Digital Literacy Crash Course

Last Updated: 11/30/23

Current Status: WIP - See Updates

Topic Overview:

What Even Is A Computer?

• Define A Computer
• Parts of a computer - Hardware
• Parts of a computer - Software
• Types of Computers
• How to research and buy a computer
• File Types and What They Mean

The Ethereal Digital Space

• Your digital identity - IP Address and Networks
• What Is The Internet?
• Browsers, safety, extensions, oh my!
• Clouds and their Problems
• Who Controls the Internet?
• Who Can See What I Do?

Threats and Safety

• Your digital identity - Why It Matters
• Watch Where You Click - Phishing and Other Hostiles
• Virus Protection and Scanning Your Downloads (BootyGuard)
• The Age of Surveillance - VPNs, Secure Messaging, the TOR Browser, and the Deep Web
• Other People and the Mantra of Digital Socialization

How To Keep Things From Going Wrong

• Backing Up Your System - External Storage and the 3, 2, 1 Method
• The Control Panel
• Task Manager and Advanced Features
• How Do You Even Read A Crash Log?
• Does Defragging The Hard Drive Do Anything?
• Clearing the Cobwebs - Cleaning Caches and File Habits
• How To Re-Install Your OS for when you really fuck it up

Deeper Learning

• HTML/CSS Basics
• What the hell is Java?
• Individuality in Decentralized Web - Making your own site
• How To Google (SEO, ads, Google tricks, and why we care)
• How To Stop Using Google - Aggregated and Alternative Search Engines
• Troubleshooting and How To Fix Anything
• Apps (Why Are They All Unique and How Do I Learn Them All)