Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!super!udel!rochester!bbn!bbn.com!cosell
From: cosell@bbn.com (Bernie Cosell)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Mr. Pournelle is brain-dead.  News at 11:00.
Message-ID: <30287@bbn.COM>
Date: 29 Sep 88 17:51:23 GMT
References: <3060@hubcap.UUCP> <70319@sun.uucp> <386@uwslh.UUCP>
Sender: news@bbn.COM
Reply-To: cosell@BBN.COM (Bernie Cosell)
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Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc., Cambridge MA
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In article <386@uwslh.UUCP> lishka@uwslh.UUCP (Fish-Guts) writes:
}In article <70319@sun.uucp> cmcmanis@sun.UUCP (Chuck McManis) writes:

}>Really stupid people use computer programs every day. There is no reason
}>that it has to be any more difficult for them than it does for the rest of
}>us computer "pros". 
}
}     I do not think the problem is that Mr. Pournelle is really
}stupid, or that there are a lot of "really stupid people [using]
}computer programs every day."  Just because someone does not use a
}computer does not make them automatically stupid.  
}... there are very many bright and intelligent people out there who
}have a hard time using computers.  Just like there are many bright and
}intelligent computer people who find it difficult fixing a bicycle
}(although Leo and myself are probably not among them).  Just because
}someone has trouble using a machine does not make them stupid.

  This is surely the real point and (much as I hate to say it) JP is MUCH
  closer to reality than I think we are conceding him.  I've been a local
  guru or demi-guru around here at BBN for a LONG time, and BBN is a pretty
  bright place, and it is people who use computers all day long.  And I'm
  amazed at *still* how wide and deep the misunderstandings are around the
  company about the way things work.  Folk with a decade of experience have
  *NO* intuition (at all!) what happens when they click on a MAC icon, or
  just what is happening when the SCRIBE something and it pops out on the
  laserprinter downstairs, or how their email makes its way onto the screen
  of the person in the next office.  If *real* computer professionals can
  (and do!) have troubles because they work with the wrong (or no) conceptual
  models, it can only be REALLY daunting for the "Average Joe".

}     Now, what makes Mr. Pournelle so damned frustrating is that he is
}not *really* a computer professional; instead, he just acts like one.
}I am beginning to think that he knows very little about computers,

  This is true -- if you've read his article for a long time, you've
  observed that while he's getting pretty good at it now, he's
  basically almost a COMPLETE babe in the woods.  He's always had VERY
  expert help.  A live-in hardware guy to help dope out problems, to
  help get things connected, and even to help cobble up custom stuff
  where necessary.  His earlier exploits all invovled PERSONAL visits
  and hand holding from the *presidents* (for chrissake!) of the
  various companies.  I was always amazed that he seemed to assume that
  an almost-useable product was LESS good than a totally bogus one was
  just because _he_ got his copy personally fixed up was (kind of like
  knocking SUN workstations because Bill Joy won't come by your house
  and show you how to use "tar").  On the other hand, Bill Godbout and
  whoever-it-is (I forget -- Phillippe somebody) who did Turbo Pascal
  got a LOT of good press in return for their spending a lot of time
  holding Jerry's hand and paying special attention to his gripes.

   __
  /  )                              Bernie Cosell
 /--<  _  __  __   o _              BBN Sys & Tech, Cambridge, MA 02238
/___/_(<_/ (_/) )_(_(<_             cosell@bbn.com