Wirin' up blinkenlights

From: R. D. Davis <rdd_at_smart.net>
Date: Fri Jun 9 10:55:20 2000

On Fri, 9 Jun 2000 allisonp_at_world.std.com wrote:
> Toy: an object for exercise, diversion or amusement.

Sounds like a computer to me.

> Yes I have some machines that may qualify. Most may qualify as they
> are no longer used for revenue (often). However, at their time they were
> serious machines built to do serious work for the most part. So the
> closest thing I have to a toy is my trs80 (mod1).

Serious humbug. They were built as expensive toys to play with. Now
then, pay careful attention: that doesn't mean that those treating
them as toys are careless with their work, they're just having fun and
most likely doing much better quality work as a result of their
enjoyment of their work. When work ceases to be fun, that's when the
bad mistakes, etc. occur due to boredom and an "I don't give a damn, I
just want a paycheck for showing up here each day." attitude sets in,
when the fun becomes finding creative ways of avoiding actually doing
much of any work, annoying certain annoying cow-prkers, etc., as there
must be some sort of motivation for at least showing up at work, where
fun is the motivation.

> The counter to that is: the guy running his machine tool with an old PDP-8
> or Z80 box... Is he using a toy? I think not.

Why should he not think of that machine tool as a toy, esp. if he
enjoys his work and is good at it? Heck, he probably even has a pet
name for the machine.

No chauvenism intended, just a psychological curiosity:

Do I sense that men and women sometimes tend to think of work in the
computer field differently, with many women having a dreadfully
serious outlook on their work and men treating it more as something
that's supposed to be fun and games? Maybe this has something to do
with many men growing as boys playing with erector sets, heathkits,
building forts, and having soldering irons, hammers, screwdrivers,
etc. in their hands while they were still learning to read. Then,
after growing up, we still consider such things, whether a little PC,
an IBM mainframe, or even a multinational corporation, to be toys to
play with.

> PCs I have a hard time takething them seriously despite their enormous
> processing power. They arent built for the most part like a serviceable
> and relaible tool.

Well said.


--
R. D. Davis                  
rdd_at_perqlogic.com            
http://www.perqlogic.com/rdd 
410-744-4900                 
Received on Fri Jun 09 2000 - 10:55:20 BST

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