simon k wrote:
yeah, people are terrible - the world would be way better off without them.... and computers, imagine the bliss that would be a world without computers
You are quite right Sime! Here is a little rant I wrote about 15 years ago...
In the 1980s(?) I watched fascinated as a visiting Japanese professor (no, I can't remember who he was, I think Prof Harry Messel hosted his visit) preached what the world needs re computer requirements and the use thereof gospel. What he was recommending, to anyone who would listen, including large corporations, was to tailor the computer tools provided to individuals, for the work they carried out and keep it as simple and consistent as possible. His example was the lady who only wrote letters at work, so she did not need all the bells and whistles (timewasters) we have on our desktops today.
Remembering that this was in the early days of desktop computing and whist ever so slightly naïve, he read the future and identified a portent of what was to come.
Another light bulb moment for me was when a bunch of new electronics trainees joined Garden Island Dockyard and as an old hand I was showing them the ropes. These were the 100% exam mark kids that drove me to the bottom of the class with my 85-90%! Looking at (for example) the AN/UYK-7 computer, they scoffed. This is so dated they said! What they overlooked was that it was fit for purpose, was well proven and because it was disconnected from the new Internet, it was reliable. Just what you need for a combat/fire control system!
I was reminded recently of this problem. I saw a Doctor for a niggling recurring problem. The practice was wresting with the migration to a new system. She could not find my history or indeed navigate the new GUI adeptly. Thankfully there was an "archive system" where she found what she needed after 10 minutes out of the consulting rooms with me twiddling my thumbs.
Here is the nub of the "problem".
From a good start, when Jobs, Gates reigned, now a mega corps of software engineers and marketeers (sounds just like pirateers - don't it!) who all lead all us down the garden path for the last 30-40 years purely for profit. These grubs have visited upon the free world the most abominable and slavish way ahead that has stifled a shitload of innovation and productivity (eg such as open systems) and hindered our progress in a mega-profitable but insidious way for them.
In 100 years, they will just laugh and shake their heads at how gullible was the world we currently live in.
Just like the drug cartels, they dictate what is available for consumption with impunity. For the life of me, I will never understand why successive Governments, Businesses, Organizations and individuals have slavishly allowed this situation to occur.
The big computer and software companies have the world by the nuts.
Instead of National Security, National business requirements, Health, interoperability between countries and entities, organizations and individuals being mandated as the main goal, the world is largely lead by the nose with all the attendant inefficiency, high recurrent training overhead, security vulnerabilities and impediments to the worldwide free interchange of information and data.
The enormous disconnects, incompatibilities and training overheads all over the world due to marketeers continually rolling out operating system and application changes willy-nilly and for all the wrong reasons (mostly to try and fix bugs from a beta release 17 evolutions back! but usually to generate income ("ohhhh, I see you only have that old WIN 7 on your computer!").
DOS was (and remnants still exist today) a stable platform for decades...then the marketeers realized, or more likely were told to move it along and generate some income...
The out of control train we are all on now was started by Billy boy when he rose to prominence over Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in the race to win hearts and minds...all history now
The MS corporation became so powerful it effectively killed off any moves towards open systems architecture as not profitable for the outfit! and to hell with what was good for the planet.
A lost cause? Probably! Like trying to tow an aircraft carrier with a row boat!
Signed: P1$$ed Off: (and despite all my protests, I will BOHICA just like the millions of other computer user lemmings when my computer or mobile phone "slows" due to planned obsolescence!!
Yours in Life! Mick
