At 04:34 PM 7/14/99 +0000, you wrote:
>
>> . They have no notion what a root server system
>> is, let alone what to do with one if someone told them that they
>> were hooked up to one. They wouldn't even know what being
>> "hooked up to a root server system" means, let alone an OS or
>> a DNS.
>>
>> In short, let's have a little less techynerd arrogance here, if you please.
>>
> If anyone is interested in getting over such arrogance, one
>worthwhile way to do it is to consider how 'they' might *get a notion
>of what a root server system is.
Unless, of course, they have their own lives to live, their own
professions to follow, etc., and simply don't want to be bothered.
That is why civilization started out with a division of labor, having
these people make the arrow heads, clubs and baskets, and
those other people would do the hunting and gathering. Do the
latter have to know (or care) how the arrow or basket is made?
Wont it be just the same way
>everyone who does did, by talking with and working with some
>techynerd who talked and worked in ways they could understand?
> Which is a convoluted way to say, when youre talking and working
>'technical' stuff, do it in ways that someone who doesnt already
>understand *can understand.
For those unwashed who in fact want to learn some nuts and bolts,
that would indeed be a useful step, and one not often carried out
simply because the tech "haves" not only don't know how to talk
to the tech "nothaves," but they are dumbfounded by the suggestion
that there are actually people walking on this earth who don't know
what a root server system is.
We dont need more ways to say
>'one who knows what they are doing' -- but if 'techynerd' means
>'one who thinks they know but cant be bothered to explain it or
>teach it in a sensible way in order to find out,' isnt that covered by
>'ignoramus'?
If by "ignoramus" you mean the internet adept who don't realize that
not everyone was born that way, yes it is.
>
I might mention that my comments don't come from any fears on my
part: I know what a root server, a DNS and an OS are, but since I do
my job I expect others to do theirs, and part of the job as an internet
guru is making sure that people -- anticipated customers in particular
--understand what you are doing. So yet another way in which registrars,
etc. can compete beyond the mere dollars will lie in the ability and
willingness to make things as easy as possible for the customer, rather
than continue with the current prevalent attitude that all you have to do
is run the servers (more or less) and collect the fees.
ALL engineering is "service providing," but many engineers never come
to realize that: they think that once the hardware works (more or less),
that's the end of it and they're off to play golf or whatever while leaving
the user to wallow in frustration. (Oh, of course there is the venerable
"tech support" desk, but don't get me started!)
Bill Lovell
