Micro$oft Biz'droid Lusers (was: OT email response format)

From: Richard Erlacher <edick_at_idcomm.com>
Date: Mon Apr 22 04:04:32 2002

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave McGuire" <mcguire_at_neurotica.com>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Monday, April 22, 2002 1:14 AM
Subject: Re: Micro$oft Biz'droid Lusers (was: OT email response format)


> On April 22, Richard Erlacher wrote:
> > Most of the people I've met who use UNIX/LINUX in their home-computing
> > pursuits do it because they've nothing better to do. You may not fit that
> > model, but these guys figure out ways to make their computers more secure,
> > more complicated to use, and often have to type for several minutes to
find
> > out whether a copy of a file on their local hard drive is available on
that
> > other box down the wire. When my machines are all turned on, I can do
that in
> > less than 15 seconds, and that long only because I can't remember the file
> > name.
>
> This is the one of your trolls that I think I'll ignore.
>
> > I just want (1) for my computers to act in concert to present me with a
> > convenient interface and (2) for them to work as expected. They seem to
do
> > that most of the time. In recent years my cars have been more reliable
than
> > my computers, but that wasn't the case some years back when I used Detroit
> > iron. When my computers become as reliable as my telephone, which may
happen
> > not because the computers get better but ... then I'll be happy enough, I
>
> I suppose I'm more demanding than to accept my computers working as
> expected "most of the time". My computers are much MORE reliable than
> my telephone. But then, I don't use PeeCees, and I don't run Windows.
> I suppose it's just an issue of personal/professional standards and
> expectations. If I had a hammer that randomly jumped off of my
> workbench and flew through a window, I'd throw it in the trash and get
> a better hammer. I did exactly that with my computer a very long time
> ago.
>
I'd throw that hammer away, too. I've not had that sort of experience with my
computers, however. I've had the heads break off hammers when I was using
them, and I've whacked my thumb from time to time. I can't blame the hammer
all the time, though.

I have had many years of positive experience with telephone systems. I've had
fewer than five days of no-service or unuseable service in the 30+ years
during which I've had my own phone(s). In the past two years, since we've had
our service taken over by Qwest, the service has become noticeably worse, but
overall, it's still not bad with <5 days in 10,000 of system failure overall.
Can you show me a computer that's had only 5 days' downtime in 30 years? PC's
don't do that well either.

I'm also willing to accept part of the blame for the occasional failure. I
once tripped over a power cord, causing a shutdown. There have been times
when I did something stupid, requiring a file be restored from a backup or the
like.

Remember, I'm coming from a background with Sun hardware/software that was
unavailable 8-10 days per month due to software patch side-effects and other
causes having to do with the OS. That's the basis of my *nix aversion.
Received on Mon Apr 22 2002 - 04:04:32 BST