Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/08/24

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Photoshop 5 LE files darker than they look
From: Barney Quinn <barney@ncep.noaa.gov>
Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2001 08:35:58 -0400
References: <200108241157.HAA04464@tigercat.nyfir.pwj.com>

Guys,

/* rant_mode_on */

# IFDEF RANT_ON

This, IMHO, is close to utter baloney. People are more than outraged at the service
which they get when they call helpdesks and get these kind of answers. They have few,
if any alternatives. Productive work?  A computer is a tool. Looking up an address on
the net, e-mail, e-comerce, mailing your Mom a picture of your new baby are all
legimite and productive uses of a computer.

I don't know what kiind of an environment you guys work in. Mine is a real time,
production environmnet. If one of my servers is down for a minute I have to account
for it. Every manager in the place has a GUI tool showing the state of every important
machine in the plant. If a machine were down for a week I wouldn't have to explain.
I'd be canned.

Who drives the market? Consumers? I really doubt it. I rather suspect that business
giants drive the market, and that in the short-run most consumers have to take what
they get. You don't have many real choices.A PC with Windows or Linux, a Mac, or a
Unix box - which probably costs more than a private citizen wants to spend. There's
not a lot of bio-diversity out there. That's a very bad thing, I think.

/* rant_mode_off */

Barney

Rei Shinozuka wrote:

> there are an awful lot of computer tinkerers out there, similar to the way
> i am a photography tinkerer.  unfortunately, in my opinion, they are driving
> the market.  they are not outraged when help desks offer solutions such as
> "reboot from the installation CD and reinstall the operating system."
>
> i agree with anthony; more users play with their computers than use them
> as a tool to a productive end.
>
> -rei
>
> > From: "Mxsmanic" <mxsmanic@hotmail.com>
> >
> > Mike writes:
> >
> > > I don't know any geeks who don't use their computers.
> >
> > All the ones I know are that way.  Running word or a game or something doesn't
> > count.  Using a computer means keeping your company's accounting on it, or
> > keeping your daily accounting on it, or doing anything that actually requires
> > that the computer be regularly up and running.  Geeks cannot afford to do any of
> > that, as their computers are too often unusable due to hardware and software
> > upgrades.  Besides, they often don't really know how to do anything besides play
> > with computers, anyway--they are poor writers, they don't balance their
> > checkbooks, they couldn't successfully adjust a photo in Photoshop to save their
> > souls, and so on.
> >
> > I used to run my computers at work that way, but I was paid for it.  I upgraded
> > regularly, and if it took my computer down for five days, so what?  It was the
> > company's software, so they couldn't complain; indeed, I was just doing what I
> > was supposed to do.  But I cannot afford to goof around like that with my home
> > computer, which I actually use for productive work, not just an e-mail program
> > and Flight Simulator.

In reply to: Message from Rei Shinozuka <shino@ubspainewebber.com> (Re: [Leica] Re: Photoshop 5 LE files darker than they look)