Tao of Computers

[Jackie Olsen]

Sony has announced its own computer operating system now available on its hot new portable PC called the Vaio. Instead of producing the cryptic error messages characteristic of Microsoft's Windows 95, 3.1, and DOS operating systems, Sony's chairman Asai Tawara said, "We intend to capture the high
ground by putting a human, Japanese face on what has been - until now - an operating system that reflects Western cultural hegemony. For example, we have replaced the impersonal and unhelpful Microsoft error messages with our own Japanese haiku poetry."

The chairman went on to give examples of
Sony's new error messages:

>> A file that big?
>> It might be very useful.
>> But now it is gone.
>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>> The Web site you seek
>> cannot be located but
>> countless more exist
>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>> Chaos reigns within.
>> Reflect, repent, and reboot.
>> Order shall return.
>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>> ABORTED effort:
>> Close all that you have worked on.
>> You ask way too much.
>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>> Yesterday it worked
>> Today it is not working
>> Windows is like that.
>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>> First snow, then silence.
>> This thousand dollar screen dies
>> so beautifully.
>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>> With searching comes loss
>> and the presence of absence:
>> "My Novel" not found.
>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>> The Tao that is seen
>> Is not the true Tao, until
>> You bring fresh toner.
>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>> Windows NT crashed.
>> I am the Blue Screen of Death.
>> No one hears your screams.
>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>> Stay the patient course
>> Of little worth is your ire
>> The network is down
>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>> A crash reduces
>> your expensive computer
>> to a simple stone.
>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>> Three things are certain:
>> Death, taxes, and lost data.
>> Guess which has occurred.
>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>> You step in the stream,
>> but the water has moved on.
>> This page is not here.
>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>> Out of memory.
>> We wish to hold the whole sky,
>> But we never will.
>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>> Having been erased,
>> The document you're seeking
>> Must now be retyped.
>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>> Serious error.
>> All shortcuts have disappeared.
>> Screen. Mind. Both are blank.

I received the above from an Email ... perhaps all you computer tekkies will really appreciate it!

Jackie

[david]

<Chuckle, Chuckle...> Love these...

david

[Lori]

Jackie,

Those are excellent! Seems to construct a bridge between (albeit tenuous!) between technology and philosophy - 2 worlds that seem very contradictory!

Thanks for sharing them!

Peace,
Lori

[RACastanet]

Well, as long as the CD drive can play my Temptations collection while I wait for things to load/download I really do not mind passing time at the keyboard.
Rich

[Jackie Olsen]

Everyone,

Yes, I love them too. I don't think this is for real (darn), but if you want to incorporate them, I suppose you could make a screen saver out of your favorite message.

Jackie

[moulton]

Hello Jackie. I really enjoy your computer Tao and will tape it next to the 'Western' one I taped over my computer. I frequently hum it instead of Temptations (we have no CD drive for security reasons), while waiting for an endless compile across an incredulously slow net.

FFFF buckets of bits on the wall, FFFF buckets of bits.
Take one down, pass it around, FFFE buckets of bits on the wall.....

This helps out a lot, because GEM's entire website, including these forums, are FORBIDDEN at my new assignment.
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(Note: FFFF, in computer language, represents the decimal number 65,535)
<FONT COLOR="#FF0000">Allen</FONT> at [email]uechi@ici.net">uechi@ici.net</A> on <A HREF="http://www.uechi-ryu.org[/email]
<font color="orange">

[This message has been edited by moulton (edited 02-14-99).]