31 Aug
2006
31 Aug
'06
4:21 p.m.
Do you see a common thread to the complaints here? No
one seems to be
saying that the "10 year rule" is perfect. What people are complaining
about is a nebulous statement that the "10 year rule" is dead, and that this
list is for discussing "Classic" computers. It is obvious to anyone what
the "10 year rule" meant. I don't see where anyone is clear what
"Classic"
means.
At last! Somebody has got the point.
To be honest, I didn't much care for the 10 year rule, but it had the
great advantage it was unambiguous. A computing machine over 10 years old
was on-topic, one younger than that was off topic. Simple.
Now I have no idea what a classic computer is now defined as. It may well
mean different things to different people. I am sure there are machines
that everyone here will think of as classics (let's say the original
straight-8). There are others that are more boderline.
I am seriously considering unsubscribing over this. Not because of the
noise on the list. Not because I have any particular love of the
10-year-rule (or any other date-related rule). But because I now have no
idea what this list is actually supposed to be talking about. And there
seems little point in remaining on such a list.
-tony