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Incredible Times, Incredible Technology
Here I am at around 12:30 AM local time running updates on a client's PC that was just reinstalled with Microsoft XP Media Center Edition 2005. This reinstall was done to clean up the registry and get rid of the "sluggishness" that had set in over the past 4 years of continual use. While the interminable Microsoft updates ran on that PC sitting next to my desk, I watched a movie on my personal business tower computer that is running Mandriva 2010.1 Linux. The same computer which was also downloading files in the background, periodically checking my e-mail and keeping several other software applications going simultaneously. Suddenly, after the movie finished and I was listening to the music while the credits ran, I had an overwhelming sense of awe at how far we humans have come technologically in the last 200 years. |
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Comments (32)
12 earlier comments in the full thread.
I agree that it is hard to find anything political in this article. I certainly don't see the US flag at the top as a political statement, just that the author likes the US flag.
Back when there were some rampant political discussions on LXer (which have thankfully been reigned it) I was often on the opposite side from jdixon, azerthoth and bigg. Here I find myself agreeing with them 100%. I don't see anything wrong with the article and I don't see it as jingoistic or flag waving or over the top in any way. I don't see it as Tea Party or right wing in any way, either and don't see how HoTMetaL can assume that from a flag. From the links? OK, perhaps, but what does that have to do with the article itself?
Have lots of countries made technological advances? Sure! Why does that mean an American writer can't write about American contributions, which are considerable? Would the same comments be made if tracyanne wrote about Australian contributions or if I wrote about Israeli advances or if hkwint wrote about some brilliant invention that happened to come from the Netherlands? Is there anything wrong with feeling some pride in one's nations accomplishments?
Did other countries have "some input along the way"? I don't think any fair minded person would argue otherwise. Has the U.S. been a leader in technological advances since World War II? I think that is a factual statement.
Have lots of countries made technological advances? Sure! Why does that mean an American writer can't write about American contributions, which are considerable? Would the same comments be made if tracyanne wrote about Australian contributions or if I wrote about Israeli advances or if hkwint wrote about some brilliant invention that happened to come from the Netherlands? Is there anything wrong with feeling some pride in one's nations accomplishments?
Did other countries have "some input along the way"? I don't think any fair minded person would argue otherwise. Has the U.S. been a leader in technological advances since World War II? I think that is a factual statement.
Quoting:tracyanne wrote about Australian contributions
That would never happen... we're too self effacing... the great Aussie cringe and all.
@tracyanne
Ha! Australians self effacing. You've got nothing on us Canadians.
:)
Ha! Australians self effacing. You've got nothing on us Canadians.
:)
Caitlyn, there's nothing exactly wrong with the article, nor did I find it over the top. It was actually a bit interesting, although I can't agree with funding space programs when the U.S. economy and its infrastructure is crumbling. Look, I live 63 miles from ERA Computers in West Tennessee, and I know the political climate here very well. It's all about flag-waving & "takin' my country back" & "Obama is Hitler!" and other assorted craziness. I guess you'd just have to live around here to understand.
It isn't such a stretch to put the pieces together from the displays of flag, national pride, assorted religious-themed comments elsewhere on the blog, and - above all - links to right-wing political organizations, for one to get an idea of where this author and business stand politically. My broader point was that including such links on a blog about computers and technology can be distracting to a reader who doesn't share the blogger's political beliefs - even if he/she does share the same tastes in technology.
I've mastered the practice of not patronizing businesses who mix politics with their business, because doing so inevitably alienates half your clientèle. And ERA is coming very close to doing that, whether they realize it or not.
It isn't such a stretch to put the pieces together from the displays of flag, national pride, assorted religious-themed comments elsewhere on the blog, and - above all - links to right-wing political organizations, for one to get an idea of where this author and business stand politically. My broader point was that including such links on a blog about computers and technology can be distracting to a reader who doesn't share the blogger's political beliefs - even if he/she does share the same tastes in technology.
I've mastered the practice of not patronizing businesses who mix politics with their business, because doing so inevitably alienates half your clientèle. And ERA is coming very close to doing that, whether they realize it or not.
@HoTMetaL: I live in North Carolina and I have seen everything you describe, thought it isn't dominant in this area, thankfully! I agree with not mixing politics and business unless, of course, your business is politics. I just don't see that article the way skelband did and you said he was "spot on", hence my disagreement with you. I didn't see it as an "atta boy" article and the author's comments here make it clear that was not what he intended.
Egad! Our comment settings were messed up - http://blog.eracc.com/2010/10/29/incredible-times-incredible...
If any of you wanted to comment on the article to add other country contributions you should be able to now. Comments about the side-bar content, or my personal beliefs are off-topic. :)
If any of you wanted to comment on the article to add other country contributions you should be able to now. Comments about the side-bar content, or my personal beliefs are off-topic. :)
Besides this blog of Gene & associates, a.k.a. "eracc", as well as other fine pro-Linux blogs arising within or outside of the U.S., there is also Penguin Pete's home page and blog --- this latter site found through a simple Google search for "Penguin Pete".
Pete subtitles his site 'Digital Wizardry With Free And Open Source Software' and even as this comment is written, several of PP's blog pieces have received more non-PP comments to date than non-Gene comments at the eracc piece.
PP's site may be equally worth visiting and contributing comments to for those either living within or outside of the U.S. who might somehow not wish to "comment on the [eracc] article to add other country contributions". A possible reason to favor PP's blog over eracc's is any perceived dissuasion arising from the current eracc-blog moderators' Comments policy mentioned near the top of this thread and found at http://blog.eracc.com/ .
PP's site may be equally worth visiting and contributing comments to for those either living within or outside of the U.S. who might somehow not wish to "comment on the [eracc] article to add other country contributions". A possible reason to favor PP's blog over eracc's is any perceived dissuasion arising from the current eracc-blog moderators' Comments policy mentioned near the top of this thread and found at http://blog.eracc.com/ .
@vainrveenr
What in the world does that site have to do with this post? Given history and the lack of relevance, your post is worse than spam, it's troll spam.
What in the world does that site have to do with this post? Given history and the lack of relevance, your post is worse than spam, it's troll spam.
Quoting:Given history and the lack of relevance, your post is worse than spam, it's troll spam.Can this very statement be possibly construed as "offensive, indecent, abusive, hateful, harassing, or libelous" ?? (See the LXer Terms of Service and Code of Conduct, Article 6, found at http://lxer.com/module/pages/v/12/ )
Needless to say, absolutely nothing found at the ERACC blog violates Article 8 of the LXer Terms of Service and Code of Conduct !
> Can this very statement be possibly construed as "offensive, indecent, abusive, hateful, harassing, or libelous" ??
Provide an answer to the first question - what is the relevance to this thread. Interesting that you would omit that small detail in your attempt to start yet another round of nonsense with that guy. And you've been around here long enough to know the history.
Provide an answer to the first question - what is the relevance to this thread. Interesting that you would omit that small detail in your attempt to start yet another round of nonsense with that guy. And you've been around here long enough to know the history.
vain where is that much different from here? you can forward an objection and disagree, just be polite. I have to agree with bigg on this.
> Penguin Pete's site may be equally worth visiting and commenting in...
You do know that Pete blocks links from LXer, don't you?
You do know that Pete blocks links from LXer, don't you?
vainrveenr,
Next time put [humor] tags on your post or build a reputation that does not leave regulars confused at your real intentions. Right now I will suppress my desire for a riposte, because remembering PP last visit your sense of irony surpasses mine.
YBT
Next time put [humor] tags on your post or build a reputation that does not leave regulars confused at your real intentions. Right now I will suppress my desire for a riposte, because remembering PP last visit your sense of irony surpasses mine.
YBT
Txt: Second that, though I'd say sarcasm tags, not humor tags.
Holy cow, I come back to find all this madness :D
In actual fact, I think my original comments were a bit misconstrued. My point was that the only reference to national contributions were US. I wasn't trying to imply that the author was jingoistic, merely a little biased.
I appreciate the US worldview is generally quite small on the whole so I guess I'm not too surprised, but I think the US references were a bit unnecessary to the point of the article which on the whole I found quite factual and interesting.
@tuxchick > dang, wish we could delete posts. Never mind! Not quite sure what you mean there? Delete the article reference or my original comment?
In actual fact, I think my original comments were a bit misconstrued. My point was that the only reference to national contributions were US. I wasn't trying to imply that the author was jingoistic, merely a little biased.
I appreciate the US worldview is generally quite small on the whole so I guess I'm not too surprised, but I think the US references were a bit unnecessary to the point of the article which on the whole I found quite factual and interesting.
@tuxchick > dang, wish we could delete posts. Never mind! Not quite sure what you mean there? Delete the article reference or my original comment?
@skelband. She probably meant deleting her own comment. She edited out the text and replaced it with that instead.
> I wasn't trying to imply that the author was jingoistic, merely a little biased.
We're all a little biased, skelband. At least he openly admits his.
We're all a little biased, skelband. At least he openly admits his.
@jdixon
> We're all a little biased, skelband. At least he openly admits his.
Yes you are right, and I applaud his honesty.
Yes you are right, and I applaud his honesty.
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