RE: Archimedes Socrates, ace tech writer, wins another one

["Jane Carnall" <jane -dot- carnall -at- digitalbridges -dot- com>]

-----Original Message-----
http://www.msnbc.com/news/621462.asp

-----Original Message-----
Sounds to me like Mr. Fineman is a twit. Throw a large overcoat and a derby
on him and toss him into the classic Monty Python skit and he'd be good to
go! *vbg*

Actually, it sounded to me like someone should have had the same dialogue
with him as my brother and I had with my mother. My brother is a hi-tech
hobbyist: he has four computers, his own LAN, high-speed always-on access to
the Internet, and just loves Neal Stephenson. (His girlfriend puts up with
all this with remarkable patience. Kathy, even though I doubt you're a
member of this list, I want to say I think you're a wonderful human being.)

I, on the other hand... just work here. (Yes, I do have three computers and
a WAP phone. But there's A Good Reason for each one.)

The dialogue went kind of like this.
Mother: I want to improve my Internet access. What should I do?
My brother: Broadband high-speed always on access blah-de-blah-blah
firewall.
Me: What do you want to *do* on the Internet?
Mother: Well, I don't know, exactly, but I seem to be spending an awful lot
of money on phone calls and people complain that our phone's engaged.
Me: Get one of the one-fee phone packages, surf all you like for X per
month, and pick one that will give you a free extra phone line for Internet
use only. They'll send you a CD. I can talk you through the install.
My brother: But she'll still have to log on! That can take 2 minutes every
time with her modem!
Me: Yes. So what? Make a cup of tea!
My brother: I just can't stand waiting all that time to get on to the
Internet. By the time I've logged on I might have forgotten what I wanted to
do.
Me: Well, that's your problem.

Actually, it's possible that Mr Fineman *is* my brother, at an earlier stage
of evolution.

Jane Carnall
Technical Writer, Digital Bridges, Scotland
Unless stated otherwise, these opinions are mine, and mine alone.


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