[mdlug] [OT] Perspective

[Michael Corral]

2007-07-20, Monsieur Paul a ecrit:
> 	This is an interesting piece on what a computer means to
> a professional writer-- in 1982. Its not a 'in my day' nostalgia
> thing, but rather an article written in 1982 with some amusing
> and ironic historical perspective, and most of all a refreshing
> enthusiasm for computing for the ordinary man.

Well, I don't know if I'd say that a writer for Atlantic Monthly is
representative of "the ordinary man"; he's more like a "nongeek".
But I get your point. ;)

> 	Constrast this to what often sounds like a rather whiney
> sense of entitlement and complaining that seems to surround a
> lot of the technology we have today, especially amazing software
> available for free....

Yeah, I've just about had it with all the whining and whingeing I see
on Linux distro forums, almost always from people who expect others to
drop what they're doing and volunteer to help fix their "PLZ HELP ME
URGENT LOL" problem. It's getting bad. Here we have a *free* OS, with a
*free* office suite and other great, powerful software for *free*, and
some people (who contribute nothing towards Linux) whine about it.

> http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/198207/fallows-computer

Interesting article. I still can't get over the fact that there was
actually once a computer company called Wang. :)

Michael