Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihuxx.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!tektronix!uw-beaver!cornell!vax135!houxm!ihnp4!ihuxx!ndsss From: ndsss@ihuxx.UUCP (Al R. Zantow) Newsgroups: net.flame Subject: Re: Does someone REALLY belive this? Message-ID: <874@ihuxx.UUCP> Date: Fri, 9-Nov-84 23:30:29 EST Article-I.D.: ihuxx.874 Posted: Fri Nov 9 23:30:29 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 11-Nov-84 20:39:08 EST References: <1668@ucf-cs.UUCP>, <382@hoxna.UUCP>, <54@tekchips.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL Lines: 34 >We're sorry, the computers are down, your account shows zero.< It is hard to say if the move to computers is as bad as some consider it to be. There probably was a time when people thought that the loss of skill with the spear in favor of using the "new" invention called the bow and arrow was a bad thing. The same could be said with other inventions throughout history, partly because they changed the way things have always been done. Of course, I am not saying that progress for the sake of progress is such a good thing. There should be some balance to the use of computers in "everything", with useful backups that someone knows how to use; a backup system you don't remember how to use is about as good as none at all. Maybe there should be some type of "math drill" at the checkout lanes once in a while, just to keep the skill level up. The time spent doing this probably would probably be worth it the next time the computers go down. What bothers me more is the lack of knowledge that most people show about the technology that makes up our daily lives. It seems that most people are very happy to be in total ignorance of what makes it work, outside of how to turn it on and off. This in my opinion leaves you open to exploytation at the very least. (yeah, you see, this $450 wunderfunken will make you amp put out a least 300% more ohms than brand X, so you need to buy at least 3 of them from me.:-)) "My employers did not put me up to this, nor do they claim any of its contents" Al Zantow !ihuxx!ndsss "Benson, you are so free of the ravages of inteligence"-Time Bandits