Path: ...!local-2.nntp.ord.giganews.com!Xl.tags.giganews.com!local-4.nntp.ord.giganews.com!nntp.earthlink.com!news.earthlink.com.POSTED!not-for-mail NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 06 Nov 2024 02:41:52 +0000 From: ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) Subject: Re: Well, that's unexpected (Speedball reboot) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action References: <3422ijl6l9ec43csiut9j4r1jg3scb04oc@4ax.com> <6u5fijdsfb6n1s6uir45sjp13pod4i1qdf@4ax.com> User-Agent: tin/2.6.2-20221225 ("Pittyvaich") (Linux/6.10.7-100.fc39.x86_64 (x86_64)) Message-ID: Date: Wed, 06 Nov 2024 02:41:52 +0000 Lines: 110 X-Usenet-Provider: http://www.giganews.com NNTP-Posting-Host: 47.180.143.226 X-Trace: sv3-NKkkzrtkBKWvPV83pifHZhqpKge92DdFb02OTvIDx0fwLI1L4hJvxjlByT70yZ1dvubarM6u3REjHnw!HN8OQLzTY1nOaeZDNC2AzuRmtV3kAtUuYeSqRH5K/QFDJ9bfhZ4UGmtzxVBr/BznMbHnvcB/iHDu!j0qOX/YcxaoFWug5Bjjhsdvrb9zChyan X-Abuse-and-DMCA-Info: Please be sure to forward a copy of ALL headers X-Abuse-and-DMCA-Info: Otherwise we will be unable to process your complaint properly X-Postfilter: 1.3.40 Bytes: 7053 Dimensional Traveler wrote: > On 11/5/2024 7:53 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote: > > On Tue, 5 Nov 2024 09:32:10 -0000 (UTC), vallor > > wrote: > > > >> On Mon, 04 Nov 2024 10:34:44 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson wrote: > >> > >>> On Sun, 3 Nov 2024 16:27:15 -0800, Dimensional Traveler > >>> wrote: > >>> > >>>> On 11/3/2024 2:33 PM, Zaghadka wrote: > >>>>> On Sun, 03 Nov 2024 10:39:13 -0500, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, > >>>>> Spalls Hurgenson wrote: > >>>>> > >>>>>> I never had such fun experiences. It was always the usual nonsense; > >>>>>> program crashes with error (but never bother to read what the error > >>>>>> message said), or problems caused by malware, or dead hardware. > >>>>>> Usually the worst was when the user fucked himself (who needs > >>>>>> c:\windows\system32 anyway?) but it was all pretty ordinary in its > >>>>>> stupidity. > >>>>> > >>>>> I think my most memorable support experience was a woman in accounting > >>>>> (or was it HR?) who was complaining that her column of numbers, from a > >>>>> database import, wasn't summing in Excel. I banged my head against the > >>>>> wall for 10-15 minutes trying the usual stuff until it occured to me > >>>>> to ask her to click the column header and check the "Format..." > >>>>> dialogue. Sure enough, the entire column was formatted as "text." > >>>>> (*facepalm*) > >>>>> > >>>>> YOU CAN'T SUM STRINGS. > >>>>> > >>>>> To this day, I don't know if it was the import software or PEBKAC. > >>>>> > >>>>> My boss said, "I never would have thought of that." > >>>>> > >>>> When in doubt its PEBKAC. That said Excel can be very difficult to use > >>>> sometimes. It simply has too _much_ functionality, it can do so many > >>>> things that 99.9% of users would never even think of using let alone > >>>> actually try. So sometimes it makes it difficult to use the simple > >>>> everyday functions. > >>> > >>> It's not just that it has so much functionality, it's that Microsoft > >>> made it so easy (comparatively) to use that even a high-school intern > >>> can create a script that (mostly) does what it needs to. And then those > >>> hacked-together scripts -after years of use- suddenly become essential > >>> business logic. > >>> > >>> [It's sort of the business equivalent of XKCD's dependency > >>> meme (https://xkcd.com/2347/) except nobody actually maintains the > >>> project or even has any idea its there. And there are a lot more of > >>> them than the one] > >>> > >>> Eventually, one of these scripts breaks and nobody has any idea how the > >>> data it output was created (because nobody remembers the script, or > >>> whose Excel spreadsheet runs it) and when you do find it, nobody knows > >>> exactly what it's doing or why. > >>> > >>> And that's even before you get into the fact that waaaaay too many > >>> business "databases" are just oversized lists in Excel... > >>> > >>> But if you really want to bitch about tech support, I just got one word > >>> for you. But be prepared: it's a very, very scary word. > >>> > >>> > >>> PRINTERS. > >> > >> Aaaah! Halloween is over! ;) > >> > >> Seriously, though -- that's mainly a Windows problem. Printing > >> is fairly pain-free on Linux and Apple, thanks to CUPS. Just check > >> the compatibility matrix, and make sure you have a printer that announces > >> itself with Bonjour/Avahi/Zeroconf/Aloha/whatever it's called now. > > > > It's not just Windows. Modern printer hardware is absolute shit. > > They're cheaply made and all those thin-plastic bits can break just > > looking at it. > > > > But I think even blaming Windows isn't entirely fair. The default > > drivers that come with Windows are usually fine. It's when you install > > the bullshit OEM drivers (you know, the ones that now weigh in at > > gigabytes) that you really start seeing problems. Of course, these > > drivers are almost always Windows-only, so Windows gets the blame. > > > > And all that before you get into the OEM shenanigins, like DRM on ink > > cartridges, or forcing you to buy a whole new tray of cartridges if > > you're just out of black, or nonsense like HP's attempt at ink > > subscription plans. > > > > > >> Scanners, now. That can be challenging. I bought a wifi scanner > >> without first checking for SANE support, and discovered I can only > >> scan from it with USB. (Not _that_ big a deal because it replaces > >> another USB scanner, but I was hoping for the wifi.) > > > > Too many printers these days -especially to SOHO customers- are > > multi-function scanner/printer/fax machines, so often you'll have the > > fun of printers and scanner problems all in one machine! > > > Oh, you do NOT want me to get into all the functions our office > "copiers" have. Scanner/printer/fax is just the _start_. It's annoying to have multiple devices though! Yes, still need fax. :( -- "The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor." --Matthew 11:5. Pls vote in https://antsqualityforagedlinks.blogspot.com/2024/10/its-time-to-vote-again.html 4 its USA's election. Crazy NFL game last nite with unstoppable Chiefs. Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly. /\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org. / /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail. | |o o| | \ _ / ( )