Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site trwatf.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!genrad!grkermi!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!trwatf!root
From: root@trwatf.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Seething hate... burning rage... searing anger...
Message-ID: <979@trwatf.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 11-Jun-85 09:55:13 EDT
Article-I.D.: trwatf.979
Posted: Tue Jun 11 09:55:13 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 13-Jun-85 23:43:14 EDT
Reply-To: root@trwatf.UUCP (Lord Frith)
Organization: TRW Advanced Technology Facility, Merrifield VA.
Lines: 53

Yah know what I hate?  Computer stores that feel obligated to use
names like "Businessland," "Business Center" or "Business Systems."

Marketing strategists are apparently targeting their wares towards the
customers with the money.  That means corporations.  In typical
marketing-oriented fashion they call themselves "the business experts"
selling "business systems" to "improve your office productivity" ad
nauseum.  And of course they style themselves by a name that will
inspire confidence and professionalism.  Thus we get names either
prefixed or suffixed by the word "business."

I remember a chain called "Computerland" when they used to cater to
the small home-brew computer marketplace.  In those days they sold
breadboards and kits, monitors and micros that appealed to techy
types.  The franchise owners were just regular hackers like us.

But now I walk into a computer store and what do I find?  Salesmen
in three-piece suits with glitzy business cards trying to sell me
an IBM PC (puke!) and some dumb spreadsheet software.  It's all
an appearance... an affectation, designed to give business people
that nice warm feeling.  "Well GEE... the nice man in the three-peice
suit looked so professional, I naturally assumed that he knew what
he was talking about."

And ya know what's odd?  Very few of these companies have the word
"computer" in their names.  Has this become a dirty word or something?
They seem so obssessed with the idea of drawing business people into
their fancy carpeted showrooms that they couldn't give themselves
a name that actually describes what they sell?

Ya know what's REAL fun though?  Go into one of these stores dressed
in a t-shirt and jeans.  Of course they'll think you're just some bum
off the street.  If you look to be very young for your age and
corporate position (which I am) then all the better!  They'll
think you're some high-school hacker.  The trap is set!

Now let them brow-beat you for a while.  "Well sir, we sell BUSINESS
systems here.  Why don't you go to the Radio Shack down the street if
you want a system within your price range?"  "When you have some money,
why don't you come back and see us and we'll actually sell you
something."  That's when you inform them that you were actually
scouting out systems for your large DP department, but since they're
going to take that kind of attitude they can FUCK OFF and SHOVE THAT
DEGENERATE PC UP YOUR SLEAZY PRINTER PORT!  WHY DON'T YOU GO BACK TO
SELLING USED-CARS YOU SYCOPHANTIC COMPUTER-WHORE YOU!

Then you storm out of the store....
-- 

UUCP: ...{decvax,ihnp4,allegra}!seismo!trwatf!root	- Lord Frith
ARPA: trwatf!root@SEISMO

"Give a man a horse... and he thinks he's enormous"