Well, Jack, I endeavor to keep silent about what I do not know, and tell the
truth about what I do know. So, I would advise you to question the motive of
your doubts.
I've met Microsoft advocate.
It is nice to hear that.
Don't put the cart before the horse. I do *not* believe in Microsoft and
*therefore* defend them. I believe in Microsoft because I have done a great
deal of research, questioned my *own* assumptions, and come to educated
conclusions. I am far from *religious." My "religion" is logic.
In some circles it is quite popular to suspect Microsoft. People in these
circles think of Microsoft as "the establishment," and think of themselves
as "non-conformists." To that end, let me tell you a story from my youth in
the late 1960's and early 1970's.
All my life I have wanted to be an individual, to buck the trend, not to its
own end, but because the search for truth leads to the path less travelled.
As a young man, I decided to be a "non-conformist." So, like so many
"non-conformists" of my generation, I grew my hair long, dressed and acted
like a hippie, and thought I was an individual.
After a number of years of this, and as a result of being brutally honest
with myself (in the effort to discern truth), I began to realize that I
looked and behaved much like all my friends. Rather than being a
"non-conformist," I had traded conformity to one group of people for
conformity to another group of people.
So, as part of my effort to be brutally honest with myself, I thought about,
for example, the length of my hair. Actually, it turns out, as I have
naturally greasy hair (even today at the age of 49), it got dirty quickly,
was hard to take care of, and would make me hot in warm weather. So, I made
a decision to cut it. I am just not a preener. I would rather concentrate on
other things than how I look. It's been short ever since.
Today, I wear t-shirts and blue jeans, and look like most programmers. Do I
do it to conform? Heck no. I've worn t-shirts and blue jeans most of my
life. Cotton feels good on my body, better than any other fiber. T-shirts
are loose-fitting, and give my arms freedom. They do not require buttoning,
which means I don't have to think much or pay much attention to putting them
on or taking them off. Blue jeans are cotton, and sturdy (I never buy the
pre-worn type). I only have to buy pants every several years. And I don't
have to think about what I'm going to wear. Therefore, t-shirts and blue
jeans are the most logical choice for a person who doesn't like to have to
think too much about their appearance, or spend much time dressing and
undressing.
As to why most programmers generally wear this particular outfit, or
something like it, well, programmers are, for the most part, logical people
who, like myself, don't like to have to think too much about their
appearance, or spend much time dressing and undressing. So, I am not a
conformist. I am what I am, and look like other people who have similar
personality characteristics, and who, as a result of their personality, tend
to become programmers, network engineers, or other geek professions.
In other words, putting the cart before the horse is a logical error. It is
a mistake to assume that because a person says a certain thing or behaves a
certain way, that the person in question is a conformist.
In fact, I would have to guess by your behavior (not assume, but presuppose)
that you are young, and that, like myself when I was young, are conforming
to a group of people who think of themselves as "non-conformists." If so, I
would invite you to question your assumptions, and your acceptance of the
"group-think" of the group that you enjoy the company of. Or, as my Uncle
Chutney would say, "Neither a follower nor a lender be."
There is no "establishment." There are only people. People are individuals.
We live with the consequences of our decisions as individuals. We start out
living in the context of the consequences of the decisions made by our
parents. When we become adults, we acquire the ability to reshape our lives
by making our own decisions, regardless of the context in which we are born.
In other words, at some point in our lives, we are responsible for our own
situation, as we are living in the context of the consequences of our own
decisions. Environment is a factor of *influence* in the decision-making
process, but it is not the determinant of our condition in life, unless we
decide to allow it to be. And that decision, like every other decision me
make, is ours to make, as individuals, and we live with the consequence of
it, as individuals.
It has overblown bureaucracy, and even the smallest and easy change in the
code takes ages to implement.
This is not an argument. It is merely an assertion. An argument is supported
with evidence. As programmer, you should know that. I provide logical
evidence for my arguments. An assertion without evidence is illogical.
Consider the following:
Premise: White is the totality of color.
Premise: Black is the absence of color.
Premise: The object in question is black.
Conclusion: The object in question is not white.
- This is an argument.
The object in question is not white.
- This is an assertion. It has no logical foundation.
To add to that I think I should say I am outdated and I hate .NET
Thanks for sharing.
--
HTH,
Kevin Spencer
Microsoft MVP
..Net Developer
There's a seeker born every minute.
- Dr. "Happy" Harry Cox
