25 May
2010
25 May
'10
1:08 p.m.
I don't regard myself as a collector - I lack the
money or the space.
I do have a small collection of interesting 1980s kit, though, which I
enjoy getting running, playing with, learning a bit about and so on. I
like learning about them, talking about them, reading about them,
discussing them and so on.
But I don't solder. I don't make cables. I never conduct board-level
repairs. I might swap add-in cards when needed or in extremis things
like motherboards or CPUs. I have no knowledge of compenent-level
electronics nor any great interest. I'm a software man myself, really,
that's what interests me.
Fine. I do wonder why you want to run the software on the original
machine rather than under emulattion, though. And how you would keep the
original machine going if you don't ever want to repair it.
Unfortunately, as far as I know there are no repair services for classic
computers, so you virtually have to do it yourself.
Similarly, with my motorbikes and bicycles, of which I have a small
and ever-changing collection, I pay pros to keep them running well for
me. I hate getting dirty & scraping my knuckles repairing them, and
why should I?
I can think of one very good reason. Your life, and the lives of others,
depends on that work being done correctly. And having seen what some car
repairers -- even official dealers -- get up to, I wouldn't trust one, alas.
The idea that, for example, a group, club or society should consult
its members for help, and if it doesn't, then it's flawed, is quite
bizarre to me.
Eh? Cam you please tell me what the point of the club is then, other than
to share the knowledge, experience, whatever of the members?
If one is a fan or expert of something, and other such
fans are
organizing a rare get-together in one's area, to denigrate it as "the
wrong sort of get-together" or say that they are the "wrong sort" of
fans, or that they don't do it right, or anything like that, is
small-minded, petty, childish and unpleasant. It lessens the speaker
But surely to decide that, for whetever reasons, you are not going to
enjy the event is a good enough reason to keep away. Otherwise you may
end up spoiling it for others.
-tony