[AT] Technology Creep

[Roy Morgan]

On Jan 17, 2011, at 1:02 PM, Howard Weeks wrote:
( Atis outage - the details)

> ... effort ...  to get funtionality and data off our PCs and into
> their paid (off site to us) domain....
> There is no way in hell that I am going to move in that direction.

Howard,

Hear, hear!
I'm with you.  "Cloud computing"?  Sounds fuzzy and insubstantial to me.

But, consider this:   May it come to pass eventually that we have no  
good alternative?  It is in the interest of the technology mavens if  
we do use their "services".

- We now cannot avoid upgrading to the newest (or recent) operating  
system for very long.  After a little while, our old, familiar system  
works badly if at all on more and more "content".

- Almost no one can repair a new or recent car or tractor at home.  It  
takes a $5,000 computer to just figure out what's wrong, and the  
module needed may have to come by air from the Pacific Rim, or at the  
very least from some distant city in the US.

- When I was a kid (1950's/60's) there were many mechanics who could  
fix your car almost no matter what was wrong with it.  Now, even  
getting a maintenance manual is expensive and not easy.  The internet  
makes learning how things work easier, but each family of engines and  
whole vehicles has become a specialty unto itself.

Here, I have a 1951 IHC W-4 tractor, with a suspected broken valve  
spring or stuck lifter.  I expect to be able to fix it myself (with  
good advice).  I also have a 2004 Ford F-250 diesel truck.  I never  
expect to fix it myself.

Roy
(Temps at 8 below zero F last night, warming trend expected up to the  
mid teens!)


Roy Morgan
k1lky at earthlink.net
K1LKY Since 1958 - Keep 'em Glowing!