[12115] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: Nanoseconds and Milliseconds (Ask Dr. Internet)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Public-Access Computer Systems For)
Mon Mar 30 20:43:28 1998
Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1998 16:29:41 -0600
From: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <LIBPACS@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
======================================================================== 70
2 Messages; 106 Lines
From: David Carlson <dcarlson@bridgew.edu>
Subject: Re: Nanoseconds and milliseconds: Correcting Dr. Internet
X-Sender: dcarlson@topcat.bridgew.edu
Point taken. I assumed in giving that example that a lot of the PACS-L
readership was all too familiar with it (him). But you're right; it was
probably a cheap shot.
At 06:09 PM 3/26/98 -0600, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>I appreciate the information about Eudora's filters. Its always helpful to
>learn about new filters, but it seems important to consider the entire content
>of various postings before making wholesale condemnations.
>
>If you disagree with a particular point, then by all means let people know, or
>filter the message out from your mail. Simply listing a name as an example does
>not give listserv members much information, and it seems unfair to the person
>you list.
>
> Sincerely,
> Marc Forster
>
>************************************************************************
>MARC FORSTER R U T G E R S U N I V E R S I T Y DOUGLASS LIBRARY
> ********* FORSTER@RCI.RUTGERS.EDU *********
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
>
-------------
David Carlson
Director of Libraries
Bridgewater State College Bridgewater, MA 02325
E: dcarlson@bridgew.edu
V: 508/697-1256 Fax: 508/697-1349
*-----
From: Dan Lester <dan@84.com>
Subject: Re: Nanoseconds and milliseconds: Correcting Dr. Internet
At 06:09 PM 3/26/98 -0600, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>I appreciate the information about Eudora's filters. Its always helpful to
>learn about new filters, but it seems important to consider the entire
content
>of various postings before making wholesale condemnations.
>
>If you disagree with a particular point, then by all means let people
know, or
>filter the message out from your mail. Simply listing a name as an example
does
>not give listserv members much information, and it seems unfair to the person
>you list.
>
Actually, for those of us who are "old timers" (though none are likely to
claim, as does Dr. Internet, that we are "internet user #100) on the
internet, filtering him, as well as Vigdor Schreibman, does indeed lead to
increased sanity. For those who aren't aware of the latter, I'll not
address him, as he's not been posting on this list for quite some time.
Searching the net for information on him and his postings will lead you to
tons of material. Enjoy, if such is your desire.
As to Dr. Internet, it might be a service for him to be banned from this
list, though I'm not seriously suggesting that this happen. He has been on
the nets for a long time, and is indeed knowledgable in some areas.
However, his error rate is so high, and his errors are so often egregious
while not being immediately obvious to newcomers, that he really does a
disservice to thousands of netizens. For example, his latest posting
referred to the billion computers in the world. Oh? Is he counting the
one in my microwave? Is it one of the "80 percent that have no known
operating system"? I guess there might be that many computers if he
counted all the ones in cars, microwaves, VCRs, and other such appliances
and tools. But there aren't a billion from the IBM PC to the Pentium II to
the IBM mainframe, that is for sure. Or, maybe he's counting all the
GameBoys and PlayStations and high end pocket calculators. Who knows?
Maybe the "80 percent with no known operating system" include all those
GameBoys and Honda Accord system computers, for which he's not familiar
with the "operating systems". He'll never tell where he came up with such
an off the wall number or concept, but he'll beat you about the head and
shoulders with it armed with the club of his PhD and his early netizenship.
Gee, that impresses the heck out of me. Yeah, sure.
Of course he also won't come down from the Olympus of the Prairies for long
enough to respond to criticisms such as mine. He also doesn't correct them
in subsequent postings, either. I sure hope there aren't any freshman out
there quoting them as gospel in a term paper.
If anyone with a technical savvy thinks my criticisms are unfair, please
respond to the list. I've not heard from a Dr. Internet defender in some
time. Yes, we all make errors, but the frequency and seriousness of those
from this source certainly are close to warranting blanket exclusion. I
keep reading them for the humor and do my best to keep my blood pressure
under control.
cheers
dan
--
Dan Lester, 3577 East Pecan, Boise, ID 83716-7115 USA 208-383-0165
dan@84.com http://www.84.com/ (check out our 1997 holiday letter)
http://library.idbsu.edu/ http://cyclops.idbsu.edu/ http://www.lili.org/
Sent me a postcard of a library yet? You'll get something nice in return.
