lost their minds

They know the media age of their demographic? :-)

"Professional" is a pretty meaningless word these days. I played around with Windows 7 a little last week, and the book I was using with it claimed that the fancy new graphics effects (eye candy) would allow you to present yourself as a "more professional" user. Sheesh.... we really are becoming a society that's all about style and nothing about substance...

Yeah. So?

Thanks, Rich

On a sunny day (Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:00:34 -0800) it happened John Larkin wrote in :

You would be even more surprised if you knew the price of that apple, several hundred $.

This message is encrypted with vaguecrypt, please type '49263329043' without the quotes at the cursor to see the real content.

You need style AND political correctness. Then you don't need substance, Obama will give you TARP ;-) ...Jim Thompson

Ah, but we are! Does that scare you? So many problems can be solved by perception. Much of the market already revolves around intangible goods and services.

In such a world, we don't need to teach kids in school, or have professionals design and build things. We only need to make them think they've been taught, or that they are professional.

It's too bad wishing doesn't make it real. Not yet. We still have a few decades to go before computers can fill in the gap between "I want this" and "here it is", a gap that engineers fill today. Eventually, we'll reach an age where "real" is virtual reality -- after all, what's the difference between a doowhackey in your hand that you can show other people what it does, and one in a virtual environment that you can show other virtual characters what it does?

Tim

The medium really *is* the message...

Regards,

Chris

No, but it does make me feel a bit dirty inside.

OK, maybe a little worried -- I think those kids over in Asia and India are still doing a lot of actual learning, after all...

"Eventually, we'll reach an age where "real" is virtual reality -- after all, what's the difference between a doowhackey in your hand that you can show other people what it does, and one in a virtual environment that you can show other virtual characters what it does?"

Hmm... just plug into The Matrix and magic is real, eh? Interesting idea.

---Joel

On a sunny day (Mon, 9 Nov 2009 11:00:37 -0800 (PST)) it happened Tim Williams wrote in :

There is an important difference, you cannot eat virtual food.

Orgasm.

Virtual Not Real.

Cheers! Rich

And one day, people will be warehoused in racks, all plugged into their vitrual life, and once a week some wetback will come in and hose them down.

Thanks, Rich

You might already be plugged in, Rich, and just not know it yet. :-)

"John Larkin" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Why? The Beatles Rock Band thing was a total flop.

Cheers

I know I'm real because I can feel me. ;-)

Cheers! Rich

I'm expecting next month's ECN newsletter to offer diet pills and teeth whiteners and 2-carat diamond rings for three easy payments of $59.95.

John

You'll go blind.

Ok,

grep neural_interface

and after a little humming and whirring, the AIE (Artificial Intelligence Engineer) has produced your orgasm simulator. Indeed, with perfect connection to your sensory cortex, you can have orgasms like cocaine. Or vice versa.

Fuck, that's scary. I sincerely hope The Matrix doesn't have a linux kernel buried somewhere deep within its programming. On the other hand, if it's Microsoft based, it'll be Skynet, so on the plus side, we'll be dead rather than integrated, so we won't have to endure the bugs.

Tim

"will be?"

Thanks, Rich

If that's true, then it must take a very long time. ;-)

Cheers! Rich

That certainly clarifies what their idea of electronic engineering news is.