[oclug]Help!

[Shad Young]

On Wed, 2003-01-29 at 14:09, Brian's Linux Box wrote:

> 
> Amazing how different that is to my experiences -  it's a Fujistsu drive and
> overlay in the wife's machine - been there since 8 gig was a big drive and
> it was a 486  (two mother boards and processors back)  I could remove it now
> but never saw the need.   I wonder if it's because I've always avoided
> motherboard manufacturer's 'bus master' drivers.... I have a couple of other
> old machines I've pieced together with Seagate drives and overlay that are
> working well too last time I saw them.
> 
> That almost sums up the problems with the Windows to me - so many variations
> in software and hardware interaction that it is both unpredictable and
> untroubleshootable....  Too often the first fix is nuke and pave, and the
> second is replace the hardware...
> While I'm no driver programmer, I suspect it really helps to be able to
> 'look under the hood' and see how the next and previous stages actually
> work.  

Not really. When you work in a repair shop you see nothing but broken
computers. You also see so many combinations of hardware that most the
time it leaves you feeling sick when you see the mess a builder made
(possibly due to customer demands...). And trust me, I am not talking
just about clones, but IBM, Compaq, HP <shudder>, and the like.

Don't get me wrong. They work a great deal of the time. My number one
"calmer downer" was the customers recognition that it is amazing these
things work at all given the total lack of standards adherence. When
they see me in awe, they begin to realize they are dealing with an
extraordinarily complex and sophisticated piece of equipment. It is not
the family toaster, nor is it like a TV. Even your car pales by
comparison when you actually think about all the various attributes.

It does get hard to resist leaping over the counter and shaking people
to and yell "wake up and learn about your stupid machine (at least on a
rudimentary level so I don't have to get any more calls about "You push
the power button and nothing happens?" --- "On page four of your manual
sir, do you see the part about powering down your computer?" -- "Yes?"
-- "good, then READ IT!")

Shad *begins to quiver as flashbacks begin to occur*

It is hard not to get Jaded.

-- 
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"Fortune should have the arbitrant of one-half of our actions, but she
leaves the other half, or a little less, to be governed by ourselves." 
- Machiavelli
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