I see the points inherent in this whole thread, but I wanted to chip in my 2 bits.
I think that a good metaphor is not what is needed, but a good design is. For example, phones range from insanely complex to insanely simple (point to point), but still require some training to use. This is a bad design, but it suffices. Car HVAC systems are "intuitive", at least to someone trained to use them (You may have to trust me on this, since I spent a week trying to figure out the HVAC systems on an old Mercedes and on an old Porsche)
My point is, some training is nearly always required. It is just a question of who you get it from, how much you need, and how useful the tool is. A properly designed, properly maintained simple system has no need whatsoever for "user security" since it is secure by default. Of course, such systems are not good at anything but their one designed app. I haven't seen people who use dishwashers complain that the dishwasher can't be used as an oven, even though those tools might be related.
All I'm saying is that being able to have simple instructions like "press here to listen to this song" are plenty for almost everyone. Instructions like "Connect to 127.0.0.1/mymusic/albumname, log in, select the song you want, press play, then make sure you have the right codec/musicplayer/etc." are a bit much.
I think it is good that he did take those shots. They were honest, they were fair, and they make sense. He's saying (As far as I can tell) that he's no fan of Linux, but that this whole thing (the SCO/MS stuff and the paper released by their agents) is just stupid. Linus wrote Linux, it belongs to Linus, and writing an OS/Kernel is NBD. (Hurd notwithstanding, apparently;) ) I disagree slightly, since I think writing a *useable* OS is a big deal. Other than that, I agree with his perspectives. Mostly.
I had the worst time putting AIX 5.1 on these old RS/6000s we had laying around. Sure, they were about 4 years old, but that's ok, right? It's still a RS/6000!
Sheesh. When you get stiff vertical integration, you get *stiff vertical integration*. We have systems here that literally must run the same OS they shipped with. And they were millions of dollars. I understand that you want to have the new OS on the old hardware (which is typical in the PC world) but that's why there are minimum requirements. In the case of Apple, they rebated a lot of software for this sort of problem. They didn't really have to. It was just to try and make customers happier. Heck, IBM would have simply laughed at you if you bought ZOS for a machine that wouldn't run it. Then offered you a new lease:)
PS - I'm not apologizing for Apple, I just think that people whine too much about this. Ever tried to upgrade a Commodore? How about an OS/390? Macs are purpose built machines, not like x86 boxes. If you buy one, deal with it.
Is it ironic that a culture that can't standardize on metric or imperial (or whatever inches are) can standardize on the "width of the human hair" and "volkswagens"?
Fine. I'll be happy to take you on, any time you like. And not even as a flamewar.
The christian bible does *not* disprove evolution. It simply states that "God" did it, in 7 days (presumably... there are lots of euphemisms in the christian bible, and surely any "being" that can divide light from darkness (blah blah) has a different theory of time than humans). It doesn't say how, or why, or using what tools, etc.
Can you prove that "God" didn't just choose to make things "evolve" willy-nilly? I can't. The theories are not mutually exclusive. Also, why is there a problem with people using the "gifts God gave them" to explore the universe?
Well, I also use OSX (3 machines... 2 G4 towers and a G4 powerbook)
I have only done one re-install (because of personal n00biness on OS9).
Here are the first ten items I installed, and what I installed when I brought up the other 3 as purchased. More or less in order. It's been a while.
Photoshop
Fink
Fink Commander
Safari (they came with IE pre-installed)
Developer Tools (these would be the Apple ones)
Neverwinter Nights
X11
AppleWorks
KOffice (KOffice rocks)
Vim
If I were to do it again I would update patches first, since there are several for 10.2 currently.
-WS
Is the degree in a field you want to learn about? I am currently working on a degree in chemistry. I love chemistry, I think it is a ton of fun! I would never want an actual *job* doing chemistry, though. Same could be said for a fine-arts degree in music or something. If it is a field you enjoy and you want to learn more about, it isn't all that unreasonable. At least not to me.
What I have is a quick list of things, but mainly a list of things *done*. I won't list any skill that I don't feel comfortable with talking about at length for a great deal of time. Typically my skills were acquired as needed for a specific project, so I am specific about that.
I will not forget the "OS2 Administrator" I once interviewed who didn't even know how to set up DCAF.
I haven't been out of work since I was 17. I was hired directly out of school, and I have been at the same company since 1996. Not quite as long, I'll give you, but still a fair amount of time. I'm a fairly advanced jack of all trades, with only a HS diploma, several various training certs, and a knack for figuring out what is *really* causing that weird crash at 00:04:35 every day;) I do want a degree some day, though. Just for fun.
That's a real shame, because I have gotten lots of work due to my ability to make randomly purchased stuff work together. My current company likes to buy "best of breed" software and then have a few people like me make all of the various little packages talk to each other.
So, I have a 10 year skillset in "one inch deep" stuff. Things like custom-made Perl/ABAP/JS/Java/(etc) connectors, web reporting stuff, etc.
Maybe you are lucky and have a CEO who doesn't buy everything they hear about on the golf course...
And also, ironically enough, many of the "poorer" countries would be in pretty good spots during an ice age or warming. In the event of major increase in sea levels, I would rather be a hick in the Ozarks than an investment banker in Manhattan.
I have long said that humans will never destroy the planet. We might, however, destroy it for us, mammals, and many other more advanced species though. I guess that is what the grand-parent post meant.
Ironically, less that 30% of our IT staff (as of the last survey) had "advanced degrees"... whatever that means. The wording suggested that our IT staff are largely direct from HS (like I am).
Of course, the mean time in the field for the people here is 10 years. So I guess 10 years of experience is worth more than a degree? I personally want to finish my degree, but it won't be in order to work in IT.
OO.o on Mac has come a long way, but I have to agree with your users. It is awful.
I find KWord looks nicer, but is a serious hassle to use and install on Mac, so no help there. I wish AppleWorks could open Word docs reliably. I also wish AppleWorks had the ability to export.
At least OSX can print to PDF as an easy choice. Makes life a lot easier. I wish Windows did that. (Lots of wishes. Few results, eh?)
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I think that a good metaphor is not what is needed, but a good design is. For example, phones range from insanely complex to insanely simple (point to point), but still require some training to use. This is a bad design, but it suffices. Car HVAC systems are "intuitive", at least to someone trained to use them (You may have to trust me on this, since I spent a week trying to figure out the HVAC systems on an old Mercedes and on an old Porsche)
My point is, some training is nearly always required. It is just a question of who you get it from, how much you need, and how useful the tool is. A properly designed, properly maintained simple system has no need whatsoever for "user security" since it is secure by default. Of course, such systems are not good at anything but their one designed app. I haven't seen people who use dishwashers complain that the dishwasher can't be used as an oven, even though those tools might be related.
All I'm saying is that being able to have simple instructions like "press here to listen to this song" are plenty for almost everyone. Instructions like "Connect to 127.0.0.1/mymusic/albumname, log in, select the song you want, press play, then make sure you have the right codec/musicplayer/etc." are a bit much.
-WS
Hehehe
:)
Reminds me of the OpenVMS/Unix security flamewars
-WS
Well personally, I don't want to waste my cycles searching for intelligent life in space.
I haven't entirely given up on finding it on Earth...
(rimshot)
-WS
I think it is good that he did take those shots. They were honest, they were fair, and they make sense. He's saying (As far as I can tell) that he's no fan of Linux, but that this whole thing (the SCO/MS stuff and the paper released by their agents) is just stupid. Linus wrote Linux, it belongs to Linus, and writing an OS/Kernel is NBD. (Hurd notwithstanding, apparently ;) )
I disagree slightly, since I think writing a *useable* OS is a big deal. Other than that, I agree with his perspectives. Mostly.
-WS
Agreed. Absolutely.
Of course, as I pointed out, there were rebates to the users who were unable to install it.
-WS
I know what you mean!!!
:)
I had the worst time putting AIX 5.1 on these old RS/6000s we had laying around. Sure, they were about 4 years old, but that's ok, right? It's still a RS/6000!
Sheesh. When you get stiff vertical integration, you get *stiff vertical integration*. We have systems here that literally must run the same OS they shipped with. And they were millions of dollars. I understand that you want to have the new OS on the old hardware (which is typical in the PC world) but that's why there are minimum requirements. In the case of Apple, they rebated a lot of software for this sort of problem. They didn't really have to. It was just to try and make customers happier. Heck, IBM would have simply laughed at you if you bought ZOS for a machine that wouldn't run it. Then offered you a new lease
PS - I'm not apologizing for Apple, I just think that people whine too much about this. Ever tried to upgrade a Commodore? How about an OS/390? Macs are purpose built machines, not like x86 boxes. If you buy one, deal with it.
-WS
Is it ironic that a culture that can't standardize on metric or imperial (or whatever inches are) can standardize on the "width of the human hair" and "volkswagens"?
-WS
Fine. I'll be happy to take you on, any time you like. And not even as a flamewar.
The christian bible does *not* disprove evolution. It simply states that "God" did it, in 7 days (presumably... there are lots of euphemisms in the christian bible, and surely any "being" that can divide light from darkness (blah blah) has a different theory of time than humans). It doesn't say how, or why, or using what tools, etc.
Can you prove that "God" didn't just choose to make things "evolve" willy-nilly? I can't. The theories are not mutually exclusive. Also, why is there a problem with people using the "gifts God gave them" to explore the universe?
-WS
Agree with the other posters. I have a 75 Stingray, and it still gets 12/18.
New of course, they are still WAY under 60k.
Mine was 10k, in top form. All original, all leather package, etc.
Go back to your souped-Up type R Escort.
-WS
I liked clicking on him until he gave you the finger.
That was cool... though not really worth the wait.
-WS
Actually, in my family, they would say: :)
"I want one of those new Macs"
I have only done one re-install (because of personal n00biness on OS9).
Here are the first ten items I installed, and what I installed when I brought up the other 3 as purchased. More or less in order. It's been a while.
If I were to do it again I would update patches first, since there are several for 10.2 currently.
-WS
Is the degree in a field you want to learn about? I am currently working on a degree in chemistry. I love chemistry, I think it is a ton of fun! I would never want an actual *job* doing chemistry, though. Same could be said for a fine-arts degree in music or something. If it is a field you enjoy and you want to learn more about, it isn't all that unreasonable. At least not to me.
-WS
I like to do that too!
What I have is a quick list of things, but mainly a list of things *done*. I won't list any skill that I don't feel comfortable with talking about at length for a great deal of time. Typically my skills were acquired as needed for a specific project, so I am specific about that.
I will not forget the "OS2 Administrator" I once interviewed who didn't even know how to set up DCAF.
-WS
Hate to say it, but me too :)
;)
I haven't been out of work since I was 17. I was hired directly out of school, and I have been at the same company since 1996. Not quite as long, I'll give you, but still a fair amount of time. I'm a fairly advanced jack of all trades, with only a HS diploma, several various training certs, and a knack for figuring out what is *really* causing that weird crash at 00:04:35 every day
I do want a degree some day, though. Just for fun.
-WS
That's a real shame, because I have gotten lots of work due to my ability to make randomly purchased stuff work together. My current company likes to buy "best of breed" software and then have a few people like me make all of the various little packages talk to each other.
So, I have a 10 year skillset in "one inch deep" stuff. Things like custom-made Perl/ABAP/JS/Java/(etc) connectors, web reporting stuff, etc.
Maybe you are lucky and have a CEO who doesn't buy everything they hear about on the golf course...
-WS
And also, ironically enough, many of the "poorer" countries would be in pretty good spots during an ice age or warming. In the event of major increase in sea levels, I would rather be a hick in the Ozarks than an investment banker in Manhattan.
-WS
Precisely.
I have long said that humans will never destroy the planet. We might, however, destroy it for us, mammals, and many other more advanced species though. I guess that is what the grand-parent post meant.
-WS
Ironically, less that 30% of our IT staff (as of the last survey) had "advanced degrees"... whatever that means. The wording suggested that our IT staff are largely direct from HS (like I am).
Of course, the mean time in the field for the people here is 10 years. So I guess 10 years of experience is worth more than a degree? I personally want to finish my degree, but it won't be in order to work in IT.
-WS
That's pretty impressive. I haven't tried Tribes, but I think I will look into it.
-WS
Well, since propane has a "garlic" scent added, can we improve on that by giving hydrogen an "onion" or "pizza" scent? That would rock!! -WS
Right.
:)
Now, let's do a simulation where it was filled with O2
That would be one heck of a fire!
-WS
OO.o on Mac has come a long way, but I have to agree with your users. It is awful.
I find KWord looks nicer, but is a serious hassle to use and install on Mac, so no help there.
I wish AppleWorks could open Word docs reliably. I also wish AppleWorks had the ability to export.
At least OSX can print to PDF as an easy choice. Makes life a lot easier. I wish Windows did that. (Lots of wishes. Few results, eh?)
-WS
There were apps I never did get working from those mags!!
I think the worst was some kind of cross-US racing game that crashed randomly. Damn, I miss typing in 4000 lines of code from a magazine by hand!
Not!
-WS
Also, don't forget that companies like Lacie and devices like the iPod have also caused there to be excellent alternatives.
An iPod in hand, a couple of these under my desk, and a SuperDrive on all of my devices insure that I will never bother with Iomega.
-WS