;-)

Kent Paul Dolan