I would argue that intimate knowledge of its operation is an imperative to extracting the maximum benefit from its use. I'd have to disagree. I'll agree that the more one knows about a machine, the more one should benifit from. But I think a plateau is reached with an average user long before anything like the intimate knowledge that you and I have of a machine is reached (assuming you're a typical slashdotter).
Then, there is the counter argument; I know a few excelent electrical engineers who could track every electron as it flowed through my CPU - ask them to configure a machine to use TCP and they're lost.
Where's the limit? For something that involves the physical danger of thousands of people, sure, you should know every little scrap of what you are doing. But with computers, that's not the case. People want to do work - they don't want to use a computer! The fact that I know that my file system uses at least 8192 bytes irregardless of file size doesn't help my work. The fact that I know I have RAM doesn't help my work. The fact that I know my monitor shows 16million colours doesn't help my work.
As for "I Love You" and other such nasties. I think the root cause is 49% social engineering (who wouldn't open a love letter sent from a friend?), 49% bad programming (what moron allows your mail reader to aribitarily execute dangereous code?), 2% training. But then, why do I need to be trained to open my mail?
A computer is, essentially, a tool. Something to do really really boring things really really quickly. The mundane tasks of automatically checking a server, automatically allocating memory, automatically indenting my paragraphs. If it can do all this - why can't it do the really boring job of making sure nothing bad happens to my machine?
A user is primarily concerned with:
1) Having their documents/spreadsheets/pictues arranged at least as easily as in their filling cabinet.
2) Having a simple method to use those documents.
Everything else is superfluous
A database driven file system for user created files would allow quick and easy access to useful files. So, where are they?
To use it, you must know basicly how it works.....such as what a hard disk is! You cant oversimplify!
Right... so you know exactly how the IRQ steering works in your motherboard? You know the exact wavelength of the laser in your CD player?
It comes down to what people need to know to use a machine. Ever tried explaining to granny the difference between Memory (random access) and Memory (disk space)? http://bbspot.com/News/2000/8/hour_lost.html
At the moment, there is still too much a user needs to know about the insides of the machine and the internal "logic" of the operating system before they can use it sufficiently well.
I don't have the time to learn how to strip my spark plugs or recalibrate my transmission - it would add nothing to my driving except in the odd times my car suffers a failure. And when it does, why, that's what professionals are for.
Play a CD on your PC. Now play a CD on your regular CD player. Notice the difference?
The Beatles made music that was designed to be listened to over crackly AM radio. The Beach Boys recorded in mono. All other music is supurfluous:-)
Seriously, most "pop" is designed to be heard over FM, or on cheap CD players. Dance music is designed to be heard in a big warehouse with a crowd of people. etc.
As the other posters said - listen to the music, not your speakers. It's much more fun!
First of all, thank you for your inquiry. Please note, that I was not
quoted, but
paraphrased in this particular article and do believe that some of my
comments had been unintentionally misinterpreted. Midbar is a technology
provider that services the music industry. Though we take the consumer and
the consumer experience very seriously vis a vis the development of the CDS
product line, our direct involvement is limited to our relatioinship with
the recording labels. The labels and manufacuteres serve as our main source
of feedback, mostly which deals with the technical side of the equation, as
that is our mandate. Considering, I could and would never claim that
someone is a "pirate", especially without knowing this person or knowing
specifically of his activities.
I hope this clears things up.
My best wishes for a happy, healthy and safe holiday season.
Noam Zur
-----Original Message-----
From: Terry Eden [mailto: ]
Sent: Saturday, December 01, 2001 3:20 PM
To: noam@midbartech.com
Subject: Copy Protection Failure
Hi Noam,
I read with interest your quote on
http://www.modbee.com/24hour/entertainment/story /1 83508p-1775112c.html
which stated: "Midbar Tech's Noam Zur called copy-protection critics a
fringe group that probably are pirates themselves."
The major cause of piracy is because people feel they are being
over-charged. In England (where I live) CDs cost twice the price of Canada
and America - "copy protecting" discs won't stop piracy; charging people a
fair price will.
I have over 200 CD albums, countless numbers of vinyl and cassettes albums.
I enjoy making my own compilations on tape, CD and MP3. Your "copy
protection" software cannot protect a CD - as long as a signal travels to
my speakers, music will always be free to whoever wants it, be they a
professional plagiariser or a casual copier.
Your grandmother won't want to whip out a Flash card everytime someone wants to see a picture of her grandson, she's going to want something tangible, in a frame. Photos will never stay entirely digital.
Your grandmother. What about when you are a grand parent?
The staus quo will change. Lots of older people still call radio "Wireless" - but that number is decreasing.
(my first post after reading for 3 years. Is that a long enough lurk?)
Slashdot Mirror
I would argue that intimate knowledge of its operation is an imperative to extracting the maximum benefit from its use.
I'd have to disagree. I'll agree that the more one knows about a machine, the more one should benifit from. But I think a plateau is reached with an average user long before anything like the intimate knowledge that you and I have of a machine is reached (assuming you're a typical slashdotter).
Then, there is the counter argument; I know a few excelent electrical engineers who could track every electron as it flowed through my CPU - ask them to configure a machine to use TCP and they're lost.
Where's the limit? For something that involves the physical danger of thousands of people, sure, you should know every little scrap of what you are doing. But with computers, that's not the case. People want to do work - they don't want to use a computer! The fact that I know that my file system uses at least 8192 bytes irregardless of file size doesn't help my work. The fact that I know I have RAM doesn't help my work. The fact that I know my monitor shows 16million colours doesn't help my work.
As for "I Love You" and other such nasties. I think the root cause is 49% social engineering (who wouldn't open a love letter sent from a friend?), 49% bad programming (what moron allows your mail reader to aribitarily execute dangereous code?), 2% training. But then, why do I need to be trained to open my mail?
A computer is, essentially, a tool. Something to do really really boring things really really quickly. The mundane tasks of automatically checking a server, automatically allocating memory, automatically indenting my paragraphs. If it can do all this - why can't it do the really boring job of making sure nothing bad happens to my machine?
Sorry for the ramble!
Terry
As I see it...
A user is primarily concerned with:
1) Having their documents/spreadsheets/pictues arranged at least as easily as in their filling cabinet.
2) Having a simple method to use those documents.
Everything else is superfluous
A database driven file system for user created files would allow quick and easy access to useful files. So, where are they?
To use it, you must know basicly how it works.....such as what a hard disk is! You cant oversimplify!
Right... so you know exactly how the IRQ steering works in your motherboard? You know the exact wavelength of the laser in your CD player?
It comes down to what people need to know to use a machine. Ever tried explaining to granny the difference between Memory (random access) and Memory (disk space)? http://bbspot.com/News/2000/8/hour_lost.html
At the moment, there is still too much a user needs to know about the insides of the machine and the internal "logic" of the operating system before they can use it sufficiently well.
I don't have the time to learn how to strip my spark plugs or recalibrate my transmission - it would add nothing to my driving except in the odd times my car suffers a failure. And when it does, why, that's what professionals are for.
Play a CD on your PC. Now play a CD on your regular CD player. Notice the difference?
:-)
The Beatles made music that was designed to be listened to over crackly AM radio. The Beach Boys recorded in mono. All other music is supurfluous
Seriously, most "pop" is designed to be heard over FM, or on cheap CD players. Dance music is designed to be heard in a big warehouse with a crowd of people. etc.
As the other posters said - listen to the music, not your speakers. It's much more fun!
Just received this from Noam Zur of Miditech...
y /1 83508p-1775112c.html
Dear Terry,
First of all, thank you for your inquiry. Please note, that I was not
quoted, but
paraphrased in this particular article and do believe that some of my
comments had been unintentionally misinterpreted. Midbar is a technology
provider that services the music industry. Though we take the consumer and
the consumer experience very seriously vis a vis the development of the CDS
product line, our direct involvement is limited to our relatioinship with
the recording labels. The labels and manufacuteres serve as our main source
of feedback, mostly which deals with the technical side of the equation, as
that is our mandate. Considering, I could and would never claim that
someone is a "pirate", especially without knowing this person or knowing
specifically of his activities.
I hope this clears things up.
My best wishes for a happy, healthy and safe holiday season.
Noam Zur
-----Original Message-----
From: Terry Eden [mailto: ]
Sent: Saturday, December 01, 2001 3:20 PM
To: noam@midbartech.com
Subject: Copy Protection Failure
Hi Noam,
I read with interest your quote on
http://www.modbee.com/24hour/entertainment/stor
which stated: "Midbar Tech's Noam Zur called copy-protection critics a
fringe group that probably are pirates themselves."
The major cause of piracy is because people feel they are being
over-charged. In England (where I live) CDs cost twice the price of Canada
and America - "copy protecting" discs won't stop piracy; charging people a
fair price will.
I have over 200 CD albums, countless numbers of vinyl and cassettes albums.
I enjoy making my own compilations on tape, CD and MP3. Your "copy
protection" software cannot protect a CD - as long as a signal travels to
my speakers, music will always be free to whoever wants it, be they a
professional plagiariser or a casual copier.
Thank you for your time
Terry Eden
For all you Lynxers out there
Many moons ago, computers were huge blocks that had to be kept in hermatically sealed, air conditioned rooms.
Today computers are small blocks that people want to put in mini-fridges.
Shouldn't we be concentrating on making chips run cooler WITHOUT adding extra fans/heat-sinks/water coolers/dusky maidens with palm leaves?
Terry
(probably talking nonsence again)
Maybe somebody will invent some sort of hyperfast language
Doubleplus ungood idea.
Your grandmother won't want to whip out a Flash card everytime someone wants to see a picture of her grandson, she's going to want something tangible, in a frame. Photos will never stay entirely digital.
Your grandmother. What about when you are a grand parent?
The staus quo will change. Lots of older people still call radio "Wireless" - but that number is decreasing.
(my first post after reading for 3 years. Is that a long enough lurk?)