Comments on: What were they doing? http://tametheweb.com/2009/01/26/mastertechnology/ Libraries, Technology and People by Michael Stephens Thu, 24 May 2012 02:45:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Lee http://tametheweb.com/2009/01/26/mastertechnology/comment-page-1/#comment-8617 Lee Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:54:14 +0000 http://tametheweb.com/?p=4730#comment-8617 Mike, Agreed: XP's solid. What the reporter failed to articulate, (perhaps as it's not the best wrote piece), is the poorly maintained state of software and hardware encountered there. Sounds like this is not the case for the systems you maintain. I completely agree that many old hardware systems and software systems can function if properly maintained. Given my choice, I'll be running XP for a long time. There isn't something I've found that I cannot run on XP, yet. Mike,
Agreed: XP’s solid.

What the reporter failed to articulate, (perhaps as it’s not the best wrote piece), is the poorly maintained state of software and hardware encountered there. Sounds like this is not the case for the systems you maintain.

I completely agree that many old hardware systems and software systems can function if properly maintained. Given my choice, I’ll be running XP for a long time. There isn’t something I’ve found that I cannot run on XP, yet.

]]> By: Mike http://tametheweb.com/2009/01/26/mastertechnology/comment-page-1/#comment-8616 Mike Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:44:02 +0000 http://tametheweb.com/?p=4730#comment-8616 Sorry, windows xp is only _8_ years old. ;) Sorry, windows xp is only _8_ years old. ;)

]]> By: Mike http://tametheweb.com/2009/01/26/mastertechnology/comment-page-1/#comment-8615 Mike Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:42:01 +0000 http://tametheweb.com/?p=4730#comment-8615 6 year old ms software? Heck, I personally as well as the library I work for run _9_ year old ms software by choice: windows xp. Since it is the best non beta operating system available from that company. :P 6 year old ms software? Heck, I personally as well as the library I work for run _9_ year old ms software by choice: windows xp. Since it is the best non beta operating system available from that company. :P

]]> By: Lee http://tametheweb.com/2009/01/26/mastertechnology/comment-page-1/#comment-8593 Lee Tue, 27 Jan 2009 04:45:59 +0000 http://tametheweb.com/?p=4730#comment-8593 I don't know Stephen; I see your point. At the same time planned obsolescence, meaning Dell, HP, NASA's contractors, etc, all bet on getting another contract because of the built in obsolescence. Hardware and software both have them. HP, for example, puts their laptop life cycle around 15-18 months -that's not long. I wonder if that's the reason we feel techno-stress too. Upgrade, upgrade, upgrade is what I'm not advocating for. I watch the rise of DIY culture, again. People are refusing to "shuck it" and require their products to have more life. Should not the government require the same? Several friends run computers averaging over 5 years -with either Vista or their current choice of Linux distro. So, I'd say it could be done. Currency and dependability are not mutually exclusive. We could require a much higher degree of reliability and extendability. In fact, governments should. (I'd be working on a 6 year old Mac if it didn't get stolen. I had only re-booted that Mac 3 times! Oh I miss it. :) Sun: they've practically evolved their sold hardware and software to the point that you pay for their expertise and on-demand service. They've realized, it's not so much the technological products, because other firms (China before long I bet) are competing with them in price and quality, but their service and knowledge that sets them apart. I don’t know Stephen; I see your point. At the same time planned obsolescence, meaning Dell, HP, NASA’s contractors, etc, all bet on getting another contract because of the built in obsolescence. Hardware and software both have them. HP, for example, puts their laptop life cycle around 15-18 months -that’s not long. I wonder if that’s the reason we feel techno-stress too. Upgrade, upgrade, upgrade is what I’m not advocating for.

I watch the rise of DIY culture, again. People are refusing to “shuck it” and require their products to have more life. Should not the government require the same?

Several friends run computers averaging over 5 years -with either Vista or their current choice of Linux distro. So, I’d say it could be done. Currency and dependability are not mutually exclusive.

We could require a much higher degree of reliability and extendability. In fact, governments should. (I’d be working on a 6 year old Mac if it didn’t get stolen. I had only re-booted that Mac 3 times! Oh I miss it. :)

Sun: they’ve practically evolved their sold hardware and software to the point that you pay for their expertise and on-demand service.

They’ve realized, it’s not so much the technological products, because other firms (China before long I bet) are competing with them in price and quality, but their service and knowledge that sets them apart.

]]> By: Lee http://tametheweb.com/2009/01/26/mastertechnology/comment-page-1/#comment-8591 Lee Tue, 27 Jan 2009 04:20:21 +0000 http://tametheweb.com/?p=4730#comment-8591 Excellent point Addrianne -the article does show less than neutral language. I wonder if the http://www.poynter.org/ has done any research on what seems to be a rising trend of sensationalistic and biased news reporting. Are they trying to compete with, all the reality shows/news out there? Excellent point Addrianne -the article does show less than neutral language. I wonder if the http://www.poynter.org/ has done any research on what seems to be a rising trend of sensationalistic and biased news reporting. Are they trying to compete with, all the reality shows/news out there?

]]> By: Stephen Michael Kellat http://tametheweb.com/2009/01/26/mastertechnology/comment-page-1/#comment-8590 Stephen Michael Kellat Tue, 27 Jan 2009 03:16:13 +0000 http://tametheweb.com/?p=4730#comment-8590 Technology is great when it works. When it breaks, how do you recover? All too often in government settings, software is a couple versions back not from being lacking but because it is most easily supported and secured. There are not perfect computer programs out there so it is reasonable to be a few versions back. This is merely one reason, procurement cycles often are far more of a factor. What may be seen as stagnation is really bureaucracy in action. Even agencies like NASA have to cope with three year lifetime procurement cycles for computer hardware. Any faster of a procurement cycle certainly would not be environmentally friendly let alone fiscally sound. Technology is great when it works. When it breaks, how do you recover? All too often in government settings, software is a couple versions back not from being lacking but because it is most easily supported and secured. There are not perfect computer programs out there so it is reasonable to be a few versions back. This is merely one reason, procurement cycles often are far more of a factor.

What may be seen as stagnation is really bureaucracy in action. Even agencies like NASA have to cope with three year lifetime procurement cycles for computer hardware. Any faster of a procurement cycle certainly would not be environmentally friendly let alone fiscally sound.

]]> By: Adrianne http://tametheweb.com/2009/01/26/mastertechnology/comment-page-1/#comment-8588 Adrianne Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:06:58 +0000 http://tametheweb.com/?p=4730#comment-8588 Love how they say "six year old MS software" -- makes it sound ancient. Not so much if they'd just said "Office 2003," which isn't exactly archaic, and in fact many individuals and workplaces (including my own) chose to retain over its successor, even to the point of actively removing the successor to go back to what they considered the superior product. But that's the way to do it in journalism. Love how they say “six year old MS software” — makes it sound ancient. Not so much if they’d just said “Office 2003,” which isn’t exactly archaic, and in fact many individuals and workplaces (including my own) chose to retain over its successor, even to the point of actively removing the successor to go back to what they considered the superior product. But that’s the way to do it in journalism.

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