I have no delusions of grandeur in regard to this event as I was only born into this medium cuz of many 'net predecessors.
I directly owe my 'net b-day to John Cox, my geometry teacher, who had the where-with-all to acquire one of those computer teletypes with the 110 BAUD modem, paper-tape printout, sticky keys, etc.... and had it connected to the UCSD mainframe.
No one really realizes significance when it happens.
It generally takes years to get that perspective.
When I finally located John Cox and wrote to tell him a year or two ago to confirm my vague recollection (which he confirmed) he was quite surprised that it was so significant to me personally. [PS: take the time to say "thank you"]
I was 'net born-again in 1983 when Lindsay Cleveland of AT&T Atlanta continually added my plethora of UUCP-connected XENIX and/or UNIX computers to his extremely well connected 'net systems from 1983 until 1985.
I was a computer consultant and took the time to show my clients how to get connected to the 'net.
Perspective: The 'net is the 'net cuz of all of us doing our small part to make it so.
And if you didn't have the good fortune to have your 'net b-day or your 'net growth days back in the early years (1960's, 1970's or 1980's) you will not have the experience and insights as to why some of us old-timers long for the good ol' days and say "thank you" so much and try to give where credit is due (or where we think it is due).
Please don't (virtually: - ) slap us though.
Some of us may be the very reason some of you are where you are today much as we old timers have a gratitude for those who trod the path before us.
I noticed some here are pointing to people like Vint, Gore and a few others as the reason why the 'net is the internet today. Most of them are quick to state it was a group effort and they were only part of what we know and (variably) love about our 'net today.
Sorry Mark, wrong answer.
If you have really "tried them all" you would not have said the natural progression is to RH. The natural progression for a workstations is to Mandrake or Suse not RedHat. 'specially since RH made it clear they are not moving forward with workstation and will be developing server and it's residuals.
I don't think you understand the value of an $85 OS and a $495.00 Office product. Most of the people spouting off here obviously were not around and in the thick of the computing industry long about the middle of the 80's. You see, back then, having to pay in excess of $400.00 for an OS and in excess of $800 for an office suite (putting all of them together) was rather pricey. When MS was providing the same two items for the amounts I quoted above, it was a great deal.
No one got taken to the cleaners then or now! They all went willingly cuz it was a great deal. The prices today are relatively equivalent and, in my opinion, still a great deal.... except.... it only looks like a lot since you finally have an alternative that is almost free.
Here is another thing to consider next time you spend an hour downloading what you think is your next free version of Linux. Who is paying for the real costs of the infrastructure and servers that you get this from? You didn't!
If you pay anything at all, it is for your direct access to the I'Net and nothing else. Eventually, those people may get tired of your bashing and shut the switch off.
There are still no free lunches (except for the few Jesus provided to the crowds from a few loaves and fishes:). We get our Linux from people who are gracious and kind and generous.
The major item I see missing is the educational discount. This is a school afterall!
I set this sort of thing up for a private school that my kids were attending a few yers ago and _we_ would have paid far less than the costs quoted here if we would have used M$ OS, M$ Office or Corel Office. Sigh! When we called M$ about DO$/Window$ it was going to cost us $40 as an educational cost.
Another part of this, that those of us who have set up infrastructure (profe$$ionally and privately) will note, are things like the inclusion of SAMBA (last time I checked SAMBA WAS free!!! so quoting something like SCO's VisionFS would have been more real world) which wouldn't be necessary if this were an all M$ and/or Mac installation.
With a backgrounder, some creativity and a bit of consultation with some real-world IT infrastructure types (to get it more real world), this could have been better but admittedly, much lower in costs!
I'm glad this is going to be noticed mostly only by us nerds:) and not the majority of the other world:(
Slashdot Mirror
I have no delusions of grandeur in regard to this event as I was only born into this medium cuz of many 'net predecessors.
I directly owe my 'net b-day to John Cox, my geometry teacher, who had the where-with-all to acquire one of those computer teletypes with the 110 BAUD modem, paper-tape printout, sticky keys, etc. ... and had it connected to the UCSD mainframe.
No one really realizes significance when it happens. It generally takes years to get that perspective.
When I finally located John Cox and wrote to tell him a year or two ago to confirm my vague recollection (which he confirmed) he was quite surprised that it was so significant to me personally. [PS: take the time to say "thank you"]
I was 'net born-again in 1983 when Lindsay Cleveland of AT&T Atlanta continually added my plethora of UUCP-connected XENIX and/or UNIX computers to his extremely well connected 'net systems from 1983 until 1985.
I was a computer consultant and took the time to show my clients how to get connected to the 'net.
Perspective: The 'net is the 'net cuz of all of us doing our small part to make it so.
And if you didn't have the good fortune to have your 'net b-day or your 'net growth days back in the early years (1960's, 1970's or 1980's) you will not have the experience and insights as to why some of us old-timers long for the good ol' days and say "thank you" so much and try to give where credit is due (or where we think it is due). Please don't (virtually: - ) slap us though.
Some of us may be the very reason some of you are where you are today much as we old timers have a gratitude for those who trod the path before us.
I noticed some here are pointing to people like Vint, Gore and a few others as the reason why the 'net is the internet today. Most of them are quick to state it was a group effort and they were only part of what we know and (variably) love about our 'net today.
Those who do, have perspective!
Thanks for your contribution. I appreciate it.
Pete
Sorry Mark, wrong answer.
If you have really "tried them all" you would not have said the natural progression is to RH. The natural progression for a workstations is to Mandrake or Suse not RedHat.
'specially since RH made it clear they are not moving forward with workstation and will be developing server and it's residuals.
I don't think you understand the value of an $85 OS and a $495.00 Office product. Most of the people spouting off here obviously were not around and in the thick of the computing industry long about the middle of the 80's. You see, back then, having to pay in excess of $400.00 for an OS and in excess of $800 for an office suite (putting all of them together) was rather pricey. When MS was providing the same two items for the amounts I quoted above, it was a great deal.
No one got taken to the cleaners then or now! They all went willingly cuz it was a great deal. The prices today are relatively equivalent and, in my opinion, still a great deal.... except .... it only looks like a lot since you finally have an alternative that is almost free.
Here is another thing to consider next time you spend an hour downloading what you think is your next free version of Linux. Who is paying for the real costs of the infrastructure and servers that you get this from? You didn't!
If you pay anything at all, it is for your direct access to the I'Net and nothing else. Eventually, those people may get tired of your bashing and shut the switch off.
There are still no free lunches (except for the few Jesus provided to the crowds from a few loaves and fishes :). We get our Linux from people who are gracious and kind and generous.
How about reciprocating?
Thanks
Pete
The major item I see missing is the educational discount. This is a school afterall! I set this sort of thing up for a private school that my kids were attending a few yers ago and _we_ would have paid far less than the costs quoted here if we would have used M$ OS, M$ Office or Corel Office. Sigh! When we called M$ about DO$/Window$ it was going to cost us $40 as an educational cost.
Another part of this, that those of us who have set up infrastructure (profe$$ionally and privately) will note, are things like the inclusion of SAMBA (last time I checked SAMBA WAS free!!! so quoting something like SCO's VisionFS would have been more real world) which wouldn't be necessary if this were an all M$ and/or Mac installation.
With a backgrounder, some creativity and a bit of consultation with some real-world IT infrastructure types (to get it more real world), this could have been better but admittedly, much lower in costs!
I'm glad this is going to be noticed mostly only by us nerds :) and not the majority of the other world :(