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Why I am not going to buy a computer (1987) [pdf]

thehangedman.com

111–120 of 173 posts

Re: Why I am not going to buy a computer (1987) [pdf]

#111

Berry's nine standards for technology are worth considering: 1. The new tool should be cheaper than the one it replaces. 2. It should be at least as small in scale as the one it replaces. 3. It should do work that is clearly and demonstrably better than the one it replaces. 4. It should use less energy than the one it replaces. 5. If possible, it should use some form of solar energy, such as that of the body. 6. It s…

Referring to his wife as a tool… I have to wonder if that marriage lasted

""" I am also surprised by the meanness with which two of these writers refer to my wife. In order to imply that I am a tyrant, they suggest by both direct statement and innuendo that she is subservient, characterless, and stupid - a mere "device" easily forced to provide meaningless "free labor." I understand that it is impossible to make an adequate public defense of one's private life, and so I will only point out that there are a number of kinder possibilities that my critics have disdained to imagine: that my wife may do this work because she wants to and likes to; that she may find some use and some meaning in it; that she may not work for nothing. These gentlemen obviously think themselves femin- ists of the most correct and principled sort, and yet they do not hesitate to stereotype and insult, on the basis of one fact, a woman they do not know. They are audacious and irrespon- sible gossips. """

Things change but they stay the same.

Re: Why I am not going to buy a computer (1987) [pdf]

#112
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Example: in the 90s, Windows, arguably one of the easiest commercial operating systems and certainly the most familiar, used to routinely frighten its users by falsely accusing them of crimes. > "This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down." At first, I laughed. Then I realized, I think I remember seeing this error message when I was six years old, and being freaked out.

Imagine how lifelong law abiding citizens felt! I still don't understand how that message escaped being fixed. It wasn't rare. I would estimate a regular computer user would see it monthly? Maybe more?

> I still don't understand how that message escaped being fixed. It wasn't rare.

Might have to do with why nowadays Windows 10 blue screens show a sideways ":(" smiley instead of a face despite being in graphics mode.

Back when i first encountered smileys (and that was at the cover of an "internet magazine" - i was already into computers and programming for years at the time and even used the internet and IRC) i didn't understood what they were, i thought they were some sort of code like the :// or @ in addresses.

My guess is that whoever added that sideways smiley is as blind to how it looks to people who don't know about them as whoever who wrote "illegal" was to people back in Win95 times.

Re: Why I am not going to buy a computer (1987) [pdf]

#113
post #103

Berry's nine standards for technology are worth considering: 1. The new tool should be cheaper than the one it replaces. 2. It should be at least as small in scale as the one it replaces. 3. It should do work that is clearly and demonstrably better than the one it replaces. 4. It should use less energy than the one it replaces. 5. If possible, it should use some form of solar energy, such as that of the body. 6. It s…

I can't think of 1 invention in history that fullfil all of these.

if a new soap bar is cheaper and smaller, I think it fullfils all criteria. (if it adds sawdust which increases the functionality)

Re: Why I am not going to buy a computer (1987) [pdf]

#114

Actually Wife is far more energy/work intensive than a computer. She requires constant maintenance, she has plenty of alarm bells that can't be turned off at all, her speaker constantly makes noise that can't be turned off either, costs way more to keep and, on top of all of that, has way more downtime.

> she has plenty of alarm bells that can't be turned off at all, her speaker constantly makes noise that can't be turned off either.

Well.. you can but only once, but it's immoral/illegal.

Re: Why I am not going to buy a computer (1987) [pdf]

#115
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Example: in the 90s, Windows, arguably one of the easiest commercial operating systems and certainly the most familiar, used to routinely frighten its users by falsely accusing them of crimes. > "This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down." At first, I laughed. Then I realized, I think I remember seeing this error message when I was six years old, and being freaked out.

Imagine how lifelong law abiding citizens felt! I still don't understand how that message escaped being fixed. It wasn't rare. I would estimate a regular computer user would see it monthly? Maybe more?

> Imagine how lifelong law abiding citizens felt!

I like to think this implies that they had committed countless crimes by the age of 6

Re: Why I am not going to buy a computer (1987) [pdf]

#116
I like this kind of discussions and as members of society it's hard to reason on things that are widely accepted. If one shares his point of view but doesn't want to give up his personal computer, one way may be to buy an used computer or repair one if possible. You'd still use energy, but at least won't support the making of new electronics which is a waste too

Re: Why I am not going to buy a computer (1987) [pdf]

#117
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, at least only the truly old school Nigerian snail mail scams will get to him! Seriously, if you have parents going into their 70s and 80s you need to really start limiting exposure to scams or the ability to send them money. Otherwise, you won't know until it's too late, their bank account is empty, and their CC are maxed out on cash advances. Also, immediately contact the IRS and Social Security, because they'…

My dad is in his 80’s and has all the tech. (computer, iPad, iPhone, etc…) Thing is, he doesn’t believe anything (true or false) from his devices. He just thinks that everything he reads is from someone trying to sell him something and/or part him with his money. I’m not sure if he’s wrong.

My maternal grandfather is 95 and his attitude is similar. Meanwhile my father gets into one bad deal after another.

That being said the former is, for lack of a better word, a minimalist, while the latter seized an opportunity to move out from a back then communist state and make enough money to buy property with cash.

I grew up utterly confused on how to conduct myself.

Re: Why I am not going to buy a computer (1987) [pdf]

#118

> My wife types my work on a Royal standard typewriter bought new in 1956 and as good now as it was then. This was written in the late 80s, but I'd guess they're still using that typewriter over 60 years after it's purchase. Not saying I completely agree with his whole essay, but there's not a lot of computing equipment still in use (or considered usable) from that era. > But the cost would not be just mone- tary. It…

Tech moved incredibly fast for a while there, so a computer from 20 years ago is kinda useless. A computer from 10 years ago is not though. And if you think of a computer from the 90s in 2010, that would be useless. As the pace of development slows down, the useful lifecycle of computers will increase (I hope)

Re: Why I am not going to buy a computer (1987) [pdf]

#119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's an uncharitable reading of the essay. So if we help our spouses that makes us subservient to them? Sure, relying on the wife is not an option, or not a desirable option, for most writers. But the article is named "Why I am not going to buy a computer". His wife helps him and reducing his dependence on "strip-mined coal" eases his conscience. Good for him, though I don't think that the article has a lot of rele…

> So if we help our spouses that makes us subservient to them? I don't know the distinction you're making here. Help and service are the same thing. The point is that it's easy and not notable to eschew computers if you have servants. There's no closer analog to "Let them eat cake!"

I can serve someone while being neither a servant nor subservient.

Re: Why I am not going to buy a computer (1987) [pdf]

#120
post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My mother doesn't have a computer or mobile phone of any kind. Landline phone, TV and snailmail is her contact with the world from home. I did give her an old laptop but when the link to "her email" webpage was moved by the ISP she got the error message "It looks like your page has been moved." Innocuous enough error message right? But this caused her to freak out as clearly "someone" was watching and knew what "her"…

Proper UI/UX design is tremendously difficult, which is why software engineers should never attempt it in a user-facing product. When it comes to on-screen text, you must choose your words very carefully, because someone out there will read them the wrong way. Example: in the 90s, Windows, arguably one of the easiest commercial operating systems and certainly the most familiar, used to routinely frighten its users by…

> used to routinely frighten its users by falsely accusing them of crimes.

> "This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down."

It does not accuse the user of a crime, but the program (which, by the laws (rules) that the OS enforces on the running programs, is true).

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