24 Feb
2013
24 Feb
'13
1:12 a.m.
On Sat, Feb 23, 2013 at 09:58:30AM -0800, Chris Tofu wrote:
------------------------------ On Fri, Feb 22, 2013 11:09 AM PST Murray
McCullough wrote:
MS-DOS was _not_ complex, it was a rather trivial OS in both complexity and
especially in abilitities.
Should we be surprised at how and why
classic-computing, this site in
particular, is so popular amongst the hobbyist/experimenter community today?
There is a modicum of control that?s lacking in today?s computing, or
computing-like, technology. Granted it?s ?easier? to use/employ, nearly by
all; everything, or almost, done without consumer input but turning the
infernal beast on. Or, maybe not with the ?intelligence agents? been
employed today! And even our computers I dare say going this route.
Automatic updates, etc., etc., happen?Making a computer or otherwise do what
you want it to do, rather than say an Apple or something akin, is fast
becoming a thing of the past. Freedom. Let?s hope it?s not pass? either!
Murray--
For a lot of people in the various seasons of life, being acquainted with
every aspect of their machines just isn't practical. Most people don't even
care, much less have the background to understand what's going on/wrong and
what's needed periodically. OS's are way too complex (MS-DOS was complex).
Linux is everywhere these days. Yet even it has
effectively been hijacked by
a malicious corporate monster (in Android).
Calling Android "malicious corporate monster" is .. amusing. Especially with
most of the source being available via AOSP. I wonder what you call Apple
iOS (iPhone/iPad) and Windows Phone (whatever Microsoft is calling it these
days) then ..
Also, "hijacked"? So I can't get Linux without Android? *psst* Don't
tell
that to my machines (servers, desktops, laptops) all running Linux but
no trace of Android.
I bought a tablet a few weeks
ago, and one of the initial setup screens declared "I agree to accept
updates from Google".
Well, the idea is to least reduce as much as possible the number of devices
with well-known security holes (and other bugs) in the wild. Of course you
are mostly "inconvenienced" by regular updates if you buy an Android Nexus
device. Just buy a device from a manufacturer known not to give rats ass
about security fixes and you won't be bothered.
Apart from hitting "Learn more", and
that's only a
possibility, don't know, thought of utilizing that after the fact, I had no
way of opting out. I won't use the thing on the internet until I figure out
how to disable that. Freedom has a price.
Or you could install Cyanogenmod and keep it updated yourself.
Kind regards,
Alex.
--
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and
looks like work." -- Thomas A. Edison