Date: Sat, 8 Dec 2001 08:18:16 +0100 From: Brad Knowles <brad.knowles@skynet.be> To: "Anthony Atkielski" <anthony@freebie.atkielski.com>, "Konstantinos Konstantinidis" <kkonstan@duth.gr>, <chat@FreeBSD.ORG>, "Brad Knowles" <brad.knowles@skynet.be> Subject: Re: A breath of fresh air.. Message-ID: <a0510101eb8376b377aa1@[10.0.1.16]> In-Reply-To: <016f01c17fb4$b3c1fc00$0a00000a@atkielski.com> References: <0112071641320B.01380@stinky.akitanet.co.uk><000b01c17f42$c23ab140$0a0 0000a@atkielski.com><3C110351.4748B559@duth.gr><005001c17f6c$e60c0ef0$ 0a00000a@atkielski.com> <15377.17350.796336.801464@guru.mired.org> <006901c17f70$19a2f820$0a00000a@atkielski.com> <3C11560B.A035DEF3@duth.gr> <009401c17f9c$5bad3bf0$0a00000a@atkielski.com> <a05101007b837448d6ad8@[10.0.1.16]> <010601c17fab$1cd2b270$0a00000a@atkielski.com> <a0510100fb8375b52c121@[10.0.1.16]> <016f01c17fb4$b3c1fc00$0a00000a@atkielski.com>
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At 7:50 AM +0100 on 2001/12/08, Anthony Atkielski wrote: >> You're trying to unilaterally apply a "general" >> solution to a specific problem. > > No, I am applying a general solution to a general problem. But it's not a general problem. Therefore your "solution" is being applied inappropriately. >> I am never forced to make a recommendation. > > What if you are? Try to think of this in the abstract. I've already answered this question. If I can't get more information, then I will tell them that I can't make a recommendation based on insufficient data, and that they need to make up their own mind. There simply isn't anything that is remotely abstract about this problem or the solution to it, regardless of what you may wish. >> Then the choice is up to them how they would >> respond in that kind of situation, but my answer >> would be that I don't have enough information >> and that I would rather make no recommendation >> at all than make one that turned out to be bad >> for the person. > > You might not have that option. Sure I do. I always do. Refusing to make a decision is, in and of itself, a decision. > There seems to be quite a desire here to avoid the actual question by > claiming that one need not answer it without more information. No, I'm not avoiding the question. I'm saying that the problem is insufficiently defined and that without more information it would be impossible to come up with a proper answer. > If a non-IT, average user asks you what OS to install as his desktop, what > do you recommend, and why? You have no other information concerning his > requirements, and you do not have the option of asking for more information > or refusing to answer. Come up with a real world situation, and maybe you'll get a real world answer. So long as you continue to persist in creating totally inappropriate flights of fancy in the framing of your loaded questions, we will refuse to give you the answer you want to hear. >> Common sense? Decency? > > Neither of these is relevant. Sure they are. You are persisting in excessively annoying some of the more vocal members of this list, and given the reactions I saw last time you went on a spamming spree, I have to believe that the same situation exists here. >> Consideration for all the other poor sods on >> this mailing list who are getting bloody sick >> and tired of reading your drivel, and tired of >> being continually spammed by you on this topic? > > I don't know that I'm the greatest irritant in this discussion. If you're not, then you are certainly the cause of the greatest irritation. >> Right, and statistically, the average distance >> between atoms in this Universe is something like >> one every ten centimeters, so you don't exist. > > Correct, from the standpoint of the universe. Well, if you don't exist, then I sure wish you would acknowledge the fact that you don't exist and disappear in a poof of self-contradictory logic. >> Ghu, I wish that were true. > > Ah ... and why is that? Because you are being excessively annoying in your unending pursuit of an answer that you will not, and cannot, receive. >> The reality is that sweeping generalities of >> the sort you constantly spew are simply inappropriate >> and fundamentally incorrect, because they are >> based on flawed assumptions. > > Which assumptions are flawed? Do you dispute that Windows is the leading > desktop OS today? I do not dispute that Windows has the highest unit "sales" figures for OSes so far, but keep in mind that until recently you simply could not buy or sell an x86 machine without Windows installed (and "sold"), regardless of the purpose that the machine was going to be put to. I would most certainly dispute the use of the word "leading" being associated in any positive way with the OS family known as "Windows" from the company known as Microsoft (or, for that matter, with any products that have ever been produced by Microsoft). >> Again, what is the general case? > > The general case is applications such as file, print, and web servers. Maybe that's your general case, but I do not necessarily accept that definition. Until you can get an agreement on the basic terms of discussion, you cannot rationally make any higher-level argument. -- Brad Knowles, <brad.knowles@skynet.be> H4sICIFgXzsCA2RtYS1zaWcAPVHLbsMwDDvXX0H0kkvbfxiwVw8FCmzAzqqj1F4dy7CdBfn7 Kc6wmyGRFEnvvxiWQoCvqI7RSWTcfGXQNqCUAnfIU+AT8OZ/GCNjRVlH0bKpguJkxiITZqes MxwpSucyDJzXxQEUe/ihgXqJXUXwD9ajB6NHonLmNrUSK9nacHQnH097szO74xFXqtlbT3il wMsBz5cnfCR5cEmci0Rj9u/jqBbPeES1I4PeFBXPUIT1XDSOuutFXylzrQvGyboWstCoQZyP dxX4dLx0eauFe1x9puhoi0Ao1omEJo+BZ6XLVNaVpWiKekxN0VK2VMpmAy+Bk7ZV4SO+p1L/ uErNRS/qH2iFU+iNOtbcmVt9N16lfF7tLv9FXNj8AiyNcOi1AQAA To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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