Playful things
by Volker Weber
I was chatting with Beate who told me she had installed SuSE 9.1 on a Sony VAIO notebook - there are places you really can't show up with Windows these days. :-)
She was happy that SuSE Linux recognized all the hardware, even a USB key on insertion. "Almost like Windows" she said. I explained that the Mac is even easier than Windows. You never even have to insert a driver CD or such. Uninstalling applications means you throw away the icon.
And then it hit me.
I finally understand why I keep installing a new Linux distribution every other week. I have a desire to fiddle with computers and I need to satisfy this lust somehow. As the Macs just work, I need other systems to play with.
Of course you can turn this argument around: If you never want to fiddle with your computer, get a Mac.
Comments
And if you only want to fiddle with your computer a little? Do you get a Mac then download Fink?
That's exactly why I'm getting a Mac and ditching my PC this summer. I'm tired of fiddling. I just want it to work now.
Agreed! I love my mac. I am using it more and more. I am thinking of getting a Powerbook as well.
I guess you could always fiddle with your mac by installing another operating system like yellow dog linux?? :)
btw - I like how your alt tags on your XML comments say "Right click and copy..." - were mac users and don't have a right button! although you can plug a two button usb mouse and it will act like one.
You "misunderestimate" the cleverness of my title tags. :-)
Besides: Two thirds of the readers at vowe's magic flying circus have a second mouse button.
Win: 58%
Mac: 38%
Linux: 4%
Unfortunately I cannot track how many of them double click on links.
"If you never want to fiddle with your computer, get a Mac"
How does that go together with this?
Actually very well, Armin. This is the first serious security problem for Mac OS X and can be easily fixed even by a layman. This however qualifies as fiddling.
BTW: Please show some balls and use an email address I can reply to.
Name: Armin
Email Address: spam@domain.invalid
URL: http://www.ministryofpropaganda.co.uk/
Or are you assuming I want to spam you?
As the Macs just work, I need other systems to play with.
I advise you to stay away from D-Link access points. Lots of opportunities for fiddling there - even with a Mac on the other end of the wireless connection ;-)
I'm starting to agree with you, Volker... I recently picked up an older G4 mac and ham quite enjoying the OSX experience. This coming from a guy who was the resident expert on OS/2 Warp and NT 3.51.
I think it's a sign of age (or maturity) but long gone are the days when I'd format the boot drive and re-install everything just because it was something to do.
Well, for me it's still a contradiction, but then opinions differ. Also because I've read enough blog entries from Mac user who did have problems and had to fiddle with their systems to get them to work.
In regards to using an e-mail address you can reply to:
Only just over two months ago you linked to bugmenot.com. I assume you endorse this service, at least that's my conclusion from what you wrote in the entry.
But then you force visitors who would like to comment to leave their e-mail address? I don't want to leave my e-mail address if I don't see the need to do it. I simply don't want to do it and don't see why I should justify myself for not wanting to do it. Hence I use something that obviously won't work, kind of my personal bugmenot service. I've left the url to my blog, if you (or anyone else for that matter, who wants to contact me about a comment I made) wants to contact me they can easily do that via the blog.
My opinion, yours might differ.
Of couse you are entitled to your own opinion. But remember, this is my house. I set the rules here. And I like to be able to click on "reply" if I get a comment in my mail.
Sure, this is your house and you set the rules.
But what about all the other sites requiring registration? They are their houses, where they set the rules. Yet you seem to find it OK to break their rules, but oppose it when I break the rules here?
I don't require registration. I ask you to use an email I can reply to so I don't have to discuss everything here in public.
Sigh.
Anybody else out there who needs help?
*roflmao*
Oh, run out of arguments and have to revert to put downs?
But then I probably haven't understood
( ) the internet
( ) that asking for an e-mail and "compulsory registration and/or the collection of personal/demographic information" have nothing in common whatsoever
( ) that I need help
Please select as appropriate.
Thank you for pointing that out to me
Armin,
For you, actually it's
(x) that asking for an e-mail and "compulsory registration and/or the collection of personal/demographic information" have nothing in common whatsoever
and maybe in addition
(x) you should learn to read, reflect and understand.
hth, no thanks needed ;-)
Hm. "you should learn to read, reflect and understand". Doesn't that apply to all involved here? You included?
That "collection of personal/demographic information" and asking for an e-mail might be considered the same for some people? For me my e-mail is a personal information, something I want to decide and control who I give it to.
Now you can argue that if I don't want to give out my e-mail address I shouldn't comment here. Fine. But with the same argument I can then claim that you shouldn't read/visit those sites requiring registration and/or data from you. Which means you shouldn't use/condone services like bugmenot.
Something for you to reflect and understand.
Maybe I should first clarify that I'm also just a visitor of this site. Read? Reflected? Understood? Good :-)
So you are concernded with privacy issues. Cool. You don't want to give away a real email address? Fine with me.
The only thing that makes me wonder is: How can anyone concerned with his privacy be stupid enough to _not_ give an email address in a field that's labeled (required, never published) _but_ give a link to his weblog where the label clearly states (not required, published)?
Don't you know that publishing one's domain name gives away a lot more information than giving away an email address? Click me if you don't believe it.
If you'd really be smart, you'd get an account at an email service provider of your chosing. Use that whenever you're asked to give away your email address. Kill the spam you might (or in this case won't) get. Be accessible to those who want to follow up on you.
Oh, and lest I forget: I can't help _visiting_ sites that require registration and/or personal data. Reason is that I don't know before I actually make my visit.
It looks like my last message may have been to concise:
I don't require registration. I ask you to use an email I can reply to so I don't have to discuss everything here in public.
So please let me make one last effort to explain the very simple rules that I thought were obvious.
1. This site is free (as in free beer). Anybody can come in and read it.
2. I do not require registration to read the site.
3. Readers have the opportunity to publish comments.
4. I do not require registration to publish on my site.
5. I keep an audit trail of any such publication.
6. I reserve the right to delete any such publication. The site is not free (as in free speech).
7. I make some efforts to lock out abusive robots publishing on the site.
8. I ask the commentator to leave a name. This is mandatory. If a commentator tries to publish anonymously, rule #6 is applied.
9. I ask the commentator to leave an email address that I can reply to. This is mandatory. I never publish this address to protect the commentator from receiving spam.
10. I give each commentator the opportunity to publish his site address. I automatically link to this site to make it convenient for the commentator to promote his site.
Rule #8 says "tries to" because posts are never anonymous. Some commentators found out the hard way. While anybody can leave false information, it should at least look reasonably correct, in an effort to not draw my curiosity.
Besides these 10 simple rules, I also ask for some respect. If a commentator leaves his full name or a unique nickname, I find this preferable. If the email address he leaves does not try to stick out a tongue to me, I find this preferable as well.
If a prospective commentator does not like these rules, he can remain a reader. If he does not want to remain a reader, my open door works both ways. Everybody can walk out and stop reading.
