Perhaps your poor are significantly different from the poor I have experience with; perhaps there is a element of classism over and above the the class gap in computer literacy. Perhaps my gut feeling that computer access correlates well enough with computer literacy is accurate enough.

I made no claim that you were anything but truthful; I said that my observations were different than yours, and tried to explore if that was because I haven’t seen enough, or because we were seeing things that are inherently different. Of course, anyone with a computer has SPSS for 14 days glancing at the price, I don’t think many people have a full version unless their school or employer thinks that they need it. I can’t verify MS Office, since the MS website forces a localized version, but anyone from my IP range gets MS Office 2010 for 60 days; I think that a lot of private individuals have Office 2010.

So, I think that anyone who is proficient with the software has access to the tools required to demonstrate that skill, with the exception of people who have had trial periods expire.

I also stand behind the assertion that OWNING these pieces of software is not actually a requirement for employment, but proficiency with them is. Is there any provision at all for performing those tests in a situation where the applicant is not required to provide the specialized software?

To answer your question anyway, I’ve been applying to a variety of clerical, editorial, and research positions. Almost all of the clerical positions have required competency tests as a step between application and interview. They often arrive in the form of docx documents that involve macros that do not render properly in Open Office or older versions of Office once the file is converted. They cannot be returned by mail or fax, but must be completed and emailed back within 24 hours of reaching the recipient. Likewise, the editorial jobs have involved tests that require multiple-choice indications or track-change/comment functions that require newer versions of Office or the professional version of Adobe Acrobat to complete.

More than one government research position I’ve applied to has had a similar testing phase that involves sending the applicant SPSS files and requesting them to demonstrate their ability with the software by manipulating the data set in different ways or making custom reports.

For example, every resident at a specific homeless shelter (withheld to protect MY pseudonymity) had access to computers and computer assistance at three different locations: The public library (time limited, and poor availability during peak hours), the jobs center (not time limited, but purpose limited, also had printer and fax covered by taxpayer expense), and the center itself (only one system available, but it was unused virtually all of the time.

The braver people might make their way to the community college library, where they were technically trespassing, but if they didn’t draw attention to themselves had untimed free internet access and relatively cheap printing, but less technical assistance. Several used that point of access while the stole showers from the gym.