From: Michael Edwards (mje_at_foxall.com.au)
Date: Sun Dec 02 2001 - 01:51:08 EST
Michael Edwards.
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[Steve Andre:]
>As long as we're talking about non-thinkpad specific stuff,
>let me ask
>
> WHY ARE ANY OF YOU PEOPLE RUNNING THIS ***DISEASED*** SOFTWARE!
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I can't speak for anyone else - but here's why I'm using it.
I was introduced to e-mail and the Internet 3 years ago at a time when I
didn't know the first thing about Windows or any Windows software. I had been
using DOS for years, and still pine for it, and felt completely at home in it.
Windows to me was a frighteningly complex new world where for the first time I
felt quite out of control of my computer, felt I didn't understand how it
worked, and didn't trust the software - and I still largely feel that way. But
it came with my new laptop, and I didn't see what choice I had but to use the
software, especially if I wanted to do things like e-mail and the Internet.
I started using Outlook Express, not having the faintest idea whether it
was regarded as a good program or not - but secretly feeling that *no* Windows
programs (whether Microsoft or not) were truly good.
I've got so much e-mail in Outlook Express files now that I want to keep,
and don't have the faintest idea how to convert it to any other format - either
just text files, or the format for another e-mail program. As far as I can
tell, Outlook Express doesn't have any functions for converting e-mail - I
suppose because they don't want to help users switch to another program.
That's why I am using Outlook Express. I often hear people's astonishment
that anyone should be so silly as to use it - but I am astonished that it
doesn't occur to people that the kind of reasons I just gave might be the reason
many people keep using it. It's obvious to me that, due to circumstances,
especially relating to decisions you made earlier on based on inadequate
knowledge, you can get locked into using, and continuing to use, certain
software, even if you absolutely hate it now.
And, unless I somehow find a reliable way of converting my e-mail, I expect
I will continue using it for as long as I continue using Windows at all. It's
not because I think it's such a wonderful program: I think a lot of Microsoft
stuff is rubbish, and using it often makes me feel as if I'm trying to walk on
eggs without breaking them - but, for the reasons given above, I'm more or less
locked into it for the forseeable future. And it's no good people telling me
how unwise it is to use it. I agree - but I can't do anything about it until I
know what to do.
I'm thinking of trying Linux, and perhaps abandoning Windows altogether, or
except for one or two things I want to use which need Windows. But I have to
get another hard disk first, before I can look into that. And I don't know what
kind to get either, so there are problems there, too. And I will still need to
find a way of converting my files. At the least, it's a long-term prospect -
not something I can do within the coming week, or even month.
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>The number of bugs in Outlook/Outlook Express has gone beyond
>*ALL* reasonability. This software should not be used by anyone.
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I agree - in theory. But I have no choice at the moment, given my present
situation.
By the way, do you also feel that no-one should be using Windows, either?
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>Over the course of the last several years this software has cost
>hundreds of millions of dollars in lost time and productivity, yet
>there are people who still use it. Unbelivable!
..
>Wake up. Realize that MS has no interest in fixing things and
>wants to continue to foist this dreck on everyone. Wake up and
>realize that it is sheer folly to continue to use this software.
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Well, I hear comments like this all the time; and they are probably quite
correct. If you have any ideas on how I could deal with the difficulties I
described above, I'd be grateful if you could please share them with me. I
would love nothing better than to escape the bondage of Microsoft, and once
again enjoy the pleasure of controlling my computer, instead of it controlling
me - but I need to know what to change to, and have to somehow learn all the
various things I need to know to make the transition.
Regards,
Michael Edwards.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.3 : Thu Jan 23 2003 - 09:57:54 EST