*BSD News Article 31612


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From: mo@uunet.uu.net (Mike O'Dell)
Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.development
Subject: Re: users - not entirely clear on the concept
Date: 9 Jun 1994 10:26:04 -0400
Organization: Center for Chaotic Repeatabilty
Lines: 27
Message-ID: <2t78ps$avo@rodan.UU.NET>
References: <2t21rj$hfr@menudo.uh.edu> <2t2535$k33@menudo.uh.edu> <2t36ee$gs2@rodan.uu.net> <2t3g9a$s6h@menudo.uh.edu>
Reply-To: mo@uunet.uu.net
NNTP-Posting-Host: rodan.uu.net

I see you just don't get it.  Oh well....

How nice a person I am has nothing to do with it.

Chainsaws, hammers, and moulding shapers are NOT very user-friendly,
nor are metal lathes, arc welders, metal shears or bending breaks.

Grand Pianos are not very user-friendly,
nor are violins, oboes, or harpsichords.

Airplanes and helicopters are not very user-friendly.

NONE of these things graciously forgive mistakes.

It would be wonderful if all these things *were* user-friendly and
it didn't take significant skill and experience to use them safely
or productively.  

While I don't discourage doing what one can to minimize the danger from
high-speed rotating parts, the fact that the most powerful and
complex thing man has invented (except maybe for the pipe organ) hasn't
be reduced to "Do What I Mean" for the greenest rube shouldn't be
surprising.  Nor is it particularly possible, and probably not desirable.

There are limits to all tools, as well as requirements for use.

	-mo