10 things people say about computers that are completely false!

Computers are amazing machines that can perform a variety of tasks, from browsing the web to playing games to solving complex problems.  Their popularity gives rise to many things people say about computers that are not true.

However, there are also many myths and misconceptions about computers that are widely believed by many people.

In this blog post, we will debunk 10 of the most common ones and explain why they are false.

How Computers get viruses from the internet.

This is a very popular misconception that stems from the analogy between biological viruses and computer viruses. However, computers do not just simply “get sick”, something triggers the infection. Computer viruses are malicious programs that need to be downloaded and executed by the user or another program. They can also spread through removable media, such as USB drives. Therefore, the best way to protect your computer from viruses is to use a reliable antivirus software and avoid opening suspicious files or links.

Computers need to be defragmented regularly.

Defragmentation is a process that rearranges the data on a hard disk drive (HDD) to make it more efficient and faster. However, this is only necessary for HDDs, which store data on spinning platters. Solid state drives (SSDs), which use flash memory chips, do not need defragmentation because they have no moving parts and can access data randomly. In fact, defragmenting an SSD can actually reduce its lifespan and performance. Therefore, if your computer has an SSD, you do not need to defragment it.

Computers need to be shut down every night.

Some people think that shutting down their computers every night can save energy and prolong their lifespan. However, this is not true for modern computers, which have low-power modes such as sleep and hibernate. These modes allow the computer to resume quickly without using much power. Shutting down and restarting your computer every day can actually cause more wear and tear on the components and increase the boot time. Therefore, unless you are not going to use your computer for a long time, you do not need to shut it down every night.

Computers can damage your eyesight.

Many people worry that staring at a computer screen for too long can harm their eyesight or cause eye strain. However, there is no scientific evidence that computer screens can cause permanent eye damage or vision loss. The most common cause of eye strain is poor lighting, glare, or improper posture. Therefore, the best way to prevent eye strain is to adjust the brightness and contrast of your screen, use an anti-glare filter or glasses, and take frequent breaks to look away from the screen.

Computers can make you smarter or dumber.

Some people believe that using computers can enhance their cognitive abilities or impair their intelligence. However, computers are just tools that can help you access information and perform tasks faster and easier. They do not have any direct effect on your brain or IQ level. The quality of your thinking and learning depends on how you use computers and what kind of content you consume. Therefore, the best way to improve your intelligence is to use computers wisely and critically.

Computers are always faster than humans.

Some people think that computers are superior to humans in every aspect and can perform any task faster and better than humans. However, this is not true for many tasks that require creativity, intuition, emotion, or common sense. Computers are good at following instructions and processing large amounts of data, but they are not good at understanding context, meaning, or nuance. Therefore, there are many tasks that humans can do better than computers, such as writing a novel, composing a song, or making a joke.

Computers are secure and private by default.

Some people assume that their computers are safe from hackers and prying eyes by default and do not take any measures to protect their data and privacy. However, computers are vulnerable to various threats and attacks from the internet or other devices, such as malware, phishing, ransomware, spyware, etc. Therefore, the best way to secure your computer is to use strong passwords, encryption, firewall, VPN, etc., and be careful about what you share online.

Computers can multitask efficiently.

Some people think that computers can handle multiple tasks at the same time without any loss of performance or quality. However, this is not true for most computers, which have a limited amount of resources such as CPU, RAM, disk space, etc., that they have to allocate among different processes. When you run too many programs or tabs at the same time, your computer has to switch between them frequently and may slow down or freeze up. Therefore, the best way to optimize your computer’s performance is to close unnecessary programs or tabs and focus on one task at a time.

Computers can understand natural language perfectly.

Some people think that computers can understand human language as well as humans do and can communicate with us naturally and accurately. However, this is not true for most computers, which use artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) to analyze and generate language. These technologies are still far from perfect and can make mistakes or misunderstandings, especially when dealing with complex, ambiguous, or idiomatic language. Therefore, the best way to communicate with computers is to use clear, simple, and precise language.

Computers can replace humans in the future.

Some people fear that computers will become so advanced and intelligent that they will surpass humans and take over the world. However, this is a very unlikely scenario that is based on many assumptions and speculations. Computers are still dependent on humans for their creation, maintenance, and improvement. Technology is also limited by hardware, software, and power supply. Computers do not have any goals, values, or emotions that would motivate them to harm or dominate humans. Therefore, the best way to coexist with computers is to collaborate with them and use them for our benefit and development.

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There are many misconceptions about computers floating around online.  Work with a professional to understand what is or is not accurate.  Questions on how to solve for complex business technology needs? Please reach out to us anytime.