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From: aurs01!luce@uunet.uu.net (J. Luce)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Allied Radio / Radio Shack
Message-ID: <16812@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 9 Feb 91 18:30:47 GMT
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Reply-To: "J. Luce" <aurw46!luce@uunet.uu.net>
Organization: Alcatel Network Systems, Raleigh NC
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 112, Message 5 of 8


TELECOM Moderator Noted:

>[Moderator's Note: Those 'trips back in time' are fun, and really I
>think they are essential to a complete understanding of modern day
>technology and telephony. There are a lot of politics and history
>involved in why things are as they are today. Things don't just
>happen. We cannot dwell in the past but we must learn from it.  PAT]

To stay off course for one more message ... this brings up a pet
'concern' of mine. We used to hack at all these electronic things. We
then probably (I know I did) hacked at our VERY OWN CP/M computers (of
course meaning figuring out ports, barnacling semi-misdesigned S-100
boards, and rewriting BIOSs every time we added a device like a
parallel <ooooooh> port) and we took that with us and aided our way
into this brave new world of technology. The kids today just don't
have the same environment to hack in. I think we are leaving a LOT of
creativity in the lurch due to this. The 'finished product' approach
of all we buy now may come back and nip us in our rears later on after
us old hackers retire. I know as a S/W Engineer, my intro to
electronics made my life as a device driver person a help and helped
h/w people in making life easier for s/w people.

::sigh::  off soapbox.


John Luce   Alcatel Network Systems     Raleigh, NC  
Standard Disclaimer Applies    919-850-6787 
Mail? Here? Try aurs01!aurw46!luce@mcnc.org
or ...!mcnc!aurgate!luce    or John.Luce@f130.n151.z1.fidonet.org