As far as the gas station thing goes, I agree with you 100%. My ex GF's dad owns an exxon station, and he used to check the price every night on this Exxon portal that owners use...you have never seen a guy get as mad as when prices jumped 6 cents in one day, because he knew that he would have to raise his prices even more which would piss off his customers.
As far as oil companies go, it pisses me off because they are part of the reason our economy is doing so horrible. Yes, I know, it's business, and in business your goal is to make more money than the other guy...but still, it gets to the point where you would think someone would say "If we keep this up, the economy in our home country is going to flounder and get fucked. We should do something about this."
I guess that's why I'm not a business guy...too many morals:-P
That is something that I fully agree with you on. Experience accounts for alot. My Great Grandfather also used to say experience is the best teacher you can ever hope to have...so long as you pay attention to it:-)
For me, the only thing I use windows for is PC Gaming and NetFlix streaming...both of which work perfectly with very minimal tweaking required for gaming. That being said, I like the layout and interface of XP very much...Linux is just much snappier.
That being said, no way am I going to screw with drivers and mucking about with WINE when I can boot up XP and be playing in a minute. The right software for the right job.
Quite good, actually. Been slowly moving up in my company, living in a condo with my girlfriend (who last June graduated from Towson and this past October got a job as a 3rd grade special ed teacher.)
We just finished paying off her car, got the last book in the Akira Manga series, managed to obtain an unpunched and unplayed copy of the board game Hero Quest, and my 24th birthday is tomorrow.
::shrug:: I use my Windows box for gaming. I turn my computer on, XP boots up, functions with all my hardware, and the vast majority of games I install on my system work just fine without having to tweak the system in any way.
I'm not a developer. I'm not a programmer. I use Windows for two things and two things only: gaming and streaming NetFlix. They both work perfectly fine with no tweaking required. My box is quite secure with ZoneAlarm, AVG, and Spybot...no viruses or other malware in years.
I don't care about the other things that Windows does badly because I don't utilize them at all. If I did utilize them and they didn't function correctly, I wouldn't use Windows to do them; I would use Linux or OSX. XP functions perfectly fine for what I need it to do, and as such I use it; the things that it doesn't do perfectly fine are of no consequence to me because I don't use those functions.
If they don't work well for someone else, then they shouldn't use it. What's so difficult about that?
Come on, it does matter - a programming language is also a way of thinking.
And if I were a programmer, I would choose a language that fits into what I'm trying to write and my style of coding...you wouldn't use Visual Basic to make something like Statistica or 3D Studio Max, would you?
I'm well aware that you couldn't just go all willy-nilly and randomly choose a language to code in. I may be absent minded and rather silly, but I'm not a complete moron...some would argue that I am a partial one, however;-)
As I already stated above, Most Linux distributions and OSS is FREE. FREE! It doesn't get any cheaper than free!
And yet, the majority still choose Microsoft. They only got where they are because the majority of folks gave them the ability to be there. Microsoft didn't make itself rich, the market did.
If you raise a pitbull by feeding him live animals, you shouldn't be suprised if he attacks people.
I use Windows because for PC gaming it's the only realistic option in town. My Windows box has been secure for years using just ZoneAlarm, AVG, and SpyBot. It's not that hard to do.
I have issues with Microsoft's business practices just like I have problems with the oil industry's practices. I don't like that I'm paying more for gas in the US than I EVER have while oil companies are enjoying record profits...but that doesn't change the fact that I can only get gas for my car from one of those companies.
I'm all for standing by your morals and sticking to them, but sometimes a compramise is necessary. I refuse to ride a bike the 25 miles each way every day to work, just like I refuse to fight with WINE in Linux. As a result of my choice, I have limited options. I'm fully aware of this.
It doesn't bother because frankly I don't really care. Linux is gaining ground, Apple is finding its way into more people's homes...it's not like Microsoft is the only game in town for general day-to-day use. People are just convinced that it is.
Of course, I doubt your story is true...unless your about 12.
Turn 24 tomorrow. And it is true. My dad gives great advice, but he can be something of an ass from time to time.
I can drive a nail into a piece of wood with a wrench, but when people point out why an hammer would be better I wouldn't say "Fuck You"
As a former mechanic, my answer wouldn't be fuck you either...it would be "my wrench was closer."
There is a saying that goes "The right tool for the right job." My old manager had a saying that went "The closest tool can be made into the right tool."
Woah. Your Dad said this to you when you were five?
That lesson came about when I was about 10 or so, actually...he just started to teach me about computers when I was 5.
The conversation was prompted by a kid in school making fun of the fact that I had a no-brand PC (having picked the components instead of buying one off the shelf). He was under the illusion that I couldn't afford a name-brand PC, when in fact (just like now) you got way more for your dollar just putting it together yourself.
That's just it though. Using only three free programs (ZoneAlarm, AVG, Spybot) and not clicking on every single thing I see online, I haven't had a virus or bit of spyware in nearly 3 years. It's quite easy to secure a PC running Windows...most people just haven't been shown how to do it.
That being said, I don't agree with Microsoft's business practices either. That aside, though, they make a product that fits my gaming needs, and as such I'll use it.
I hate the fact that we are paying more than ever for gas while oil companies are recording record profits, but I like being able to drive to various places...compromises must be made sometimes.
Actually, it does matter when by using a specific operating system and software you support an abusive monopolist which holds the entire computing world back.
QQ some more. Linux is FREE, and Open Source Software is for the most part free as well. You can't get any cheaper than free. And yet, for some reason, the majority still stick with Microsoft.
Rarely. That pretty much came from my mom (human resources director.) I'm usually very pleasant and respectful...it's just that there are some things that set me off, and thinking badly of someone soley because of their operating system of choice is one of them.
You must be quite a pair.
We used to be. In a strange twist of fate, he messed up big time and I have hardly talked to him for about 5-6 years. Classic "Do as I say, not as I do" kind of thing.
"Dealing with complexity is an inefficient and unnecessary waste of time, attention and mental energy. There is never any justification for things being complex when they could be simple. "
I take it when you were 5, your family was poor and using outdated hand me downs with older operating systems that couldn't support the games you wanted to play.
You would be wrong. Don't misunderstand me, we weren't rich, but we definitely were not poor. My dad ran a PC supply business on the side while doing programming work for the DoD. My mom was, at the time, a director for human resources at Fairchild (back before it became Orbital). Like I said, we weren't rich, but we were definitely not in any kind of financial pinch.
That's cool and all, I have been poor too. But I highly doubt that a saying to passify a kid that you can't provide for is a perfectly universal message. It was only his way of attempting to not look like a useless loser in front of you.
Considering the work he did for the DoD, running a somewhat successful supply business, and that he used to do coding in straight Assembly...yeah, I don't think he ever had to worry about me thinking he was a useless loser.
To be fair, I agree with everything else that you said in your original post...that one line that I quoted really bothered me, so I decided to respond as such.
True, a fsck you prolly was unnecessary...but screw it, tomorrow is friday:-)
the most sophisticated users do not use MS products, preferring Linux or *BSD
Fuck you. My dad started teaching me about computers when I was only 5, and I have been huge into them ever since. The biggest, most important thing he taught me was this:
"Some people look down on others because of the operating system, brand of computer, or programming language of your choice. Whenever this happens, I want you to say "Fuck you" to them. Why? Because it doesn't matter what operating system, brand of computer, or programming language you use. As long as it enables you to get done what you need and want to get done, then use it. Whenever someone looks down on your for your technology choices, just picture them as a grumpy old man at a rich country club telling you that you arent good enough for their tee times. That's ok; you don't want to be around those kinds of people. Stay away from them."
I personally use a Linux/Windows combination...Linux for when I feel like messing around, Windows because it has far reaching hardware support and doesn't require nearly as much tweaking to get it how I want. Forgive me for blaspheming by not using Linux exclusively; just don't look down on people like me because we CHOOSE to use what works for us.
C'mon - when was the last time writing anything that popped into your mind considered a "talent". Blogs...yeesh. I still can't figure out who has the time to read those things.
A perfect example is my website. I write about things that pop into my mind, however due to the nature of the website many people share the experiences of what I write about. Just yesterday someone from Slashdot began commenting on my blog and in my forums, stating his reason being that he is dealing with many of the things that I talk about at this point in his life (which is, as my signature indicates, living with a nerd.)
Granted, the whole "Today, I went and did this and this and this" may not seem very interesting to you, but for some people, reading about other folk's experiences that mirror their own can be reassuring and helpful.
In my case, I started writing about what it's like to be living with a nerd because my girlfriend recently moved in with me and I was looking for advice about how to live in harmony with another nerd. All I found were websites offering help for "normal" folks that move in together. I found a topic that was devoid of discussion in any direct way online, so I started talking about it myself. Seeing as both she and I come from very geeky families, we are both into very geeky stuff (comics, video games, etc.), it seemed like the right fit.
I may not have found any website that gives advice, but as we figure things out together we can write about our experiences on a website. The next time someone goes looking for advice about living with a nerd, whether they themselves are a nerd or their spouse is a nerd (or they both are nerds), now they won't come up empty handed.
Something I have noticed is that the more intelligent a woman is, the more attractive she looks when showing certain emotions.
An intelligent woman looks highly attractive when confused...you can almost see the gears working in her head, trying to figure it out. An unintelligent woman just has a dumb confused look on her face.
From what I have seen, intelligent women tend to not necessarily have more attractive facial features, but a more attractive way of showing their emotion and reaction to things. Not something that is commonly thought about.
They don't know enough about the computers they buy to make an informed choice. And yet, nearly EVERYONE knows who apple is, and knows that apple sells computers.
I still say that if the general public was so pissed off at Microsoft, people would be buying Macs in droves. As it stands now, Macs are indeed slowly but surely gaining more market share. Still, people DO know that alternatives are out there, and if they really cared enough they would find a way to educate themselves.
Most people don't care, apparently, and as such I have no sympathy for them.
You can't get mad at a lion for eating people when they keep walking into his den.
I know that from a legal standpoint Microsoft has a monopoly...but from a realistic standpoint...they don't. OSX is an option (and Apple is a household brand, known by just about anyone who knows what a computer is), Linux and its many incarnations are an option, BSD, etc...there are other choices out there that provide an alternative to Windows.
The average person, despite knowing this, doesn't really seem to care. If people know this, and don't care, and continue giving money to Microsoft despite knowing there are alternatives...I'm apologize, but I can't feel sorry for someone that keeps walking into the same wall instead of going around it.
In every market that Microsoft has won, they won by being the only choice left.
Then why do they still have the market majority? True, both OSX and Linux are gaining more and more traction...and yet after countless lawsuits, highly-publicized security issues, and various other things...people, governments, and companies are still giving them boatloads of money.
Once again...no one else to blame but themselves. If Microsoft truly got to where it is ONLY because they were the only choice, they would be out of business by now.
Just about every one of the major players in the industry at this point started in a garage with a couple of nerds. They all came from more or less the same place. In my opinion, every one of them has had an equal chance.
Some may have looser ethics than others, but given their common beginnings, they all had the same opportunity.
Slashdot Mirror
As far as the gas station thing goes, I agree with you 100%. My ex GF's dad owns an exxon station, and he used to check the price every night on this Exxon portal that owners use...you have never seen a guy get as mad as when prices jumped 6 cents in one day, because he knew that he would have to raise his prices even more which would piss off his customers.
As far as oil companies go, it pisses me off because they are part of the reason our economy is doing so horrible. Yes, I know, it's business, and in business your goal is to make more money than the other guy...but still, it gets to the point where you would think someone would say "If we keep this up, the economy in our home country is going to flounder and get fucked. We should do something about this."
I guess that's why I'm not a business guy...too many morals:-P
That is something that I fully agree with you on. Experience accounts for alot. My Great Grandfather also used to say experience is the best teacher you can ever hope to have...so long as you pay attention to it :-)
"Just because you are older does not necessarily make you wiser." -My Great-Grandfather
For me, the only thing I use windows for is PC Gaming and NetFlix streaming...both of which work perfectly with very minimal tweaking required for gaming. That being said, I like the layout and interface of XP very much...Linux is just much snappier.
That being said, no way am I going to screw with drivers and mucking about with WINE when I can boot up XP and be playing in a minute. The right software for the right job.
Quite good, actually. Been slowly moving up in my company, living in a condo with my girlfriend (who last June graduated from Towson and this past October got a job as a 3rd grade special ed teacher.)
We just finished paying off her car, got the last book in the Akira Manga series, managed to obtain an unpunched and unplayed copy of the board game Hero Quest, and my 24th birthday is tomorrow.
All told, things have been great.
Thanks for asking:-)
I'm not a developer. I'm not a programmer. I use Windows for two things and two things only: gaming and streaming NetFlix. They both work perfectly fine with no tweaking required. My box is quite secure with ZoneAlarm, AVG, and Spybot...no viruses or other malware in years.
I don't care about the other things that Windows does badly because I don't utilize them at all. If I did utilize them and they didn't function correctly, I wouldn't use Windows to do them; I would use Linux or OSX. XP functions perfectly fine for what I need it to do, and as such I use it; the things that it doesn't do perfectly fine are of no consequence to me because I don't use those functions.
If they don't work well for someone else, then they shouldn't use it. What's so difficult about that? And if I were a programmer, I would choose a language that fits into what I'm trying to write and my style of coding...you wouldn't use Visual Basic to make something like Statistica or 3D Studio Max, would you?
I'm well aware that you couldn't just go all willy-nilly and randomly choose a language to code in. I may be absent minded and rather silly, but I'm not a complete moron...some would argue that I am a partial one, however
As I already stated above, Most Linux distributions and OSS is FREE. FREE! It doesn't get any cheaper than free!
And yet, the majority still choose Microsoft. They only got where they are because the majority of folks gave them the ability to be there. Microsoft didn't make itself rich, the market did.
If you raise a pitbull by feeding him live animals, you shouldn't be suprised if he attacks people.
I use Windows because for PC gaming it's the only realistic option in town. My Windows box has been secure for years using just ZoneAlarm, AVG, and SpyBot. It's not that hard to do.
I have issues with Microsoft's business practices just like I have problems with the oil industry's practices. I don't like that I'm paying more for gas in the US than I EVER have while oil companies are enjoying record profits...but that doesn't change the fact that I can only get gas for my car from one of those companies.
I'm all for standing by your morals and sticking to them, but sometimes a compramise is necessary. I refuse to ride a bike the 25 miles each way every day to work, just like I refuse to fight with WINE in Linux. As a result of my choice, I have limited options. I'm fully aware of this.
It doesn't bother because frankly I don't really care. Linux is gaining ground, Apple is finding its way into more people's homes...it's not like Microsoft is the only game in town for general day-to-day use. People are just convinced that it is.
As a former mechanic, my answer wouldn't be fuck you either...it would be "my wrench was closer."
There is a saying that goes "The right tool for the right job." My old manager had a saying that went "The closest tool can be made into the right tool."
That lesson came about when I was about 10 or so, actually...he just started to teach me about computers when I was 5.
The conversation was prompted by a kid in school making fun of the fact that I had a no-brand PC (having picked the components instead of buying one off the shelf). He was under the illusion that I couldn't afford a name-brand PC, when in fact (just like now) you got way more for your dollar just putting it together yourself.
That's just it though. Using only three free programs (ZoneAlarm, AVG, Spybot) and not clicking on every single thing I see online, I haven't had a virus or bit of spyware in nearly 3 years. It's quite easy to secure a PC running Windows...most people just haven't been shown how to do it.
That being said, I don't agree with Microsoft's business practices either. That aside, though, they make a product that fits my gaming needs, and as such I'll use it.
I hate the fact that we are paying more than ever for gas while oil companies are recording record profits, but I like being able to drive to various places...compromises must be made sometimes.
QQ some more. Linux is FREE, and Open Source Software is for the most part free as well. You can't get any cheaper than free. And yet, for some reason, the majority still stick with Microsoft.
Blame Microsoft's customers, not them.
No thanks.
Rarely. That pretty much came from my mom (human resources director.) I'm usually very pleasant and respectful...it's just that there are some things that set me off, and thinking badly of someone soley because of their operating system of choice is one of them.
We used to be. In a strange twist of fate, he messed up big time and I have hardly talked to him for about 5-6 years. Classic "Do as I say, not as I do" kind of thing.
"Dealing with complexity is an inefficient and unnecessary waste of time, attention and mental energy. There is never any justification for things being complex when they could be simple. "
-Edward de Bono
You would be wrong. Don't misunderstand me, we weren't rich, but we definitely were not poor. My dad ran a PC supply business on the side while doing programming work for the DoD. My mom was, at the time, a director for human resources at Fairchild (back before it became Orbital). Like I said, we weren't rich, but we were definitely not in any kind of financial pinch.
Considering the work he did for the DoD, running a somewhat successful supply business, and that he used to do coding in straight Assembly...yeah, I don't think he ever had to worry about me thinking he was a useless loser.
Actually no, it's been 19 years since he started teaching me...as to my choice of vocabulary...::shrug:: it's just a word.
Just following my dad's advice, nothing more.
To be fair, I agree with everything else that you said in your original post...that one line that I quoted really bothered me, so I decided to respond as such.
True, a fsck you prolly was unnecessary...but screw it, tomorrow is friday:-)
Fuck you. My dad started teaching me about computers when I was only 5, and I have been huge into them ever since. The biggest, most important thing he taught me was this:
"Some people look down on others because of the operating system, brand of computer, or programming language of your choice. Whenever this happens, I want you to say "Fuck you" to them. Why? Because it doesn't matter what operating system, brand of computer, or programming language you use. As long as it enables you to get done what you need and want to get done, then use it. Whenever someone looks down on your for your technology choices, just picture them as a grumpy old man at a rich country club telling you that you arent good enough for their tee times. That's ok; you don't want to be around those kinds of people. Stay away from them."
I personally use a Linux/Windows combination...Linux for when I feel like messing around, Windows because it has far reaching hardware support and doesn't require nearly as much tweaking to get it how I want. Forgive me for blaspheming by not using Linux exclusively; just don't look down on people like me because we CHOOSE to use what works for us.
A perfect example is my website. I write about things that pop into my mind, however due to the nature of the website many people share the experiences of what I write about. Just yesterday someone from Slashdot began commenting on my blog and in my forums, stating his reason being that he is dealing with many of the things that I talk about at this point in his life (which is, as my signature indicates, living with a nerd.)
Granted, the whole "Today, I went and did this and this and this" may not seem very interesting to you, but for some people, reading about other folk's experiences that mirror their own can be reassuring and helpful.
In my case, I started writing about what it's like to be living with a nerd because my girlfriend recently moved in with me and I was looking for advice about how to live in harmony with another nerd. All I found were websites offering help for "normal" folks that move in together. I found a topic that was devoid of discussion in any direct way online, so I started talking about it myself. Seeing as both she and I come from very geeky families, we are both into very geeky stuff (comics, video games, etc.), it seemed like the right fit.
I may not have found any website that gives advice, but as we figure things out together we can write about our experiences on a website. The next time someone goes looking for advice about living with a nerd, whether they themselves are a nerd or their spouse is a nerd (or they both are nerds), now they won't come up empty handed.
Something I have noticed is that the more intelligent a woman is, the more attractive she looks when showing certain emotions.
An intelligent woman looks highly attractive when confused...you can almost see the gears working in her head, trying to figure it out. An unintelligent woman just has a dumb confused look on her face.
From what I have seen, intelligent women tend to not necessarily have more attractive facial features, but a more attractive way of showing their emotion and reaction to things. Not something that is commonly thought about.
Once, when I was about 8 years old, I asked my step-dad if jumping off a cliff hurts. His answer?
"It's not the jumping part that hurts...it's the sudden stop at the end."
They don't know enough about the computers they buy to make an informed choice. And yet, nearly EVERYONE knows who apple is, and knows that apple sells computers.
I still say that if the general public was so pissed off at Microsoft, people would be buying Macs in droves. As it stands now, Macs are indeed slowly but surely gaining more market share. Still, people DO know that alternatives are out there, and if they really cared enough they would find a way to educate themselves.
Most people don't care, apparently, and as such I have no sympathy for them.
You can't get mad at a lion for eating people when they keep walking into his den.
I know that from a legal standpoint Microsoft has a monopoly...but from a realistic standpoint...they don't. OSX is an option (and Apple is a household brand, known by just about anyone who knows what a computer is), Linux and its many incarnations are an option, BSD, etc...there are other choices out there that provide an alternative to Windows.
The average person, despite knowing this, doesn't really seem to care. If people know this, and don't care, and continue giving money to Microsoft despite knowing there are alternatives...I'm apologize, but I can't feel sorry for someone that keeps walking into the same wall instead of going around it.
Once again though...all of this is relatively public knowledge, and yet the public still continues to buy their products. ::shrug::
Then why do they still have the market majority? True, both OSX and Linux are gaining more and more traction...and yet after countless lawsuits, highly-publicized security issues, and various other things...people, governments, and companies are still giving them boatloads of money.
Once again...no one else to blame but themselves. If Microsoft truly got to where it is ONLY because they were the only choice, they would be out of business by now.
Just about every one of the major players in the industry at this point started in a garage with a couple of nerds. They all came from more or less the same place. In my opinion, every one of them has had an equal chance.
Some may have looser ethics than others, but given their common beginnings, they all had the same opportunity.