cecropia download time

[Martha Rosett Lutz]

Ron Gatrelle wrote:

"What I am saying is this. Some of us are riding on Donkeys and some in race
cars. Some are using Passenger Pigeons and some the phone.  IF you are one
of those who lives in an area of this planet where basic basic technology
is all you have access to or can afford, then I honestly do hope that in
the near future you will be able to get "aboard" this vehicle in its
fullness. . . . The net/web is not waiting for
anyone. This is a rocket ship not a mule. Put your saddle in the barn and
BUY a ticket.  For those in other parts of the world or who are poor -
perhaps some of the millionaires on this group can fork over a few hundred
bucks and help you out."

With all due respect for situations where this is an appropriate sentiment
(i.e. the 'chirp or get off the perch' philosophy, which often does apply
to human endeavors) I beg to disagree with Dr. Gatrelle on this issue with
regard to discussion lists.  I am using a 1993 Mac Centris 610, and have a
similarly antiquated set-up for getting on-line.  If I have to choose
between spending money to upgrade, or dropping out of the lists I have
joined, I would probably (with sadness but no real regrets) opt to drop out
of the discussion lists.

This would not be for any reason EXCEPT that I cannot justify allowing
someone else to force me to spend money to 'fix what ain't broke.'

Please understand that I don't feel that anyone is forcing me at this
point.  But if the prevailing attitude is that consideration of those of us
with old, slow machines has fallen by the wayside, so that it is acceptable
to post images that tie up lots of our computer time willy-nilly, then I
would prefer to leave the group than to buy a new system while the old one
still works.

Why?  The main reason for this stinginess is that I want to save money so
that I can be generous where it really counts.  For example, my older
daughter just (May 2001) scored double 800s on the SAT.  She wants to go to
Cornell University and eventually become a vet.  This double 800 came on
top of a PSAT score of 240 (out of 240, for those unfamiliar with that
test), and she has maintained a 4.0 since seventh grade (she is currently a
high school junior).  This includes four college-level courses (biology and
calculus among those).

How could I justify spending upwards of $1000 on a new computer, plus extra
money per month for a faster hook-up, at a time when we are tightening our
budget so that we can find funds to send our daughter to Cornell . . . and
we still have three more younger children, one of whom is in junior high
and getting a 4.0 there.  He wants to be an engineer (design airplanes,
etc.).  In the best of all worlds, all our five kids will get full academic
scholarships (our oldest did that--full tuition, etc., to study physics at
the University of Houston).  However, for now, I intend to keep my old
computer (it still works, it's just slow--kind of like me, come to think of
it), my old car (1982 Toyota), and anything else that is still functional
and gets the job done.

If someone thinks that, by riding a mule, I invalidate any contributions I
might be able to make to those willing to wait for my words even though
they are riding a rocket ship, then probably I am better off having
discussions with those who value quality over speed.

I hope this does not sound offensive . . . it is not meant to be combative,
nor meant to stimulate unpleasantness.  It is simply another viewpoint, and
one that I beg you to consider in counterpoint to Dr. Gatrelle's viewpoint.

In Stride,
Martha Rosett Lutz
a.k.a. the old lady sprinter (who values speed on a tartan track, in a pair
of 6 oz track spikes) in Iowa, where we have had 68 days of rain so far
this spring.



 
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