Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!bu-cs!dartvax!eleazar.dartmouth.edu!isle
From: isle@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Ken Hancock)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: ***WARNING*** don't use Continuum with disk chache on!!
Message-ID: <9700@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU>
Date: 8 Aug 88 13:42:29 GMT
References: <878@taux01.UUCP>
Sender: news@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU
Reply-To: isle@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Ken Hancock)
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Lines: 52

In article <878@taux01.UUCP> taux01!cyosta@nsc.UUCP (Yossie Silverman) writes:
>Yesterday my mac died.  The Harddisk was unreadable by SCSI Setup.  MacZap
>recovered the files but it took a while.  The last thing I did was play 
>Continuum.  I am convinced that Continuum overwrote the disk cache and thus
>mangled my Harddisk.  I find Continuum to be a very fine game but I think
>it is EXTREMELY irresponsible to send out a game that has such an obvious
>bug in it.

I've seen a lot of bashing as of late.  Ones that come to mind right
off had are Continuum and SUM's hard disk partitioner.

First, let me address the former.  You say you've come across an
obvious bug.  What's obvious?  Obvious for you because you have a Mac
XXX with a XXX hard disk running XXX System and XXX INITs.  First of
all, you've done absolutely NO service to ANYONE except get a little
hot air out.  In case you weren't aware, Randy Wilson does read the
net.  What would be helpful to both him and the rest of the people who
play Continuum would be to state what kind of Mac, what System, what
hard disk, what inits (or at least "none", "a few", or "tons and
tons"), and what you think the problem is.

Don't misunderstand me.  I'd be pissed has hell if I was playing a game
and it crashed my hard disk.  BUT, hopefully, once my hard disk was
crashed, I'd at least find out what the problem was for sure (as far
as I could tell), send the author mail, post a warning to networld,
and hopefully not blow my top and flame the author right and left.
Everyone makes mistakes.  Randy made no guarantees as to what works
and what doesn't.  I'm almost sure he doesn't have 20 different Mac
setups to test every configuration.  Lastly, as he said, the game is
a hack he's been working on.  In my opinion, one of the best "hacks"
I've seen in a LONG time.  Maybe THE best.

Now as for Symantec, there's another case.  There were some messages
that came across and gave configurations.  Great.  That's what's helpful.
But then again, there were more that just decided to blow off some steam
and flame with no help to anyone.

Folks, we're all adults here, or at least close to being adults.  Before
you go posting to the net, count to ten, play around to see if you can
repeat the error, and then post responsibly.  Let us know if it's a problem
we might encounter by giving us your system run down.  Let the developers
narrow down the problem so that they can fix it.  That way, at least you
might be somewhat happier and have accomplished something for everyone.

'nuff said.

Ken

Ken Hancock  '90                   | BITNET/UUCP: isle@eleazar.dartmouth.edu
Personal Computing Ctr Consultant  | 
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DISCLAIMER?  I don't get paid enough to worry about disclaimers.