MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - iLiad Owners: How technologically oriented are you?

Almagne · 10-14-2007, 08:31 PM

I voted for a three.

Back in the DOS days (and Win3.11) I would have been a 4 or 5, but times change (and programs change) and it just takes too much time to become really proficient. It seems by the time I get good at something...the rules change and a new package comes out. The last time I actually wrote a full fledged program was back in 1994-95 during graduate school when teaching Freshman Engineering students Pascal! I just never needed to learn C++ and Object Oriented Programming. Java is what I drink in the morning; Python, a snake in the zoo.

That is why I have not gotten shell access. The time it would take to get proficient and everything running would be wiped away when the next version of the iLiad software comes out. I am happy to follow the development of the community and will be happy to use the fruit of your efforts - when it can be installed without shell access.

I do build myself a new computer about every 2 years and update it often. It seems that hardware changes but the changes are different from the software changes. I can keep up without expending tremendous effort. I probably rate a 4 in regards to computer hardware (5 in the months when updating my system). Consequently, it seems that Adam's thesis that we are a technical bunch is fundamentally correct for me also - but not in reference to the current software packages.

So although it is a 3, if I really wanted to I could be a 4 or 5.

10-14-2007, 08:31 PM	#20
Almagne Enthusiast Posts: 27 Karma: 11 Join Date: Jan 2007	I voted for a three. Back in the DOS days (and Win3.11) I would have been a 4 or 5, but times change (and programs change) and it just takes too much time to become really proficient. It seems by the time I get good at something...the rules change and a new package comes out. The last time I actually wrote a full fledged program was back in 1994-95 during graduate school when teaching Freshman Engineering students Pascal! I just never needed to learn C++ and Object Oriented Programming. Java is what I drink in the morning; Python, a snake in the zoo. That is why I have not gotten shell access. The time it would take to get proficient and everything running would be wiped away when the next version of the iLiad software comes out. I am happy to follow the development of the community and will be happy to use the fruit of your efforts - when it can be installed without shell access. I do build myself a new computer about every 2 years and update it often. It seems that hardware changes but the changes are different from the software changes. I can keep up without expending tremendous effort. I probably rate a 4 in regards to computer hardware (5 in the months when updating my system). Consequently, it seems that Adam's thesis that we are a technical bunch is fundamentally correct for me also - but not in reference to the current software packages. So although it is a 3, if I really wanted to I could be a 4 or 5.