Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!uw-june!uw-entropy!dataio!pilchuck!del
From: del@Data-IO.COM (Erik Lindberg)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: WARNING  Microsoft C V5.1 Setup  WARNING
Message-ID: <882@pilchuck.Data-IO.COM>
Date: 5 May 88 20:29:06 GMT
References: <1455@slvblc.UUCP> <3401@tekgvs.TEK.COM>
Reply-To: del@pilchuck.Data-IO.COM (Erik Lindberg)
Organization: Data I/O Corporation; Redmond, WA
Lines: 22
Keywords: stupid careless write-protect backup shucks darn

Look, I will probably get flamed for this, but what the heck.

>>[he blew away his Microsoft Installation diskettes by mistake]

This whole discussion and flaming at Microsoft is ridiculous! Anybody that
fails to write protect and/or copy their distribution diskettes before
installation DESERVES WHATEVER HAPPENS TO THEM! I fail to see any reason
why Microsoft or any manufacturer of any product (including non-technical
products: automobiles, chemicals, tools, etc.) should be held responsible
for stupid mistakes made by a typical user.

Look, if a user is expected to be an assembly line flunky, paid minimum
wage, then the manufacturer needs to make the product "fool-proof". If
the user is expected to be a minimally intelligent computer type person
presumably smart enough to install software packages (and use them!) on
a PC, then you should be able to expect, as a bare minimum, common sense
is present. Why should the manufacturer have to spend the extra money to 
write protect the disks? Or check to see the user doesn't have something
silly in the environment?
-- 
del (Erik Lindberg) 
uw-beaver!tikal!pilchuck!del