Date: Thu, 25 Jun 1998 09:22:34 -0700 (PDT) From: David Wolfskill <dhw@whistle.com> To: newbies@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: How important is "the OS?" Message-ID: <199806251622.JAA03487@pau-amma.whistle.com> In-Reply-To: <3.0.5.32.19980625033446.00809730@mx.serv.net>
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Well, I think that computers & the software that runs on 'em are, essentially, tools. Some tools are more powerful than others -- compare, say, a handsaw vs. a jigsaw vs. a table saw vs. one of the monstrosities that's used to do the rough trimming of recently-felled logs. I suggest that placing someone without adequate training in front of some of those devices, and expecting same person to accomplish useful work without endagering him- or herself (or others) is naive and foolish. And merely operating tools safely isn't enough; it is also important to understand how the tools are best used, if one is to be able to use the tools to their potential. Sure, there are some folks who will continue to use butter-knives as screwdrivers, and screwdrivers as chisels; that doesn't mean that this is A Good Thing, and it doesn't mean that everyone else should do that, too (especially in the case of using the butter-knife as a screwdriver for a connection on a live circuit). Folks who absolutely insist on being ignorant of the tools that they use may be able to get by on dumb luck (or paying someone who does know); in the mean time, I will try my best to help folks who want to know their tools how they work. And yes, sometimes it helps (me, at least) to understand the Way Things Are by having knowledge of how they got that way. I also believe that setting things up so that a naive person is able to avoid data corruption or loss merely statistically (vs. proper system design) ought, at the very least, be actionable on the grounds that the system was obviously unfit for the purpose(s) intended. Then again, I'm sometimes a bit radical... and I should point out that these are strictly personal opinions, and have no relationship to opinions (if any) held by folks who might represent Whistle (of whom I am not one). Cheers, david -- David Wolfskill UNIX System Administrator dhw@whistle.com voice: (650) 577-7158 pager: (650) 371-4621 To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-newbies" in the body of the message
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