Re: Compiling Software
  By: CryoTox to ROB MCCART on Tue Apr 04 2006 07:17 am

 >   Re: Compiling Software
 >   By: ROB MCCART to FINNIGANN on Sat Apr 01 2006 17:39:00
 > 
 >  > FI> It's really a shame that the computer industry didn't
start out with
 >  >   > Linux. I mean most computer users have invested years and years
 >  >   > leaarning DOS and Windows ways and techniques. We take
those years fo
 >  >   > granted and say Linux is hard (very hard) to use.
 >  >
 >  > They virtually did start out with a close cousin (grandfather?), Unix.
 >  >
 >  > DOS probably replaced it for simpler uses because it was easier to
 >  > learn and use. Windows, ditto, and it has created a generation of
 >  > 'idiots' outside of Windows itself. And Most people have never heard
 >  > of a boot disk and wouldn't know what to do with a Dos Prompt..
 >  >
 >  > I don't think this is bad or good. It just is. Computers have
 >  > become so user friendly that users don't have to know what makes
 >  > them tick below the operating system level. That means they may
 >  > have to seek help for something relatively simple to fix but
 >  > most people can't change the oil in their car either..
 >  > The hard stuff is left to 'the professionals'.
 >  >
 >  > And Computer geeks are like Car buffs.. we do our own because
 >  > we want it to be 'just so'...
 >  >
 >  > And that ease of use has put a HUGE number of users in front
 >  > of computers who Never would have attempted to learn a simpler
 >  > OS like DOS or UNIX or Command-Line Linux..
 >  >
 >  > ------------------------
 >  >
 >  > ...."and wouldn't know what to do with a Dos Prompt".
 >  >
 >  > That brought back memories when I wrote it.  My first computer
 >  > back in 1982 or 83. Turn it on and get a cursor, and that's it...
 >  > Over a thousand dollars and you're staring at a black screen with
 >  > a little flashing green box ..   "Do Something !"
 >  >
 >  > But then I decided it would be better to buy programming books
 >  > rather than software for the first few months..  My friends mostly
 >  > all thought I was crazy but I think everyone should do that..
 >  > Learn to walk before you can get a bus pass...    B)
 >  >
 > Ahh, the little blinking box. Still get that if I set up my Linux terminal
 > colour scheme my current default. I can't help but agree with you on all
 > counts. So many people have no idea what to do without a GUI. I new a bit of
 > Dos nothing spectactualr but enough, when I switched to Linux the curve hit 
 > steap, but if you ask me now if I'll ever go back? Of course not, what initi
 > you have to relearn is quick and afterwards you're left with a much better O
 > than you could have hoped for.
 > Actually thinking about the little green cursor reminded me of an old box th
 > was crashed. Totally usless. Than I used a boot disc and a whole other thing
 > was opened. I learned, self taught, (but aren't we all) how to use it. Proba
 > one of the most rewarding things ever.
 > I once read somewhere that, "We have gone from smart people
infront of dumb
 > terminals into dumb people infront of smart terminals." That
pretty much sum
 > it up. What good is a 64 bit dual everything super PC when you can't debug a
 > error?

Your story reminds me so much of my first DOS-based PC, which I got around 
1990 after using my Tandy TRS-80 Color Computer 2 then 3 for a few few 
years.  I think I spent about $700 for that thing, amber monitor, one 360K 
5.25" floppy, and MS-DOS 3.3.  ANyone remember Edlin?  hehe But yeah, I 
thought the same after spending that kinda money and all I got was a 
blinking cursor.  After ordering my 2400 baud modem, which came with COMit, 
I was online and downloading the software I needed.  I had been using BBSes 
for a short time on my Trash-80 system, but the BBSes looked so much better 
on the DOS box.

I didn't get into Unix until college some 6 or so years later, then Linux, 
and by then GUI was kinda the thing.  I still love and prefer command line 
though.  My Linux box at home, which runs Synchronet, is a full install of 
Slackware 10.2, but I've never booted into GUI.  It for one only has an 8 
inch paper-white VGA monitor, so probably wouldn't look good anyway :)  
Also my LInux boxes at work are CLI only too.  If I wanna use GUI I'll use 
my OSX or Windwos box.  

Take care --

Sam


---
Sam Alexander - sam.alexander(at)sidebandbbs(dot)net
    icq: 5386757  []  AIM/Y!: samalex1701  []  Skype: samalex01
"Data is not information, Information is not knowledge, Knowledge is not
understanding, Understanding is not wisdom." -- Cliff Stoll 

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