Re: You saw it too

[xray@cs.brandeis.edu (Nathan Raymond)]

In article <4n8s0o$1lb@basement.replay.com>, nobody@REPLAY.COM (Anonymous)
wrote:

> No NO nO!
> 
> I am Turley according to Nathan Mates (that alone shows you how stupid he 
> is). It was an inside joke. I never clamed to be Dr. Tom Turley.
> 
> These threads will continue forever. You want to know why?
> Because, the appleII is dead! This newsgroup is dead compared to other 
> computer newsgroups. Yes, I have an AppleIIGS but, it is still a dead 
> computer platform. Right now it is just a unix terminal. Well, I do play 
> Dungeon Master on it.

I wish people would stop having silly discussions about what computer
platform is dead.  It can be argued quite effectively that it is a matter
of perspective.  More specifically, you are appropriating the term 'dead'
in a context that has no prescribed literal direct application.  In the
interest that my post might be saved and re-used in the future to ward off
other unresolveable discussions on obselescense and 'dead' architectures,
here are the American Heritage Dictionary's definitions on 'dead':

1. Having lost life; no longer alive.
2. Marked for certain death; doomed.
3.a. Having the physical appearance of death. b. Lacking feeling or
sensitivity; numb or unresponsive. c. Weary and worn-out; exhausted.
4.a. Not having the capacity to live; inanimate or inert. b. Not having
the capacity to produce or sustain life; barren.
5.a. No longer in existence, use, or operation. b. No longer having
significance or relevance. c. Physically inactive; dormant.
6.a. Not commercially productive; idle. b. Not circulating or running; stagnant.
7.a. Devoid of human or vehicular activity; quiet. b. Lacking all
animation, excitement, or activity; dull.
8. Having no resonance. Used of sounds.
9. Having grown cold; having been extinguished.
10. Lacking elasticity or bounce.
11. Out of operation because of a fault or breakdown.
12.a. Sudden; abrupt. b. Complete; utter. c. Exact; unerring.
13. Sports. Out of play. Used of a ball.
14.a. Lacking connection to a source of electric current. b. Drained of
electric charge; discharged.

�dead n.
1. One who has died.
2. The period exhibiting the greatest degree of intensity.

�dead adv.
1. Absolutely; altogether.
2. Directly; exactly.
3. Suddenly.

�idioms.
dead and buried.
No longer in use or under consideration.
dead in the water.
Unable to function or move.
dead to rights.
In the very act of making an error or committing a crime. �deadness n.

Therefore, it follows with logical necessity that as a long as ANY SINGLE
APPLE II series of computer is in use (as defined by the common
understanding of what "in use" entails) the Apple II, as per definition,
is NOT dead.

The Apple II may be dead to a particular individual at a particular time
(or even a particular group of people in society), but that is another
matter, and a futile discussion for a generalization in newsgroup since
the definition can't support such a generalization.

The definition for obsolescent, however, does have some application here:

1. Being in the process of passing out of use or usefulness; becoming obsolete.
2. Biology. Gradually disappearing; imperfectly or only slightly
developed. Used of an organ or other part of an animal or a plant. �

Which refers to the definition of obsolete:

1. Abbr. obs. No longer in use.
2. Outmoded in design, style, or construction.
3. Biology. Vestigial or imperfectly developed, especially in comparison
with other individuals or related species; not clearly marked or seen;
indistinct. Used of an organ or other part of an animal or a plant.

And which brings us to the particularly applicable term, outmoded:

1. Not in fashion; unfashionable.
2. No longer usable or practical; obsolete.

Definition (1) of 'outmoded', assumed in definition (2) of obsolete, is
directly and appropriately applicable to the state of the Apple II.  If we
had nice, civil discussions on the degree with which the Apple II is
outmoded in today's society, that would be fine, but people resort to the
base and naive argument of how 'dead' the Apple II is.  :)

> You see all of this wasted bandwith is giving you people something to 
> talk about.

A prevalent misconception today is that useless posts primarily 'waste
bandwidth', and while they might to some degree, one must consider the
relative bandwidth waste incurred by lousy graphics on useless web pages. 
Rather, the prose you post decreases the signal to noise ratio of usenet
considerably more than it affects the bandwidth.  :)

-- 
Nathan Raymond                   nraymond@staff.feldberg.brandeis.edu
xray@cs.brandeis.edu                nraymond@fechner.ccs.brandeis.edu
http://www.cs.brandeis.edu/~xray        raymond@binah.cc.brandeis.edu