Things I don't understand

Drivers and subroutines for handling the myriad of previous software versions out there.

The code for graphical interfaces is huge. Sometime back in the 90s, in the office, somebody asked when Windows would get to be a bigger program than IBM's OS whatever on the mainframe. At the time, Windows looked quite pretty, but in real terms didn't do that much. OS was not the most elegant system, by any means, but it was the benchmark for capabilities you wanted to see in your operating system. And yet the answer was, Windows was already about the same size as OS, and growing fast. All that GUI, compared to the simple, essentially text-based, interfaces of mainframe systems.

Windows has gotten huge, no doubt about that. But what I was referring to is application programs. For example, Thunderbird is just an email program but is 85 megabytes installed - and it uses the Windows native GUI. 85 megabytes is a hell of a lot of code; what are they doing with it? The Adobe Acrobat Reader is over 200 megabytes installed. It's just a PDF reader. I know it does a few things besides simply  displaying a file's contents, but that's still a huge chunk of code, even accounting for the small number of images it includes. I have a program that comes with an SSD for managing a few properties of the drive and providing status; it's 220 megabytes installed. Ridiculous.

Back when memory was at a premium, conciseness was valuable.

Now that every computer runs with 16 gig of operating RAM and 4 terrabytes of memory costs $100, nobody cares how bloated the software is. With today's CPU speeds it all loads acceptable fast.

NoCoPilot wrote:

...nobody cares how bloated the software is.

I think what you mean is that you don't care.

My point wasn't that the software wouldn't be usable; it was that there is - to me - no acceptable reason for it to be so damned big. I have commented before, and have written about, the degradation of the quality of software development owing to the fast CPUs and large memory banks, which allow the use of inefficient development tools. The tools now available allow software to be written by people with little knowledge of the way computers work.

I don't understand why Trump's tax returns haven't been released, and why there isn't a national outcry over it.

I don't understand why the stock market is in record territory, and why this doesn't frighten investors to death.

I don't understand why ISIS claims responsibility for every terrorist bombing, and why doing so doesn't make them a pariah among Muslims everywhere. I don't understand why any young Muslim would seek to join an organization that takes young Muslims and teaches them to kill innocent bystanders while blowing themselves up. Well, okay, I can understand HOW they sell this madness, by telling people about paradise after death -- but I cannot fathom how anybody falls for it or why.

I don't understand why orgasms are still taboo in polite society, but warfare is sanctioned.

Why don't four-door cars have key locks on the rear doors?

Conversely, why is there a key lock on the front passenger door? How often have you used one?

NoCoPilot wrote:

I don't understand why ISIS claims responsibility for every terrorist bombing, and why doing so doesn't make them a pariah among Muslims everywhere.

It is common practice for terrorist organizations to claim the credit for anything that might possibly be mistaken for their work. Most of them are actually quite small, and don't do much, so taking credit for routine murders and accidents provides a boost to the amount of terror they can cause and helps publicize them for recruiting purposes. In a country with functioning journalism, one of the tasks of the media would be to clarify this stuff, so that organizations like ISIS don't get credit they don't deserve.

This is why it is so incredibly stupid for the Republicans to blame every damn thing on "radical Islamic terrorism". Sure, there are jihadis who do stuff. But if you consider the Orlando night-club mass shooting, for example, that was clearly the act of a deranged closeted gay man. Religion was involved only to the extent that it was his religious family and up-bringing that drove him insane, and plenty of christian families in America are also that bad. But since he was Muslim, the shooting is enshrined now as "Islamic terrorism" - the Republicans, abetted by the media, have done the work on behalf of ISIS. Stupid traitors, the lot of them.

But yes, good Muslims should denounce and shun the jihadis.

_Howard wrote:

Conversely, why is there a key lock on the front passenger door? How often have you used one?

Often. My garage is kinda tight; I park on the left side. When I need to throw something in the car for tomorrow I open the passenger door to do it.

Also, since my keyless entry fob broke I'm using the key to let passengers in.

You keep your car locked while it's in the garage?

Yes. Only the driver's door is unlocked.

Mark that under things I don't understand.

It's easy. 99% of the time it's a SOV.

IHNIWTM.

NoCoPilot wrote:

Also, since my keyless entry fob broke I'm using the key to let passengers in.

My car key and fob just went though the wash. Found in the bottom of the washer tub. Still works fine.

_Howard wrote:

IHNIWTM.

No idea? Single-occupancy vehicle. You've seen HOV lanes right?

You have special lanes for HOVerboards?

Oh for gunny sacks.

Merchandise is spelled differently than merchandizing.

But merchandise is spelled similar to merchandising.
Alternative spellings. Merchandize is the older form.

Apple's spell check is at fault then. Actually I think "merchandising" is the British spelling.

I don't understand why Apple makes it so difficult to access their websites. I have three different, no make that FOUR different Apple IDs because they keep locking me out. On any one of these IDs you cannot use a password that's been used in the previous year. Makes it damn hard to remember how to log into iTunes and the App Store and Pandora and help.

I got so frustrated last night that I chose "FuckApple" as my new password.

I'm surprised that Apple doesn't provide a way to recover a lost password. Hell, Google does that, and they can't even spell "googol."

Their process for "recovering a lost password" is to require you choose a new password:

• mimimum eight characters
  
• include at least one capital
  
• include at least one special character
  
• no repeated digits
  
• no digit patterns
  
• no password that's been used in the previous year

Kinda limits your options.