Re: [Sheflug] Debian Box

[Al Hudson <nospam [at] york.ac.uk>]

On Wed, 10 May 2000, Richard wrote:

> Yes, that's where I started.  Apparently it's the thing at Sheffield
> University to teach people to screw the xf86config file at the
> earliest opportunity.  That way any normal sane person who comes along
> afterwards can't figure it out.

XF86Setup doesn't need to use the defaults; so even if /etc/X11/XF86Config
is symlinked to the works of shakespeare, you should still be able to get
a usable X configuration.

> Wonder why it's necessary to take a vacuum cleaner apart and put it
> back together so that it blows muck in your own face ?

I can't remember who it was, I think it was Alan Cooper, who was giving a
speech at some geek (!) conference about user interface, user
friendliness, design, etc, and asked the audience how many of them had (as
children) taken apart a clock/torch/etc. Many of the audience raised their
hand. He then asked whether or not they managed to get it back in one
piece. The forest of hands was quickly whittled down to a few (liars ;).
He then asked the telling question: whether or not those who had taken
apart the clock, and not managed to put it back together, had felt that
the experience was worthwhile, and that the knowledge gained about the
internal workings of the clock more than offset the loss of the clock.
Apparently, at this point, the audience began to laugh; but it does say
something about those who use computers: a strange inquisitive nature that
means that it doesn't matter whether something works or not; at the end of
the day if you know how it works it's all worth it ;)

> Well, I must get off to the late sermon and get the steel whip out :-)

I wasn't aware you were a flagellite? ;)

Cheers,

Alex.

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