>I have to disagree slightly with Ben Ruset's comment against John
>McEwen's nerd comment. First of all, I'm sure John meant to be humorous
>with a bit of sarcasm.
As I did with my original post. =)
>But second, I can see John's underlying point. Some of us view
>computers as necessary tools, without a real desire to delve fully into
>their history, workings, and jargon. We learn what we have to, to do
>what we need to. I feel that way about computers, mainly because I
>don't have the time to embrace them as I do MGs. A ready-made
>mailorder PC system from Micron or Dell is good enough for me, and make
>sure I can get telephone tech support when I need it. If that gives me
>the equivalent of a computer minivan, so be it.
No one is saying that Dell or Micron are bad companies. As a matter of
fact, Dell and Micron make some of the best "off-the-shelf" computers. But,
using it effectively requires some knowledge. Not knowledge of how to
build, repair, and upgrade, but knowedge of how the basics of the machine
works, how the 'net works, etc.
>MGs, on the other hand, are my passion. I delight in amassing obscure
>volumes of trivia concerning their history, parts, manufacturing, etc.
>Researching and writing MG articles for British Car magazine and my
>local club is a pleasure, not a chore. Unfortunately, all this leaves
>me little time to indulge in my other hobbies (aviation history, classic
>Christmas lights, old TVs, radios, electric fans). Computers don't have
>any room in my hobby stable, except to support my hobbies through the
>Internet.
classic christmas lights?
The Internet has probably been the best thing that ever happened to
hobbiests (sp) such as ourselves. I wish I knew as much about MGs and I did
computers. It's all part of a learning curve. No one is saying that you
need to rip your computer open and play with it's guts (heh) but a basic
knowledge of what you are doing when you sit down and navigate the net
should be expected. After all, you just don't get into your car and drive.
You need to know how to shift, how to apply the correct amount of gas, etc.
>Maybe we need to accept the fact that nerds are the same as gearheads,
>just with a different idol to worship! I would however enjoy it more if
>we got back to HS4s and Lucas instead of SCSI and Linux!
I agree. I'm sorry that a post that I made in jest turned out to be a
slugfest. My contributions to this end here.
Cheers,
BEN RUSET
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89 Mercury Cougar
78 MGB Roadster
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Crossroads - http://www.monmouth.com/~bruset
Safety Fast! - http://www.infi-pos.com/~oasis
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