Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!vsi!friedl
From: friedl@vsi.COM (Stephen J. Friedl)
Newsgroups: news.sysadmin
Subject: Re: Would you hire The Worm?
Summary: is this group `news.pick.on.journalists?'
Message-ID: <939@vsi.COM>
Date: 15 Nov 88 07:47:05 GMT
References: <456@utoday.UUCP> <10538@ncc.Nexus.CA>
Organization: V-Systems, Inc. -- Santa Ana, CA
Lines: 86

In article <456@utoday.UUCP>, root@utoday (Ross M. Greenberg) writes:
>As part of a followup story we're doing on the InterNet Worm and its
>ramifications throughout the industry, we'd like to ask all the sys-admins
>and others in a position of hiring programmers:
>
>"Given the opportunity to hire the creator of the InterNet Worm, would you?"

Then somebody says:
> Hmm ... First question *I* would ask is "do you do other things besides
> read/post news when you're logged in as root?"
> 
> How can I place any credibility in your reporting when your actions
> show you aren't paying any attention to anything that has been
> discussed here ...

     OK folks, time for a mild flame.  I see people picking
on the various UNIX Today people, and I think it really sux.

     First, what is so terrible with reading news as root?
It's his site, he's the sysadmin, and he's not hiding his
real name.  Why in the world would anybody care about this?
This just looks like gratuitous belittlement of others to me.

     Second, the "...you aren't paying attention to anything..."
is really silly.  Somebody has posted a "DID HE DO US A SERVICE
OR NOT?" request for pseudo-votes, and I've not seen anybody
flame him for this "silly" question.  People who object to having
their opinion asked must not have a very high opinion of *themselves*.

     Finally, why are people so upset in general that there are
now journalists on the net (especially active ones)?  UNIX has
obviously grown enough to warrant an industry biweekly magazine
such as UNIX Today -- this is supposed to be a good thing.  Assuming
that there *will* be a magazine like UT! (there obviously will),
there are a couple of ways they could treat the net, and the way
that the net would (has) responded to each:

     They could ignore us ---> "These bozos won't even get on the net
          to see what we really think" [e.g. _Byte_]

     They could summarize or report on net activity without
          contributing or asking anybody ---> "Those bozos quoted me
          without asking!" -or- "Those bozos think they are
          correctly gauging the consensus of the net - ha." 

     They could ask us what we think ---> "These bozos don't read the
          newsgroups" or "These bozos are using the net for
          commercial purposes (gasp!)."

     Hey, you've defined it that they can't win no matter what
they do.  Do you want them to think that we're a bunch of snotty
UNIX.bigots?   Only people with a BSEE are allowed to post?  Only
those on the ANSI committee?  Please excuse the rest of us.

     These people report on us, ask us for advice and our opinions,
and they get snotty postings in response.  What kind of adults
are we?

     Yes, I happen to like UNIX Today!  They are trying hard to
cover a dynamic industry -- *my* industry -- and for people who
are new to UNIX, I think they're doing a pretty durn good job.
They understand that there is a cultural flavor to UNIX (and the
net) and they are trying to acquire it so they can be better
reporters.  Why don't we help them rather than insult them?

     Keep in mind that this is not some basement rag.  Their parent,
CMP Publications, puts out _EE Times_ and _Computer Systems News_,
both well-respected tradeweeklies.  If you don't read them, you
should.   UNIX Today! had a good interview with Brian Kernighan
the other week.  This is so terrible?

     So folks, lay off.  If you have a legitimate gripe with a
posting or an article in their magazine, send them a note.
They do respond, and they seem genuinely interested in feedback
from us on their mistakes; you might even do some good or
(shudder) get your name in the paper.  If your gripe is just to
bitch, send it to /dev/null, not here -- we don't need it.

     Steve

Disclaimer: I'm only a [free] subscriber, no other connection, etc.

-- 
Steve Friedl    V-Systems, Inc.  +1 714 545 6442    3B2-kind-of-guy
friedl@vsi.com     {backbones}!vsi.com!friedl    attmail!vsi!friedl
------------Nancy Reagan on the worm: "Just say OH NO!"------------