Tuesday, May 02, 2000, 2:53:20 PM, Eberhard wrote:
> That the architecture of current IBM PCs is based on technology developed in
> the late 60s. That it is a miracle of marketing rather than quality how this
> OS could acquire the postion to grant its copyright owners monopoly power in
> the first place.
May be the case, but I prefer being able to open up my box and swap things
out as I need instead of constantly going to my vendor. For that reason alone
I doubt I will purchase anything other than a clone since other technology,
while superior, is being tightly controlled from the top and subjects me to
economic hardship which is rather easy to avoid.
> My words exactly. But this does not obliterate the need to discuss it, IMHO.
> Lines such as "Already there" or "It does" don't help much.
Well, if people took a few seconds to RTFM they wouldn't be asking in the
first place. No, it isn't helpful but when it is clear they haven't looked at
the product I'm not inclined to tell them anything other than to confirm that
it does what they want. It is up to them to do the research and get in the
habit of doing that research first.
Short tale. I used to be an op on a Linux channel on dalnet. We were't a
tech help channel, it was a channel for Linux users to BS with other Linux
users. We'd help each other, sure, but it was never something that was to be
expected. The simple rule I implemented on when help was /needed/ versus when
it was /wanted/ was this:
Is the answer contained in a simple, 1-word Yahoo! search or in a simple,
1 word man -k search? Yes. Then help is not needed and I will not answer
other than with "Do a [Yahoo!/man -k] search."
The simple fact is under that criterion people would be spending /less/
time in search of the answer than they would logging into IRC, into the
channel, bugging the channel several times before someone got annoyed enough
to answer. Literally 30 seconds to 2 minutes versus 15-20 minutes.
Research is a good thing.
> In fact, I am very impressed by the idea alone mentioned here ( I guess it
> was you), that is not to include a two-version editor but to make use of a
> third party product one. This is, AFAI can see, a fairly uncommon concept on
> this sad platform which needs to be supported by all means - ALA there is no
> choice.
PMMail allows the use of an external editor. If you think that was a
decent idea you should see some of the verbage I've put forth in the past on
the PMMail list on what should and should not be included in the core product.
Same applies for TB! but I've given up voicing those ideas on any regular
basis because most programmers would rather go after the same pie that
everyone else is after and, in the process, create identical products than to
branch off and do something innovative to capture a smaller but less contested
pie.
Let's just say that even though PMMail/TB! both topped the Deja.com polls
I find them both lacking compared to things I am used to from my BBS days. ;)
> I despise PM just as much. But should this force me to shut up when I find
> sth in TB! I dislike or think of sth to be improved? Improvement is a matter
> of taste, to a large extent. I happily bend to all the ppl here stating good
> reasons why TB! should do XYZ the way it does. I will not bend to RTFM (or
> the equivalent).
The problem is "improvement" into realms where other programs already have
a foothold may not be an improvement. Some people say with TB! because it
isn't like those products. If people want those paradigms they already have
it, why ask for it /again/ in this product?
--
Steve C. Lamb | I'm your priest, I'm your shrink, I'm your
ICQ: 5107343 | main connection to the switchboard of souls.
-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------
--
--------------------------------------------------------------
View the TBUDL archive at http://tbudl.thebat.dutaint.com
To send a message to the list moderation team double click here:
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To Unsubscribe from TBUDL, double click here and send the message:
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
--------------------------------------------------------------
You are subscribed as : [email protected]
